May 15, 2024
The 118th United States Congress Recognizes the Ms. Foundation’s 50th Anniversary
The nation’s oldest women’s foundation was honored with a Congressional Resolution for their work as a national leader in the fight for equality and justice for all women
NEW YORK (MAY 15, 2024) – The Ms. Foundation for Women, the nation’s oldest women’s foundation, has been honored with a congressional resolution in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The announcement was made last night at the Ms. Foundation’s annual Women of Vision Awards. The resolution was introduced by Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and fellow members of Congress including Representatives Shontel Brown (OH-11), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Cherilus-McCormick (FL-20), Clarke (NY-09), Cohen (TN-09), Doggett (TX-37), Grijalva (AZ-07), Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Kelly (IL-02), Leger Fernandez (NM-3), McClellan (VA-4), Meng (NY-06), Norton (DC-AL), Schakowsky (IL-09), Trone (MD-6), Veasey (TX-33), Velázquez (NY-07), and Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
This resolution celebrates the Ms. Foundation’s historic 50th anniversary and its work to build women’s collective power and center women and girls of color in philanthropy. Since its founding in 1973, the Ms. Foundation for Women has invested over $90 million in more than 1,600 organizations fighting for gender and racial justice nationwide. In 2020, the foundation released the landmark research study Pocket Change: How Women and Girls of Color Do More with Less which found that total philanthropic giving to women and girls of color in the United States in 2017 was just $357 million—about $5.48 per year for each woman or girl of color and just one-half of one percent of the total $66.9 billion given out by foundations. In 2023, the organization released a follow up report, “Living with Pocket Change: What It Means to Do More With Less,” that examines the impact of chronic philanthropic underinvestment and disinvestment in the leadership of women and nonbinary people of color.
“For half a century, the Ms. Foundation has been on the forefront of feminist issues and grassroots organizations across the United States,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “Their tireless commitment to advancing gender and racial justice through grant-making and advocacy has moved the United States closer to a country that is free and fair for all. From protecting women from domestic violence at their founding to working to close the gender and racial pay gaps, the Ms. Foundation exemplifies some of the best aspects of the American spirit. I applaud the Ms. Foundation and their CEO Teresa Younger for helping improve the lives of women and girls everywhere.”
“We’re honored to be recognized by the United States Congress for our 50 years of dedication to the empowerment, advancement, and investment of women,” said Teresa Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women. “Our Foundation is excited to continue our work in strengthening women-led organizations that are building movements to address the broad range of issues in their communities.”
“As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, I am proud to join the 50th anniversary of the Ms. Foundation for Women resolution and celebrate the incredible work of this organization to uplift all women and girls across America,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. “Representation really does matter and by supporting women to build collective power across communities, the Ms. Foundation is helping our country move forward on everything from pay equity to reproductive rights.”
“I’m proud to cosponsor the resolution marking the 50th anniversary of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which has directly benefited women-led organizations across the country seeking to bring positive social, cultural, and economic changes,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. “In D.C. specifically, the Ms. Foundation has partnered with the Women’s March Network, the Fund for Women’s Equality, Georgetown University, and URGE, in their important work. As the first woman to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an attorney known for representing 46 women at Newsweek who were doing the work of their male peers for lower wages, and now as a Member of Congress who has introduced bills on employment equality for women and supporting legislation to protect reproductive rights, I understand the critical importance of the Ms. Foundation’s work.”
“For 50 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has been at the forefront of the feminist movement, fighting back against attacks on reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and so much more. This foundation has meant so much to me personally, helping me find my own voice when I was a young mother,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Not only has the Ms. Foundation for Women become an educational resource for everyday women, but it has empowered and given a platform to women, especially women of color. This movement would not have been possible without the founders of the Ms. Foundation for Women, Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Marlo Thomas. With this resolution, we celebrate these sheroes and the great strides we have made and recommit ourselves to fighting for a more just and equal world for all. I stand on the shoulders of courageous women who refused to give up. In their honor, we can and will persist.”
“The Ms. Foundation for Women has supported the work and lives of countless numbers of women and girls over its 50 years, and I am honored to join my colleagues on this resolution recognizing Ms. Foundation’s momentous milestone,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett. “Ms. Foundation’s work has profoundly impacted the health of expectant and new mothers and families in Austin through its partnerships. Women need access to sexual and reproductive health care.”
“With women’s rights under attack, I am proud to uplift the vital work of the Ms. Foundation for Women—now all the more important,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “As a passionate advocate for reproductive justice in Congress, I am incredibly grateful for their on-the-ground efforts to combat the impacts of the disastrous Dobbs ruling through the Birth Justice Initiative. For 50 years, the Ms. Foundation has championed gender equity and racial justice, and their advocacy will continue to be integral in this fight for years to come.”
“I am honored to be a co-sponsor of this resolution and to join my colleagues from the Democratic Women’s Caucus in recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Ms. Foundation for Women. This national organization has been working tirelessly towards achieving equality and justice for all, by empowering women-led organizations across the country and bringing attention to the real challenges facing women and nonbinary people of color,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “In my home state of Florida, where reproductive rights are under threat, the Foundation’s collaboration with the Southern Birth Justice Network provides a glimmer of hope. By promoting storytelling, popular education, and community organizing, they work to expand birth justice and improve access to midwifery and doula care. We must trust women to make their own choices regarding their bodies and uphold their autonomy and dignity.”
In addition to celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary, the resolution also acknowledges the Ms. Foundation for Women as a national leader in the fight for equality and justice for all and commend Teresa Younger for her leadership and continued growth and success of the foundation.
Read the resolution here.
###
For more than 50 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has shaped women’s philanthropy in the United States, providing a blueprint for the establishment of hundreds of local and regional women’s funds, influencing mainstream culture through nationwide projects such as Take Our Daughters to Work Day, and making grants totaling over $90 million to more than 1,600 grassroots organizations across the country. Through research, advocacy, and grantmaking, the Ms. Foundation is the national model for sustainable, trust-based philanthropic support of women of color-led movements. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.