Feminist News and Information
WEEKLY NEWS // JANUARY 22, 2026
// FROM THE DESK OF JULIE MONTGOMERY, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP STRATEGY & ENGAGEMENT, WOMEN'S FUNDING NETWORK
Looking forward to the year ahead
Dear Colleagues,
As we begin a new year, I want to first thank the members who have already renewed their WFN membership for 2026. Your continued commitment to gender equity makes this community possible and exemplifies the power of feminist philanthropy to move resources, influence, and change where it matters most. I also want to take a moment to thank our partners and the many advocates in our community who work tirelessly each day for gender justice.
Over the past three and a half months, it has been a privilege to get to know this extraordinary community. I am grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn, and I look forward to continuing this journey together. My goal remains to ensure that every member feels supported, connected, and empowered through their engagement with WFN.
In the months ahead, I will continue reaching out to better understand your priorities, challenges, aspirations, and to hear more about how WFN can best support your work and our shared impact. This year brings exciting opportunities to deepen connection, learning, and collaboration across the network, including:
- In-person and virtual events, including monthly webinars and an in-person regional convening for members
- Relaunching our member-only peer learning communities for honest exchange and collective problem-solving
- Organizing a WFN delegation to Women Deliver 2026
- Collaborative initiatives like the Just Rise Fund and DataWoven
- Opportunities to elevate your work through our newsletter and social media, and newly launched Member Spotlight campaign
- Tools and training to maximize DataWoven
For our members that have not yet renewed, I hope you will do so by January 31. Renewal ensures you stay connected to a powerful global network advancing gender justice together.
To learn more about what WFN members valued in 2025 and what to expect this year, click here. If you are not yet a member, we warmly welcome you to join us. Learn more here or contact me with any questions.
Being part of WFN is a powerful reminder of what is possible when we work together toward shared goals. I am grateful to be building this future alongside you.
In solidarity,
Julie Montgomery
Women's Funding Network
Director of Membership Strategy & Engagement
News from WFN
2026 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
Our network thrives on the strength and diversity of our members. Please also join us in appreciating WFN members who have renewed 2026 membership since our last newsletter:
- Global Fund for Women
- Kentucky Foundation for Women
- Robyn Mazur
- Women's Foundation of Arkansas
If you are interested in joining as a new member or renewing your current membership, please let us know.
WFN EVENTS
In July 2025, Congress passed H.R. 1—the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—delivering major tax cuts to the wealthy while slashing funding for essential programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare. As the most harmful provisions take effect in 2026, states face mounting pressure to cut or replace funding for critical supports serving women, children, immigrants, older adults, and people with disabilities. Join us for a funder briefing featuring national and state leaders who will share lessons from cross-sector organizing, what to expect as the law rolls out, strategies at state and national levels to mitigate harm, and opportunities to build support for a broad and inclusive care agenda.
January 27, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST | Register here
WFN MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
WFN is excited to launch our new Member Spotlight Campaign, a monthly feature celebrating the diversity and impact of our network while building stronger connections across our community.
To kick off the campaign, we’re proud to welcome Heirs To Our Ocean (H2OO) of Redwood City, California. H2OO mobilizes youth under 25 to become skilled leaders addressing urgent climate, ocean, and community challenges. By investing deeply in leadership development, H2OO creates lasting, compounding impact—empowering young leaders who go on to shape policy, innovation, and solutions that reach millions.
News from WFN Members
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Women's Foundation of Minnesota and the MN Latine Fund have joined philanthropic leaders to launch the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund—mobilizing $5Million for Somali, Latine, and other immigrant-serving organizations providing legal defense, emergency services, and community protection. The fund will prioritize emerging needs while also considering ongoing and long-term wellbeing in impacted communities. Stand united with immigrant communities facing emergencies across Minnesota.
I Be Black Girl (IBBG) is seeking value-aligned consultants as they approach their 10-year anniversary. They are inviting proposals for two opportunities: Essence of Us: Next Chapter RFP and an HR Consultant RFP. The work will directly support IBBG's commitments to mindfulness, joy, and rest in how they recognize and develop their team. All details are in the RFPs. Proposals are due on February 1, 2026.
“Intermediaries are the invisible infrastructure that makes everything work,” researcher Thomas Akiva says. “They go a long way in helping the field advance in professionalism. They're in this middle space where they're doing really important connective work. They are the connective tissue.” The Wallace Foundation's recent article explores what intermediaries are, the role they play in youth development, and why supporting them is essential to the future of youth development.
MEMBER EVENTS
The Immigrant Rapid Response Fund (IRRF), hosted by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and founded by the MN Latine Fund, serves as a critical conduit for support. This briefing will provide funders with a “behind-the-scenes” look at how the fund prioritizes community-led organizations serving Somali, Latine, and other frontline communities. This briefing is designed to create space for how to move forward with clarity, courage, and coherence.
January 28, 2026 | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST | Register here
How do tax policies shape the lives of working families and the futures of our children? Join The Women's Fund Miami-Dade for its Impact Collaborative: Smart Business, Smart Policies, Smart Kids – Tax + Human Benefits, a timely and thought-provoking conversation exploring the intersection of tax policy, childhood development, and workforce development, anchored in their Economic Mobility Pillar.
February 5, 2026 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. EST | Register here
Save the Date for The Women's Fund Miami-Dade's Power of the Purse. Mark your calendar and get ready for an unforgettable day supporting women and girls in Miami-Dade. Sponsorship opportunities are now available.
March 13, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT | Register here
What We're Reading
Women’s Health Investment Outlook: 6% of Funding for Nearly 50% of the Population – Not Just a Gap, but Untapped White Space — World Economic Forum
Bangladeshi Women, Girls, Minorities Face Rising Violence — Human Rights Watch
What We're Watching
Human rights groups outside Iran report that thousands have been killed so far. Yet amid the turmoil, women activists and youth campaigners are at the forefront of the struggle, seeking to chart a new course for the nation after decades of repressive rule under the Islamic Republic. Annette Young talks to Iranian filmmaker, Sepideh Farsi and Tara Kangarlou, an Iranian-American journalist, as they watch their home country, from afar, undergo a seismic transformation.
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