When the board of the Hewlett Foundation invited their Global and Development team (since renamed to Gender Equity and Governance) to submit a concept for a special initiative, they joined forces with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to commission research to inform the design of a strategy for a special initiative on women’s rights. The findings of that research, conducted by Alexandra Garita, highlighted the essential role that women’s funds play in resourcing and supporting movements. Also she presented the possibilities emerging by new funding initiatives like the Dutch funded Leading from the South, and the necessity of investing in women’s funds as essential so that they can claim more and better resources for gender justice movements.
That research built the case for the initiative that became Fenomenal Funds, a bold and innovative experiment to get more and better resources to gender justice movements by investing in women’s funds members of the Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds (INWF).
The underlying premise is that by investing in their individual and collective infrastructure, women’s funds have the resilience, voice, and visibility to claim more and better resources for gender justice movements.
Getting more and better resources for gender justice movements – serves as our north star, the why of our existence. Providing core institutional funding to invest in the infrastructure of women’s funds is our what. The Four Outcomes work together to articulate the “so what” – the change we hope to see as a result of this investment. They work together to articulate the visions for individual and collective resilience of the members of the Prospera INWF, and how this effort can also impact the wider philanthropic ecosystem. Two-and-a-half years into this five-year initiative we are well on our way. We look forward to sharing some of our insights and emerging signs that tell us we are heading in the right direction.
When they are resilient, women's funds remain responsive to movementes; rise to moments of opportunity and respond effectively to unexpected challenges.
A more connected women’s fund ecosystem leverages the wisdom of the collective ecosystem to reimagine practices and policies to solve shared challenges, as well as mobilize and resource feminist movements in complementary ways.
A more connected women’s fund ecosystem leverages the wisdom of the collective ecosystem to reimagine practices and policies to solve shared challenges, as well as mobilize and resource feminist movements in complementary ways.
A more connected women’s fund ecosystem leverages the wisdom of the collective ecosystem to reimagine practices and policies to solve shared challenges, as well as mobilize and resource feminist movements in complementary ways.
When they are resilient, women’s funds remain responsive to movementes; rise to moments of opportunity and respond effectively to unexpected challenges.
A more connected women’s fund ecosystem leverages the wisdom of the collective ecosystem to reimagine practices and policies to solve shared challenges, as well as mobilize and resource feminist movements in complementary ways.
As they raise their profile, women’s funds are recognized and engaged as equal partners in determining the agenda, defining the strategy, and determining the priorities for resourcing gender justice movements.
We collectively engage private philanthropy on what it means and what it looks like to democratize and decolonize by centering the voice and experience of women’s funds in strategy and funding decision-making.