I believe it was Elizabeth Barajas-Román who I first heard use the compelling phrase “fund like a feminist.” I’d like to borrow that phrase to talk about a number of things going on in the women’s funding hemisphere in the midst of the national and international cuts to services for women, people of color, and many other marginalized groups.
It’s never been more important to fund like a feminist, and that’s why it gives me hope to share about Together Women Rise and its grants to support women in the Global South.
Starting May 6th, Together Women Rise will be accepting applications for its Featured Grants to be awarded in 2026. (Guidelines here.) Together Women Rise’s Featured Grants program funds 12 grants per year, ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 each.
“Through our Featured Grants program, we address the varied issues and needs of women and girls in the Global South and create lasting change in their lives,” said Beverley Francis-Gibson, CEO. “We fund projects that allow women and girls to obtain education and mentoring, access to prenatal care and safer birthing options, healthcare screenings and treatment, employment and entrepreneurial skills, and much more. We strive to create a world where every woman and girl has the right to live freely, pursue her dreams, and reach her full potential.”
Emily Nielsen-Jones on Funding in the Current Environment
It’s hard to know what to do as a donor, given all the cuts and changes happening in the world right now. I asked one donor with a mission to address gender equality, Emily Nielsen Jones, co-founder of Imago Dei Fund, how she is navigating this terrain.
“The most satisfying grants one can make are to locally-led and founded organizations created and steered by women who know what their communities need,” said Emily Nielsen-Jones, in a recent text exchange about what donors can do to mitigate the damage of the US funding cutbacks globally.
“These women are doing all they can to alleviate suffering and empower people to create loving and peaceful communities. This kind of giving is very efficient and feels very human and rewarding.”
Massachusetts Funding for Women Drops to 1.3%. Keep Funding Like a Feminist Anyway
Yes, it’s true. Our often “model student” state, Massachusetts, is seeing a significant drop-off in funding for women and girls. According to the Women’s Foundation of Boston, only 1.3% of all philanthropic dollars contributed in the state of Massachusetts is directed to nonprofits that predominantly serve women and girls. This was during a time when overall giving to nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts rose by 7% to $51 billion.
There is work to be done in building back this funding to get to the national average of 1.9% for funding for women and girls. Funders may want to consider ways to work with their state women’s funds or other women-led organizations to right the balance and get Massachusetts back on track.
Expert Advice: Funders for Health Care Must Speak Out
Dr. Cara V. James, President and CEO of Grantmakers In Health and former Director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a statement yesterday on recent cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and how philanthropy should respond to harmful policies.
“The cuts also disproportionately target programs serving those most in need,” said Dr. James. “The Administration for Community Living, which supports older adults and people with disabilities, has been eliminated. Some programs the agency ran will move to other agencies, although it is unclear which ones.”
James’s press release enumerates a number of other severe cuts that will impact vulnerable people. “The Duals Office at CMS, which sought to improve integration between Medicare and Medicaid for beneficiaries who are eligible for both programs, was eliminated, with some work moving to another part of CMS.”
Dr. James also spoke to the elimination of services for minorities. “Several Offices of Minority Health, including the one I led at CMS, have been eliminated or had their staff significantly reduced. They were authorized in the Affordable Care Act, although several existed before it was enacted. While each was unique, they all worked to eliminate disparities experienced by various populations, including communities of color, rural populations, and individuals with disabilities.”
Dr. James elaborates in her press release on how these cuts will hurt critical programs for like maternal health. “The removal of programs and reports with certain words will make it extremely difficult to track health disparities,” added Dr. James. “The removal of the staff whose job was to address the needs of vulnerable populations makes it less likely those communities will be represented when policy decisions are made or when implementation plans are developed, thereby increasing the chances for unintended consequences.”
As a licensed healthcare provider, I take Dr. James’s public statement as an important model for us all to observe as we prepare to push back against the harmful cuts to healthcare in our country.
For healthcare donors, it might be necessary to retrench and reposition, in order to fight medical misinformation coming from the federal government. If you haven’t seen the federal government’s current Covid information website, you might want to take a look. The amount of spin and misinformation is devastating.
In Closing, Give to Women For Healthcare and Basic Needs like Housing
There are many holes and cracks in our healthcare system as well as our social security system. Now may be a good time as a funder to take on the hard work of trying to fill some of those gaps, such as the lack of social security for people who have not been able to work enough to quality for disability. There are many other gaps like that one, including funding for families who go into debt due to medical expenses, and research on women’s health, which was just beginning to get the attention it deserves under the Biden administration.
Or if you are more devoted to creativity as a funder, there is always room for more art funding for women. And of course, education and political involvement for women also need support.
When in doubt, simply give women-led organizations serving women’s need.
