Group of Member Funds Launches Women's Economic Security Collaborative

The Women's Funding Network would like to congratulate the Washington Area Women's Foundation, the Women's Foundation of California, the Chicago Foundation for Women and the Women's Foundation for Greater Memphis for the launch of the Women's Economic Security Collaborative, a new initiative that aims to alleviate poverty among women. We also extend our gratitude to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Ford Foundation for their continued support of women's funds.

As the Women's Funding Network and its member funds scale up for global impact, more funds are utilizing collaboration and collective action as a strategy to expand and deepen the social justice work being accomplished. Over the next ten years the Network's strategic plan is focused on dismantling poverty and building economic security for women and their families.

Read Phyllis Caldwell's commentary featured in Spotlight on Poverty to learn more about the ground-breaking efforts these women's funds are engaging in to dismantle poverty and build economic security for women and their families.

Member Funds, Women Moving Millions in the News Again!

Washington Area Women's Foundation and the Atlanta Women's Foundation were both recognized in the news for achievements in their communities. Meanwhile, the Women Moving Millions campaign also received new coverage of its phenomenal and historical success.

In addition to this coverage, Ms. Foundation CEO and President Sara Gould called on the New York Times to improve its coverage of the challenges women face in gaining economic equality.

You can find these stories and past coverage of member funds on our Web site at http://www.wfnet.org/about/news/articles .

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Women's Foundation of California Launches Youth, Media and Social Change Initiative

The Women's Foundation of California has created a new program, the Youth, Media and Social Change Initiative, to address the role that media and popular culture plays in promoting gender stereotypes and normalizing gender-based violence.

The program is developed on the premise that the messages and images that position women as objects and men as hyper-masculine and violent can contribute to unhealthy ideas and behaviors around gender, gender roles and relationships.

The goal of the program is to build the capacity of youth-led and serving organizations to use a gender justice lens in their work and support the use of media in combination with youth leadership strategies to develop critical thinking, awareness and youth-led social change.

To achieve these goals the Foundation is instituting three strategies beginning in 2008-2009:

• grantmaking to support youth media, media advocacy and media literacy strategies;
• a learning community of youth organizations; 
• and a public education campaign.

The Foundation launched a Facebook space and blog on their Website in July as the first step in the creation of a learning community for the initiative. Within this online space the Foundation will share resources, facilitate dialogue and build a base of constituents for advocacy efforts. For more information visit the Women's Foundation of California site at http://www.womensfoundca.org .

Third Wave Announces Mia Herndon as New ED After Monique Mehta Steps Down in Late 2008

Third Wave Foundation Executive Director Monique Mehta, will be stepping down from her leadership position on December 15, 2008.
Current Program Director Mia Herndon will transition into the ED position as of January 2009.

Third Wave has grown in capacity, scope, and network of grantee partners during Monique's 3 1/2-year tenure. During this period Monique and Mia have worked very closely together to lead Third Wave through the celebration of their ten-year anniversary in 2006, the launch of a new Website, and processes to deepen the international scope of their work. As Program Director, Mia has been able to increase Third Wave's grantmaking by over 1400%!

Transnational Activist Terry Greenblatt Joins Urgent Action Fund as Executive Director

Terry Greenblatt, a well-respected human rights and transnational peace and justice activist, joined Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights as the new Executive Director on July 1.

Terry's experience working with grassroots activists, international philanthropic communities, and many diverse constituencies makes her an ideal candidate to lead Urgent Action Fund into the next phase of its growth. She was the Activist in Residence at Global Fund for Women prior to joining Urgent Action Fund. From 1999 through 2003 she led the Bat Shalom feminist center for peace and justice in Israel. Her work there garnered her and her Palestinian colleague, Maha Abu-Dayyeh Shammas, Ms. Magazine's "Woman of the Year." Terry also directed Kol Ha-Isha Women's Center and is a co-founder of the Community of Learning Women, both in Israel.

Terry is looking forward to her new position as an opportunity to tap into her past experience of working both with a diverse international team and working at the local, grassroots level.

Making the Case Features Review Webinar on August 21

Making the CaseTM has a new home! Please remind grantee partners that the new URL for Making the Case is http://www.makingthecaseglobal.org . We will be holding a one hour Webinar on August 21 at 12pm PT to review how you can use the new functions in the tool. Please RSVP by e-mailing info@makingthecase.org.

Lisa Witter Takes The She Spot on the Road

Lisa Witter, Chief Operating Officer of Fenton Communications and longtime Women's Funding Network consultant, recently released the book, The She Spot: Why Women are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them, co-authored with Lisa Chen. The book covers how corporations, nonprofit and advocacy organizations can strengthen their outreach to women -- the primary change-makers in society.

Witter recently presented the book's concept to The Women's Fund of New Hampshire, which invited more than 50 people from a broad sector of constituents to learn how women are the primary change-makers in society. Lisa is willing to present her concept to other women's funds around the US.

Lisa returns to New Hampshire in August for a summer lecture series in Peterborough, which will be broadcast on the local National Public Radio affiliate. You can listen to her presentation anytime after August 30 by going to http://www.nhpr.org .