It is critical that this movement inform the broader narrative of philanthropy in order to create meaningful changes at the state, federal, and global levels of action and governance.
The WFN promotes advances in strategies, practice, and knowledge and movement building initiatives so that they can be shared and widely adopted by the funding world, and maintain and grow our collective efforts for powerful systemic change.
WFN creates and supports mechanisms for individual, and collective, amplification and influence. Mechanisms include coordinated advocacy opportunities, a platform for community communications and press, and leadership spotlights and directories.
Communications and Insights
As thought leaders in the intersectional movement of gender equity and racial justice funders advancing philanthropic solutions for eradicating inequality and systems of oppression, Women’s Funding Network staff and members have insight and knowledge that strengthen our network’s effectiveness and propel our movement forward. Women’s Funding Network communications knowledge sharing platforms include a member-wide and executive leaders listserv, monthly peer community calls, topic-specific listservs, curated weekly reads, robust social media presence, and podcast and blog.
We keep members connected, amplify women’s voices, and provide a communications ecosystem and platform for women’s funds, foundations, and gender equity funders to collaborate, share resources, spark conversation, create synergies, inspire action, innovate to mobilize our entire network as catalysts for transformative women-led systems change.
Member Bureau
As women’s funds, foundations and gender equity funders, our members play a critical role in giving voice to and centering the needs of women and girls to ensure they are not excluded from the conversation and, as a result, the funding equation entirely. Women’s Funding Network’s Member Bureau promotes thought leadership, events, and executive visibility among our network’s organizations and senior leaders.
Our Member Bureau helps facilitate speaking engagements, participation in conferences, events, and other appearances and speaking opportunities to share expertise and build capacity within philanthropy. The bureau also helps raise awareness of women’s philanthropy, grow professional networks, and encourage cross-sector partnerships and collaboration.
Advocacy
Sign-ons and statements
Women’s Funding Network’s members share an unwavering commitment to applying a gender and racial justice lens in grantmaking and advocacy. We leverage our collective impact and amplified voice through public sign-on letters and statements on important public policy and social justice issues to educate the public — including public officials, philanthropy and nonprofit leaders — about gender- and racial-justice issues and disparities.
Lobbying
Deeply-rooted in community, our members connect local influence, regional expertise and familiarity with state and local policies, issues and leaders to advocate on their behalf, push funders and public officials to prioritize and center their needs, and give women and marginalized people both a voice and a seat at the tables of power. Bringing together our network’s global reach, with vast collective knowledge and experience, Women’s Funding Network is able to mobilize the combined influence and lobbying power of its membership through coordinated advocacy and organizing collective action.
