Dear Colleagues,
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend in the United States. And while many of us gather to celebrate the strength, love, and labor of moms and caregivers, countless families around the world are facing the pain of separation and displacement. Migration policies in the Global North are tearing families apart, criminalizing care, and putting the lives of women and children at risk.
At Women’s Funding Network, we know that when systems fail, women’s funds step in. Across our network, local women’s funds are providing immediate, community-rooted support—shelter, legal advocacy, emergency grants, and mental health care—while advancing long-term strategies for justice. They are responding to crises not with charity, but with solidarity.
Our members are supporting asylum-seeking mothers denied basic rights at border crossings and are ensuring displaced women and their families have access to safety, dignity, and hope. This is the kind of leadership that puts mothers—not markets—at the center of policy and possibility.
On this Mother’s Day, we invite you to honor not only the mothers in your life, but also the organizers, funders, and freedom fighters who are mothering justice in our communities.
Together, we’re building a world where every mother—no matter where they come from—can keep their children safe and close.
In community,
Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO