Envisioning feminist philanthropy with the Global Fund for Women

Note from the CREDO team: This June, the Global Fund for Women is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Take a minute to read this important blog post, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this June.

Traditional philanthropy is typically white and male dominated, and that’s bad news for feminist activists who end up getting the short end of the stick. Only 1.9% of all charity makes it to women and girls. And Black feminist social movements get even less—smaller than 0.5%.

Global Fund for Women is flipping the script in favor of a new way of showing solidarity and support:  Feminist Philanthropy. It’s about time, right?

We’re shifting power to the people left behind by the old boys’ club—Black and Indigenous people, LGBTQI+ people, rural women, people with disabilities, sex workers, and more people most impacted by gender injustice. We believe they know their communities best, and we trust them to know how best to spend funds and create revolutionary change in their communities.

That’s why we created the 1.9 Rising community, where supporters can make a monthly gift, and receive a welcome gift featuring feminist artwork, access to online and in-person events, and more. Dependable funding every month is a meaningful way to reach out to an activist and offer direct support so they can spend their time making revolutionary change in their own communities instead of raising money.

It’s not new for all of us at Global Fund for Women. We’ve been at it for over 30 years, funding human rights and gender justice for women, girls, and all marginalized people at the local level and trusting local partners to drive solutions that make sense.

Partners like our longtime sister fund in Ukraine, who is reeling from the Russian invasion and war. Global Fund for Women has supported feminist work in this region for over 20 years. In addition to help with evacuations and humanitarian aid such as food and medicine, Ukrainians are also asking for support in publicizing their simple ask: stop the war.

Because of our deep relationship with partners in Ukraine, we are listening to what local needs are on the ground right now—and for the foreseeable future. Global Fund for Women will be there long after the cameras and news reports move on.

As a feminist funder, we’re shifting power to historically marginalized communities including women, girls, and gender non-conforming people. We’re getting flexible funding and resources directly to feminist activists who know exactly how to use it.

And here’s what makes it especially great: activists can spend their days making change instead of raising cash. It matters every day, and especially in times of crisis.

Zoneziwoh Mbondgulo-Wondieh of Women for a Change, Cameroon said, “We need not just more funding, but better funding: flexible core funding that allows organizations to use the grants how they wish. It was this unrestricted funding from Global Fund for Women that allowed our organization to quickly turn our attention towards the Covid response and gave us the autonomy to provide what our communities really needed.”

We know this approach supports bold grassroots gender justice movements creating meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes.

Join us in our feminist approach to philanthropy, and support the work of feminist leaders working at the forefront of climate justice, sexual and reproductive justice, racial justice, economic justice, and so many more gender justice movements. To learn more, visit https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/.