Women and Girls

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In recent years, there has been a slow and steady uptick in philanthropic support to advance gender equity, but U.S. nonprofits focused on women and girls remain generally underfunded relative to the size of the population. The majority of funding in this area goes to reproductive health, rights and justice. Donors looking to engage in that area should read our guide to reproductive rights giving. This guide offers advice about other ways donors can make a difference in the lives of women and girls. It highlights the leading philanthropic strategies that aim to advance gender equiaty, especially for low-income women and women of color, and offers guidance for new donors in this space to get started.  

Strategies for Impact

Nonprofits are engaged in a range of efforts to address the challenges facing women and girls. All this work is important and could benefit from greater donor support. Below, we discuss five areas where donors might focus their funding and spotlight several organizations in each that represent the kind of nonprofits that donors might consider supporting. 

  • Center Women and Girls of Color. Organizations devoted to the needs of Black, Indigenous, immigrant and disabled women and girls are woefully underfunded. Donors who want to address these gaps should look for organizations with demonstrably deep roots in these communities. One way to get to know this funding space and begin giving effectively is to connect with Grantmakers for Girls of Color, a funding intermediary supporting more than 100 nonprofits in this area, which encourages funders to donate directly to these organizations, including Black Women’s Health Imperative, Brown Girls Mentoring, Hmong American Women’s Association and Young Women’s Freedom Center.

    Another valuable intermediary and great starting point is the Ms. Foundation for Women. It is now a majority BIPOC-led organization, and for decades, it has mentored and nurtured the next generation of feminist leaders. It also provides strategic assistance that strengthens progressive organizations and seeds long-term solutions in the economic justice and reproductive health and safety sectors. More funders are directing their resources toward women and girls organizations focused on potentially high-impact states, especially those in the South and Midwest. The Southern Consortium for Black Girls and Women is one of the most prominent organizations, supporting over 70 nonprofits in a dozen states. But others, such as Highlander Research Center, Project South and Southerners on New Ground, also do inspiring work. 

  • Support Workplace Advances. The #MeToo movement put a spotlight on women’s issues related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking. The Fund for the Me Too Movement and Allies supports leaders, activists and advocates from around the country working to promote the leadership and healing of survivors and healthy communities. Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund supports individuals who’ve experienced sexual harassment or retaliation at work to seek justice and to protect others from similar behavior. But many organizations are focused on other important aspects of making workplaces better for women, with increasing attention to parenting leave and other family-friendly policies and pay transparency (ultimately toward pay equity). Organizations in this area include Institute for Women’s Policy Research, National Partnership for Women and Families, 9to5, and Families and Work Institute.

  • Consider Domestic Violence, Public Safety and the Role of Men. Domestic violence has always been one of the largest areas of giving for women and girls, and there is continuing need in this area. Organizations like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and local groups like WEAVE in Sacramento, California, work on domestic violence prevention, education and victim assistance. Another possibility to consider, the San Diego Trafficking Prevention Collective, offers education programs designed to protect students from sexual exploitation. More nonprofits and funders are engaging men as central figures in promoting women’s equity and safety. A Call to Men works to educate and mentor men and boys and runs programs to help men develop healthy perspectives and behaviors toward women. 

  • Back Entrepreneurship and Education. There are many good programs aimed at helping women start or capitalize businesses, but many donors are backing initiatives to improve opportunities for girls and women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Black Girls Code provides pathways for Black youth and women to excel in the tech, science and math fields. Similarly, Girls Who Code seeks to empower future female engineers. National Center for Women and Information Technology is designed to correct gender underrepresentation in computing. Educate Girls works internationally to promote and protect the right of every girl to an education. The Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley provides education, leadership and civic engagement opportunities, while Latina Geeks seeks to educate and empower Latinas by sharing technical knowledge, business skills and entrepreneurship resources through hands-on workshops.

  • Include Women Leading Climate Change Efforts. Women’s leadership in the climate justice movement is undersupported. Already marginalized low-income women and girls and BIPOC women and girls are more likely to be impacted by climate change, a reality now playing out in the U.S. South. Since 2015, the Black-female-founded Solutions Project has supported almost 240 grassroots groups fighting climate change, most of them led by women of color. The Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice makes grants to organizations that have historically lacked access to funding and are key to making progress in addressing intersecting climate, gender and racial justice crises in the U.S. At present, the bulk of its funding is geared toward the Southeast. Rachel’s Network is an organization of women funders, environmental leaders and stewards with a commitment to gender and racial justice, who have been dubbed leaders in the ecofeminist space. Tides’ WE LEAD (Women’s Environmental Leadership) fund works to support women’s grassroots leadership in the U.S. climate movement.

Insights and Advice 

In considering which impact strategies to support, donors should take into account their personal interests and outlook to find the best fit. They should also keep an eye out for emerging opportunities to give with maximum impact to improve the lives of women and girls. Here, we offer a few insights and suggestions:

  • Don’t go it alone. Intermediaries can do a huge amount of the leg work of identifying opportunities in the field and getting involved with one of these groups is a great way for donors to save time and give more effectively. In addition to intermediaries already mentioned above, groups to know about include Women Moving Millions, Women Donors Network and Women’s Funding Network, which are all well regarded. Borealis Philanthropy works to strengthen the social justice leadership of Black, LGBTQ+ and disabled youth, including young women and girls. The Tides Foundation invests in adolescent girls and young women of color via the Tides Advancing Girls Fund. 

  • Keep intersectionality in mind. People hold overlapping identities that can compound the challenges they face in life, and that’s especially true for women. Donors should give special attention to nonprofits that serve women and girls who are also nonwhite, low-income, LGBTQ or disabled. For example, the National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice in the courts, public policy and in society across a range of issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. The center’s work is rooted in removing barriers, especially for women and girls of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants and low-income women and families.

  • Help build political power. Real change in the lives of women and girls requires empowering leaders in politics and public policy who are truly committed to gender equity. Donors have many options for using tax-deductible charitable funds to advance such power-building. The National Domestic Workers Alliance is organizing a labor force that is mostly female and largely nonwhite to participate in civic life, while a range of new organizations are seeking to organize women voters or elevate women leaders, including Supermajority Education Fund, VoteRunLead, Ascend Fund, LatinasRepresent, New American Leaders and Victory Institute.

For Donors Getting Started

While nonprofits that support women and girls are underfunded, this is still a large and complicated giving area with many nonprofit and funding intermediaries. Donors who are new to this space should take the time to learn about the landscape.

A good place to start is by reading IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief on Giving for Women & Girls. In addition, peruse recent articles that IP has published about what’s happening in this area of philanthropy. Some of the funding intermediaries mentioned above also offer reports and articles to help donors understand the giving terrain for women and girls, especially the Women’s Funding Network, Women Moving Millions and the Ms. Foundation for Women. Another helpful resource is the Women’s Philanthropy Institute Women & Girls Index.

To find more local and national nonprofits working in this area  that are well-respected, Charity Navigator is a reputable place to search for worthy organizations around the country.

But the best way to get started giving for women and girls is to make some initial gifts, get to know the work of the groups you’re supporting, and connect early with a funding intermediary that can help you learn more about this giving area and increase your giving in a thoughtful way.

Have suggestions for improving this brief? Please email us at editor@insidephilanthropy.com.