Change Agents: The Goals and Impact of Women’s Foundations and Funds

Abstract

This research extends knowledge of women’s foundations and funds in the U.S. following the publication of a landscape scan of these organizations in May 2019. The landscape scan revealed that women’s foundations and funds use philanthropy to empower women, create positive change, and impact women and the broader community. They foster empowerment, change, and impact through grantmaking and by engaging in other activities, including advocacy and collaboration. The landscape scan also found that women’s foundations and funds often apply grantmaking philosophies, such as social change and gender lens philanthropy, and carry out their work through a variety of approaches. This study builds on the landscape scan to better understand how these organizations set goals, measure impact, and take action to advance the causes they care about.