Women Moving Millions is a global philanthropy campaign to elevate women and girls to the top of the philanthropic list and to encourage investment in them with even greater commitment by women and men. Why? Because when women prosper, communities thrive; and when communities thrive, the world becomes a better place for everyone.
Already there are more than 185 women, including two anonymous Australian women, who have joined the campaign by pledging $1 million to women’s funds around the world. Some of the 185 women who have pledged $1 million to Women Moving Millions are Jane Fonda, Jennifer Buffet, Anne Delaney, Barbara Dobkin, Cecilia Boone, Anne Mendel, Karen Pittelman, Peg Yorkin, Margot Franssen, Katie Grover, Julie Jensen, Tracey Gary, Kayrita Anderson and two Australian donors. In May 2010, the International Women’s Development Agency invited Chris Grumm to visit Australia to initiate Women Moving Millions. In 2008, Kristi Mansfield with support from Eve Mahlab invited Helen La Kelly Hunt to visit. As the Women Donors Network was in nascent development in 2008 it was deemed too early for a visit of this profile and importance. Following IWDA’s invitation to Chris, the Women Donors Network through Kristi invited Helen LK Hunt to join Chris Grumm on this visit and final dates were confirmed in August/September 2009.
The Leadership of Women Moving Millions:
• Helen LaKelly Hunt, Co-chair of Women Moving Millions: Founder of The Sister Fund, has been active in the women's funding movement since its inception and has helped to found and fund a number of women's funding institutions. With her sister, Swanee, Helen is a founding lead donor to Women Moving Millions and have invested US$10million.
• Chris Grumm, Co-chair of Women Moving Millions: President & CEO of the Women's Funding Network since 2000, has spent more than three decades in effecting social change especially through women's philanthropy.
• Ambassador Swanee Hunt: Founding director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and president of Hunt Alternatives Fund. An expert on women's philanthropy, she co-founded the Women's Foundation of Colorado and funded more than 400 neighbourhood-based organisations. An ardent champion for gender parity, she has inspired and trained women leaders in more than 40 countries. With her sister Helen, she catalysed the creation of Women Moving Millions.
• Sarah Gauger: Has spent over a decade in social change philanthropy, working as a philanthropic advisor to individual donors, as well as serving as Executive Director of Hunt Alternatives Fund, a foundation that has committed nearly $70 million to provoking social change at local, national, and global levels. She has participated in the creation of numerous global projects that advocate for and support women and girls as change agents.
• Barbara Dobkin: A Founder of Ma’yan: the Jewish Women’s Project and the Jewish Women’s Archive, she is also a trustee of Dobkin Family Foundation, and on the boards of the Women’s Funding Network and The White House Project. Barbara is a significant supporter of and advisor to a variety of feminist organisations in the United States and Israel.
• Fern Portnoy: Former CEO of the Piton Foundation, and co-founder of the Women's Foundation of Colorado, is an advisor and consultant to private foundations, individual philanthropists, and public charities.
• Tracy Gary: Founder and co-founder of 18 non-profits that aim to give to girls and women the ability to realize their potential. She is the Executive Director of Inspired Legacies, a nonprofit philanthropic and legacy advisory firm that unleashes generosity. She is also the author of “Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step by Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan and Leaving a Legacy.”
• Kanyere Eaton: Executive Director of The Sister Fund, a private women's foundation that works at the nexus of faith and social justice promoting women's full development through spiritual, social, economic, and political empowerment.
Directing an Investment as part of the Women Moving Millions campaign:
The scope and potential of the investments in the campaign are broad but can only be counted if investments are made to women’s funds in the Women Funding Network. This network comprises more than 145 women’s funds, two of which are in Australia: the Victorian Women’s Trust and International Women’s Development Agency. We are working to ensure the Sydney Women’s Fund joins the network prior to February 2010.
Gifts can be dedicated in honour of a daughter, sister, mother or partner. Investments of $1 million or more can be given to a single Women’s Funding Network member fund, several member funds, the Women’s Funding Network or a combination of the donor’s choice.
Donors are invited to contribute to the women’s funds in a number of ways, which may include a planned pledge over a period of time and may be a mix of:
• Cash
• Publicly traded securities such as stocks, bonds and mutual fund shares
• Unencumbered assets that can be immediately liquidated; for example, real estate
• Planned investments such as bequests
Goals: Women Moving Millions visit to Australia
1. Increase philanthropic investments in women and girls: mobilise Australia’s women donors and philanthropic community via a range of events and awareness raising activities;
2. Encourage $1 million donor pledges to Women Moving Millions: connect potential million dollar donors to Women Moving Millions and through this connection build capacity of Australia’s women philanthropists;
3. Increase the size and reach of Women Moving Millions and the Australian Women Donors Network: connect business women and emerging women donors to the campaign and the network via a series of inspirational events and encourage them to consider their role as women philanthropists / agents for change;
4. Build champions of investing in women and girls: catalyse leadership from the philanthropic and business community for Women Moving Millions, including Therese Rein, Jeanne Pratt, the Myer family, Gene Sherman;
5. Increase awareness in the private sector for the Australian Women Donors Network and Australia’s women’s funds: raise awareness of “the power of the purse” through a concentrated media campaign to reach the business and philanthropic communities. Awareness through a variety of networks and medium via a viral email campaign to promote the comprehensive events program;
6. Strengthen partnerships: encourage stronger collaboration between the women’s philanthropic groups and business networks, specifically Australian Women Donors Network, Philanthropy Australia, SVA’s Angel Investor Network, and Chief Executive Women. Encourage stronger collaboration and partnership between the women’s funds, specifically Victorian Women’s Trust, International Women’s Development Agency, Sydney Women’s Fund and UNIFEM. Audiences by Event Type: Donor Retreats: women philanthropists, women of wealth, women who are private donors, women who are trustees of family foundations or PAFs.Dinner in Melbourne/Soiree in Sydney: men and women of wealth, business and philanthropic leaders, trustees of PAFs, corporate or family foundations.Women in Philanthropy Lunches: wider philanthropic community, executive women, women in business networks, women’s movement leadership, women’s funds and grantseekers of women’s projects and programs. Corporate partner workshops: clients of the wealth management partner (UBS, Goldman Sachs or other).
About the Australian Women Donors Network:
The Australian Women Donors Network is a growing community of women and men building a better world for all by promoting investment in women and girls.Support for increased investments in women and girls has grown significantly around the western world in the last two to three years. This has resulted in significant new funding streams and resources being channelled into programs for women and girls by NGOs, philanthropic foundations and private donors, and multi-lateral organisations.In Australia, awareness for the impact of and rationale for increased investments in women and girls is emerging. The Australian Women Donors Network can provide a catalytic opportunity to build on this movement in two ways. First, to encourage funding of projects which invest specifically in women and girls. Second, to ensure mainstream organisations and funding addresses the circumstances and needs of women and girls, which are often different to those of men and boys.
Background on Women’s Funds in Australia:
International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) is an Australian non-profit organisation that creates positive change for women and their communities. Our practical and rights-based projects directly address poverty and oppression in developing countries.For over 20 years, IWDA has worked with more than 100 grassroots organisations in the developing world, to support and advance the life choices and well being of women and their families. IWDA undertakes projects in partnership with women from the Asia Pacific region. These projects are devised and managed by women who live and work in the communities themselves, which fosters practical and innovative responses to the issues womens view as most critical.We currently work in eleven countries on 31 projects with 25 partners and 3 coalitions of partners.
The development which IWDA promotes is the equitable growth of people and communities, and the just distribution of basic resources and respect for human rights.IWDA is a member of the Women’s Funding Network. For more information, visit www.iwda.org.au
The Sydney Women’s Fund is a sub-fund of the Sydney Community Foundation. Launched in 2008, the Sydney Women’s Fund brings together a cross cultural alliance of women who provide financial support to projects led by women that seek to overcome barriers faced by women and girls. The Foundation offers critical leadership to promote effective public policy and responsible philanthropic giving to benefit women and girls.The Sydney Women’s Fund is currently a member of the Women’s Funding Network. For more information, visit www.sydneywomensfund.org.au
The Victorian Women’s Trust started in 1985 and is a completely independent body working to improve conditions for women and girls in practical and lasting ways. The trust works for a world where all women achieve their potential, live safely without fear of discrimination and disadvantage, enjoying full participation as citizens. The Victorian Women’s Trust runs a grant program, advocates for women, and initiates special projects that deliver outcomes for women. The Victorian Women’s Trust is a member of the Women’s Funding Network. For more information, visit www.vwt.org.au