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, 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, 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.
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 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
News from WFN Members
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Women's Fund Miami-Dade has released their 2024 Annual Report. 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, 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, 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. 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, 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
Join Nurturing Wāhine Fund for a conversation 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
Join Women's Fund SouthCoast at the Fort Taber Community Center in New Bedford, MA as they celebrate 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
Join Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee for a Grant Information Session 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
Join the Women's Fund of Rhode Island's Feminist Activist Book (FAB) Group 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
The Women's Fund of Central Ohio has announced their 2026 Grantmaking Cycle. 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.
June 30, 2025 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
Save the Date for Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga's Voices 2025 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 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
What We're Reading
Argentina used as a ‘testing ground’ for eroding abortion rights, warns Amnesty — The Guardian
Gendered Violence Under Authoritarian Rule: What I learned from women’s rights defenders — The Fuller Project
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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