Feminist News and Information

WEEKLY NEWS // JUNE 5, 2025

// FROM THE DESK OF ALEEKA MORGAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NURTURING WĀHINE FUND

Community Care After Crisis

Aloha Colleagues,

At our immigrant-led women’s fund in Hawai‘i, Nurturing Wāhine Fund [[link removed]], we empower women and girls through culturally-rooted care, economic justice, and meaningful connection, ensuring everyone has the resources and rights to thrive. One way we do this is through our Community Dinners, which offer a dignified way for newcomers to build relationships and earn income by preparing home-cooked meals. Regardless of immigration status, these gatherings use cuisine and conversation to foster a deep sense of belonging.

That belonging, however, can be fragile.

Just last month in Maui, Filipino teachers with valid U.S. State Department visas were detained without being given a chance to show documentation. These are people doing vital work in our schools. As an immigrant myself, I know the anxiety of constantly trying to fit in, only to be reminded of how quickly dignity can be stripped away and how swiftly feelings of shame and isolation can be forced upon us.

Hawai‘i is Kānaka Maoli land and we honor Native Hawaiian people as its first stewards. Immigrants arriving in Hawai‘i often share parallel struggles with Kānaka Maoli with harms rooted in systems of power and wealth that have marginalized both Indigenous and immigrant communities, alike.

In response, Nurturing Wāhine Fund is deepening our commitment to Community Dinners and uplifting our grantee, Tagnawa, whose report, Equality in Flames [[link removed]], details how the 2023 Maui wildfires intensified gender inequality among Filipino women, who make up approximately 40% of Lahaina’s population.

From a survey of 757 Filipinx wildfire survivors:

16% engaged in survival sex for essentials (food, clothing, money) 24% faced barriers to aid due to caregiving responsibilities 41% lacked access to mental health services

Please read and share the report [[link removed]].

For the greater good,

Aleeka Kay Morgan

Nurturing Wāhine Fund

Executive Director

Register today for Feminist Funded '25

Presented by the Women’s Funding Network, Feminist Funded '25 [[link removed]] is the largest gathering of global leaders in feminist philanthropy, working to co-create a more just, equitable, and safer world for all. Join to celebrate 40 years of remarkable collaboration and action.

September 10-11, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Pre-Conference Policy Action Day on September 9, 2025

Register here [[link removed]]

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Submit content for the newsletter here [[link removed]].

News from WFN Members MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Women's Fund Miami-Dade has released their 2024 Annual Report [[link removed]]. Read about how they are creating a stronger Miami-Dade through grantmaking, advocacy, research and leveraging collective impact.

The Women's Fund Miami-Dade shared their latest Gender Equity Index [[link removed]], now with 2023 data. Dive into the numbers and see where progress is being made — and where urgent work remains — across their community.

Justice + Joy National Collaborative released their Reinvention for Impact 2024 report [[link removed]], an overview of the reinvention of this 142-year-old advocacy organization. Learn about Justice + Joy, what brought them to this moment, and how their reinvention informs their work going forward.

Ms. Foundation for Women has shared their 2024 Annual Report [[link removed]]. The report is both a call to action and a celebration of what’s possible. Read the powerful reflection on a historic year of progress, impact, and fueling feminist movements.

MEMBER EVENTS

Join Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee and Cadence for Women’s Night Pedal Power [[link removed]], a relaxed Monday evening ride that’s more about connection than competition. Shake off the day, enjoy the simple joy of spinning through summer, and end the day at Estabrook Beer Garden.

June 9, 2025 | 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. CDT | Register here [[link removed]]

Join Nurturing Wāhine Fund for a conversation [[link removed]] with Toi Smith on what we uphold when we accept funding from wealthy donors or institutions that promote empowerment in name, but undermine it in practice. Dive into what funding feels right under the current administration and share practical steps for building regenerative, community-rooted models of wealth redistribution in Hawai‘i and beyond.

June 9, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. HST | Register here [[link removed]]

Join Women's Fund SouthCoast at the Fort Taber Community Center in New Bedford, MA as they celebrate [[link removed]] the achievements of their Young Women’s Advisory Council. This inaugural group consists of 15 youth leaders, ages 14-22, exploring advocacy, leadership, and career development while developing an action plan to address community issues.

June 23, 2025 | 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. EDT | Register here [[link removed]]

Join Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee for a Grant Information Session [[link removed]] for their upcoming grant cycle. Learn about their grant priorities, the process, and what to focus on. The Grant Application will be available after the session. Attendance is optional, but encouraged.

June 23, 2025 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. CDT | Register here [[link removed]]

Join the Women's Fund of Rhode Island's Feminist Activist Book (FAB) Group [[link removed]] to discuss Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger by Soraya Chemaly. FAB meetings are hybrid. When registering, please indicate if you'll be joining in person or remotely.

June 25, 2025 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. EDT | Register here [[link removed]]

The Women's Fund of Central Ohio has announced their 2026 Grantmaking Cycle [[link removed]]. Letters of Intent (LOI) open on June 13, 2025 and are due on July 15, 2025. Full grant applications are due on August 29, 2025. To learn more, register for the upcoming webinar [[link removed]].

June 30, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EDT | Register here [[link removed]]

Save the Date for Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga's Voices 2025 [[link removed]] at the Chattanoogan Hotel. This year, the program will focus on Advocacy Through Adversity and include powerful and personal stories.

September 24, 2025 | 10:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT

Opportunities and Resources

Join the CLIMA Fund for a three-part conversation [[link removed]] exploring the intersection of the climate crisis and rising authoritarianism, grounded in the wisdom and leadership of grassroots movements across the Global South.

June 9, 18, and 25 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. PT | Register here [[link removed]]

What We're Reading

Argentina used as a ‘testing ground’ for eroding abortion rights, warns Amnesty — The Guardian [[link removed]]

Gendered Violence Under Authoritarian Rule: What I learned from women’s rights defenders — The Fuller Project [[link removed]]

What We're Watching

The Sports Bra, Portland's all-women's sports bar, is expanding to Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis.

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