Evolving strategies for funding increases efficacy and drives support for gender justice and women’s funds within the field of philanthropy.
WFN works in partnership with its membership and other funding partners to lead initiatives, develop programs, and organize collective action on key issues to strategically improve the efficacy of philanthropic work in the sphere of gender equity and justice.
These strategic initiatives include collaborative funds, learning cohorts, and summits and conferences dedicated to developing and sharing emerging strategies and practice.
Collaborative Funds
Response, Recovery, and Resilience Collaborative Fund
WFN has created a multi-million-dollar Response, Recovery, and Resilience Collaborative Fund (RRRCF) that will allow institutional funders and donors to join forces for a multi-phase COVID-19 effort that has immediate and long-term impact.
More than a fund, the RRRCF donor collaborative brings funders, donors and local leaders together to achieve long term change. The RRRCF will organize and deploy resources to stabilize financially threatened women’s funds, foundations, and funding network members.
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Strategic Initiatives
Economic Mobility Hub
In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WFN has launched a Women’s Economic Mobility Hub to increase support and resources necessary to advance economic mobility among women and girls in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
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Prosperity Together
Completed in 2020, Prosperity Together was a nonpartisan coalition of public women’s foundations dedicated to improving the economic security of low-income women and their families in America, collectively investing over $100 million to the cause.
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Whole Family Approaches to Economic Mobility Cohort & Guide
In partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Ascend at the Aspen Institute, WFN has designed a learning community, advocacy cohort, and funders guide with the goal to break the cycle of poverty for women and their families.
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Tools for Equity
werc space
werc space is a platform that features curated resources and opportunities for marginalized genders who want to start or grow a business, who might otherwise face barriers in business due to gender, income level, race, ability or other identity.
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Moving Money for Impact: a Guide to Gender Lens Investing
For philanthropists, board members, and investors of all genders who seek to make “money moves that matter,” this guide is a heartfelt introduction to gender lens investing that came about largely in response to questions and needs expressed by the Women’s Funding Network community.
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Signal for Help
The Signal for Help, created by The Canadian Women’s Foundation, a WFN member, is a nonverbal hand signal that provides a way to discreetly communicate when someone needs help. The signal’s effectiveness is tied to its ability to be recognized, and appropriately acted upon. That’s why The Canadian Women’s Foundation partnered with WFN to help amplify the new tool among our global network of women’s funds and gender equity funders.
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Conferences and Summits
Biennial Conference
Women Funded is Women’s Funding Network’s biennial conference gathering of 400+ gender equity supporters and funders, convening leaders from around the world for two-and-a-half days of interactive workshops, labs and plenaries on digital strategies, global/local advocacy, organizing and more. The next gathering will be held in 2023.
Women Funded 2021
Feminist Funded 2023
Summits
In alternating years to our conference, Women’s Funding Network hosts two summits that provide deep immersion for members into the barriers they are dismantling through policy advocacy and grant-making. Attendees discover initiatives that are working, explore the current funding landscape, leverage opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and leave with concrete action plans across sectors to further their work.
