At the Ms. Foundation, we work to bring attention to the real challenges facing women, especially women of color and low-income women who are living in poverty, working paycheck to paycheck or both. We tirelessly advocate for national and statewide policy change that will address these challenges, and we support more than 100 organizations throughout the country that are working for change on a grassroots level.
We are committed. We are motivated. And we will not stop. Not until all women enjoy true equality, equity and opportunity.
Organizations that work to make real progress for women, children and families must themselves be healthy, stable and effective. That is why we offer our grantees more than money. We don’t just write a check and move on. We provide strategic assistance that builds leadership, strengthens organizations and seeds long term solutions. When we strengthen organizations on the ground, we are supporting vibrant movements that have real impact on the lives of women and communities far into the future.
How We Help
We provide various capacity building supports to our grantee partners and other key organizations through:
Organizational fundraising and financial health assistance
Strategic communications research, training and campaign support
Strategically connecting local, state and national groups for greater impact
We direct our support where it will make the most impact. We identify organizations, individuals and issues that will benefit most from targeted assistance and the Ms. Foundation works to ensure they are able to meet their goals.
Endowment
Since 2016 we have strived to maximize the impact of our endowment by aligning 100% of its assets in support of our mission to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. As of the end of FY21, the endowment was valued at approximately $46.5M and incorporates a gender lens focus across all asset classes.
Grantmaking Initiatives
There is an urgent need to support resilient leaders and organizations led by women of color that can fortify the social justice infrastructure at both the state and local levels, and our grantmaking strategies are supporting grantee partners on the front lines creating change.
In launching our Midwest portfolio, our hope is to uplift what we know to be true: that funding and resourcing multi-issue movement-building work led by women, girls, and gender-expansive people of color is a winning strategy in the Midwest and beyond.
Seeks to support and grow a stronger U.S. movement for birth justice and to reduce racially-based health disparities such as maternal mortality for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who identify as women.
Ms. South is a multi-year grantmaking strategy to build power for Women and Girls of Color (WGOC). We amplify the leadership of WGOC and support the sustainability of the ecosystem of organizations.
Supports transformational movement building to strengthen collaboration across organizations, learn with movement leaders, and increase investment in social justice movements across the country to build collective power.
A powerful multiplier effect happens when leaders from different sectors and social movements agree to advance a collective set of values and goals as part of a collaborative approach to achieving more significant collective impact.
Resources & Publications
Check out our latest reports and assessments that are changing philanthropy, lifting up women’s leadership, and advocating for grassroots solutions.
