Feel Good Friday - Equality Now

Happy Friday! It’s still March, it’s still Women’s History Month so let’s talk about Equality Now.

Founded in 1992 and based in New York City, the mission of Equality Now is "to achieve legal and systemic change that addresses violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.”  They do this with a global network of lawyers, activists, and supporters who hold governments responsible for their international obligation to prohibit all forms of violence and discrimination against women. 

Equality Now works in all regions of the world and uses a combination of legal expertise, advocacy, collaboration, and resourcing to get their work done. Watch this video to hear Global Executive Director, Mona Sinha explain their work or keep reading.

There are four areas that Equality Now focuses on. Achieving legal equality is the first step towards gender equality. The team at Equality Now works to end legislative gender discrimination and holds governments around the world accountable for their obligations under international law. Ending harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation means leading global campaigns against these practices while also collaborating with regional partners and pushing for states to enact and implement effective laws. 

Ending sexual violence and sexual exploitation is important because 1 in 3 women globally will experience sexual violence in their lifetimes. Equality Now works to enact good laws that are effectively implemented while also exploring partnerships that take an ecosystems approach to building support mechanisms for women and girls. They work to prevent online sexual exploitation and abuse as well as partnering with local activists to challenge sex trafficking and sex tourism.

In 2023, Equality Now shared their feminist, legal expertise in 76 trainings and workshops. They helped change 14 laws in 12 countries, which improved access to justice for 39.2 million women and girls worldwide. Read stories of this impact here.

If you’d like to help Equality Now realize their vision of “a world in which women and men have equal rights under the law, and full enjoyment of their human rights” there are many ways to do so. Make a donation, join the changemakers network, shop for merch, and amplify their message on social media.  Follow Equality Now on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - World Pulse

March is Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating an organization that connects and supports women across the globe, World Pulse.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the mission of World Pulse is “to create a world where all women thrive: one connection, one collaboration at a time.” They believe that “when women are heard and connected they transform the world for the better.” World Pulse is facilitating these connections through their social network.

Here’s how it works. World Pulse provides a digital space for 85,000 members across 233 countries and territories. Women and allies in this network connect, share their stories, access resources and collaborate to create change. The women on the platform take on different roles such as leaders, mentors, encouragers, and innovators. This new model of philanthropy connects funding directly to changemakers through technology, community, and storytelling. 

It starts with people joining the community and sharing their stories. Themes for the stories span a variety of gender justice topics including, but not limited to, economic power, health, education, human rights, technology, arts and culture. Some of the people and organizations receive financial support for their initiatives. Examples of recent grantees include a woman in Zimbabwe helping people navigate cyberbullying, a disability rights advocate in Kenya and peace activist in Cameroon.

In addition, people who are members of the community can connect to share ideas and resources and partner to develop their businesses, build movements, run for office and improve the lives of millions. In a 2023 survey, World Pulse found that 70% of members said their actions as a result of World Pulse made an impact, 25% trained or educated others, 22% changed behaviors in their community and 9% influenced a law or policy. You can read more about global collaborations on the impact page.

If you’d like to help World Pulse expand connections, amplify voices and build agency for women worldwide there are several ways to do so. Read the latest stories and connect with changemakers, make a donation, and amplify their work on social media. Follow World Pulse on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Ukrainian Women's Fund

March is Women’s History Month and we’re kicking it off by highlighting work being done by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, the Ukrainian Women’s Fund (UWF) is the only women’s foundation in Ukraine. Their mission is to “support women's/feminist organizations, make for their participation in the development of a powerful, effective and mass women's/feminist movement capable of protecting women's rights and promoting gender equality in all areas.”

Current efforts by UWF are focused on rapid response grants to support women and girls who face humanitarian challenges caused by the Russian invasion as well as activists who are at the forefront of the volunteer movement. Funds are used to cover the urgent needs for water, food, medicine, hygiene, and communication with a focus on the most vulnerable groups of women and girls.

In addition to these immediate needs, funding provided by UWF supports women’s rights and feminist organizations in Ukraine, women activists and entrepreneurs, young women leaders, and journalists and editors in the media.

Examples of the work being done in current projects includes advancing women’s security, economic empowerment, and leadership in post-conflict Ukraine; continuing Ukraine's EU integration-related reforms; and training teenagers on how to create a culture of consent, define their own boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.

UWF shares many success stories on their website which involve developing girls’ independence and leadership skills through a girl scout program, creating a Women’s Leadership Academy that trains women how to make improvements in their communities, and a grant competition to support female veterans and military families. From February 2022 to February 2025, UWF has received over $54,000 in donations which they apply to these programs.

If you’d like to to help the Ukrainian Women’s Fund change systems with and for women in Ukraine there are several ways to get involved. Make a donation and amplify their work on social media. Follow UWF on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel. 

 

Feel Good Friday - The Valentine Foundation

Today is Valentine’s Day so let’s spend a moment learning about the Valentine Foundation.

Well, the first thing I learned is it has nothing to do with the holiday and is named after founder, Phoebe Valentine, but we’re sticking with it. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, the Valentine Foundation has been funding social change for women and girls since 1985.

As they explain on their website, “we fund nonprofits in the Philadelphia region focused on racial and gender justice, prioritize leadership in organizations serving women and girls, and align our investments with these goals.” In a world where DEI initiatives are getting cut by many companies, the Valentine Foundation prioritizes organizations led by or focused on BIPOC, women, trans, and gender-expansive people.

Their grants are divided into two areas. Foundation grants support efforts that redefine issues, enhance community engagement, shift policies, or preserve past gains in gender equality. The amount of these grants ranges between $7,000 and $15,000 and can be single, or multi-year. The money can be used for either general operations or project-specific funding. Examples of 2024 recipients include Maternity Care Coalition, Gender Justice Fund and the Women’s Community Revitalization Project.

The second set of grants comes from the Visionary Leadership Fund which was established in 2005. These are targeted to support leadership development for women executives and aspiring leaders in organizations that uplift women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia region. Amounts for these grants average at or around $3,000 per applicant. Examples of 2024 recipients include leaders from the Education Law Center, Girls Inc., and Women Against Abuse.

In 2024, the Valentine Foundation awarded $201,332 to recipients in both categories. You can review the grantee page for details on recipients and grant amounts each year going back to 2000.

Finally, the Valentine Foundation allocates 20% of their endowment to mission aligned investing and provides low interest loans to nonprofits that support community projects.

If you’d like to help the Valentine Foundation achieve their vision of a society where all women and girls can thrive, you can make a donation and amplify their message on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn. Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Feel Good Friday - Women's Collective Ireland

With Saint Patrick’s Day on Sunday, it’s a great time to highlight an organization supporting women in Ireland, namely Women’s Collective Ireland.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the mission of Women’s Collective Ireland (WCI) is “to support grassroots women through collective and practical actions to achieve their full human rights and true equality.”

WCI targets actions and strategies to advance women’s equality using both a community development and a feminist approach in their work. They manage 17 grassroots, community development projects around the country supporting “women living in poverty and disadvantage, older women, lone parents, women from the Traveller community, minority ethnic and migrant women, disabled women, lesbian and bisexual women, women living in rural areas and women experiencing domestic violence.”

The focus of the work being done by WCI is on facilitating women’s empowerment and capacity building. Across the 17 projects that work can include: community education and community building, pathways to education and training, awareness-raising on gender-based violence and disadvantaged women’s human rights, promoting community leadership and empowerment, supporting women’s health and well-being, facilitating access to local services and supports, and increasing representation of women at local, regional, national and international levels.

According to their latest impact report, Women’s Collective Ireland projects made a total of 150,944 engagements with women in 2022 and on International Women’s Day last week, they organized events ranging from chatting over a cup of tea to hearing from members of the government. All of these activities were geared towards amplifying the voices of grassroots women.

You can help amplify the voices of grassroots women by spreading the word about Women’s Collective Ireland on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram @wci_irl.

Feel Good Friday - Solar Sister

Happy International Women’s Day! Let’s celebrate by highlighting an organization that supports women around the world, Solar Sister. 

Founded in 2009 by an investment banker, an energy economist and women leaders in Tanzania, Nigeria, and Kenya, the vision of Solar Sister is “a more prosperous world powered by women entrepreneurs.” 

First let’s take a look at the problem. As they explain on their website, “over 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity and about 940 million depend on harmful fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking. Globally, smoke from cooking over open fires causes 2.6 million premature deaths and a host of harmful health conditions, including respiratory and vision problems.”

Solar Sister tackles these issues by investing in women entrepreneurs who are bringing renewable energy to rural communities in Africa. They provide these women with training, technology and support to distribute a range of clean energy products. The training includes both technical product knowledge and financial management courses. The women choose the products and services that will provide them the most value so they can be in charge of their energy freedom and prosperity. Because Solar Sister team members are part of the communities they serve, it allows them to build deep relationships and helps them have a more meaningful and lasting impact. Watch this short video to learn more.

Since they began, Solar Sister has funded over 10,000 entrepreneurs! This includes a woman in Tanzania who sold enough solar lights to buy a motorbike and build a house. The program helps women gain confidence and serve as role models and change agents in their communities. You can read more impact stories at this link.

If you want to help Solar Sister bring light, hope and opportunity to underserved communities in Africa, there are many ways you can do so. Make a donation and share their story on social media. Like Solar Sister Facebook page, follow them on Instagram @iamsolarsister and subscribe to their YouTube channel to see videos of the Solar Sister entrepreneurs in action.

 

Feel Good Friday - Together Women Rise

Let’s close out Women’s History Month with “a powerful community of women and allies dedicated to achieving global gender equality”, Together Women Rise.

Founded in Greenville, South Carolina in 2003, the vision of Together Women Rise is “a world where every person has the same opportunities to thrive regardless of their gender or where they live.” They work towards this goal through three core action areas: learning, giving and community building.

The actions take place in hundreds of Together Women Rise chapters across the U.S. As explained on the website, in local chapter meetings “members learn about and advocate for gender equality issues, give grants to organizations that empower women and girls in low-income countries, and build community to forge meaningful connections that increase our strength and collective impact.”

Together Women Rise identifies and funds a monthly Featured Grantee organization, who has been carefully vetted. All grantees are locally-led, measuring impact and working in collaboration with the women they serve. Chapter members are provided with a wide range of learning materials on the featured country, issue, and project. This also includes recipe, book, film, and music recommendations from the grantees. 

Examples of organizations that have received $50,000 grants in 2023 include: The Pangea Network, providing life and business skills training to women in poverty in Kenya, in addition to small business funds; and Maya Midwifery International, preparing and sustaining midwives in Guatemala to improve maternal child health outcomes. Upcoming grants will fund projects supporting women and girls in Ethiopia, Honduras, India and many more countries.

As you can see from the examples above, Featured Grants focus on delivering direct services to women and girls. Together Women Rise also funds Transformation Partnerships, organizations whose work creates broader, systemic change in order to achieve global gender equality and Impact Partnerships, programs run by larger organizations such as Unicef and the Peace Corps.

If you’d like to become a part the global community of women and allies working towards the goal of gender equality for women and girls everywhere, there are many ways to get involved. Attend one of the Together Women Rise 20th anniversary events, join a chapter, or if there’s not one near you, start a chapter. Members can join trips to visit grantee organizations and everyone is welcome to join the book club. 

There are also more traditional ways to show your support such as volunteering, making a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Together Women Rise on Facebook, on Twitter @TogetherWmnRise and on Instagram @togetherwomenriseorg.

Feel Good Friday - National Women's History Museum

Want to spend Women’s History Month increasing your knowledge of women’s history? A good place to start is the National Women’s History Museum.

Founded in 1996, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is “an innovative online museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating women’s diverse contributions to society” in order to “fundamentally change the way women and girls see their potential and power.”

More than four million people visit NWHM each year. A great place to start your tour of the museum is by exploring their virtual exhibits. Topics range from creating a female political culture, through the women of NASA and all four waves of feminism. This museum never closes so you can visit as many exhibits as you like at a pace that works for you.

Next, peruse biographies of inspirational women throughout history. While you’re likely familiar with people such as Rosa Parks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Malala Yousafzai, there are hundreds of stories of lesser known women to read. You can sort the biographies by topic, era and location or click on a picture of someone you don’t recognize. That’s how I learned about jazz musician Toshiko Akiyoshi, Zuni cultural ambassador and artist We’wha, and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” author Sarah Josepha Hale.

NWHM also provides educational programming for teachers, students, and parents. This includes digital classroom resources with lesson plans and virtual field trips covering topics such as “African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement” and “The Beginnings of the Women’s Suffrage Movement 1776-1872”.

Not everything produced and curated by NWHM is virtual. There is a shattered-glass portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris, titled Glass Ceiling Breaker, on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., and a new exhibit, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, will open at this location on March 30th. You can check the website for other upcoming events, both in person and virtual.

If you’d like to help the National Women’s History Museum educate, inspire and empower their visitors there are many ways to do so. Make a donation or shop to show your support. You can also let other people know about this resource by amplifying them on social media. Follow NWHM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @womenshistory. #WomensHistory

Feel Good Friday - MADRE

The Women’s History Month theme continues and today we highlight the work of MADRE.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in New York City, MADRE is “an international women's human rights organization and feminist fund” with a mission to “advance women’s human rights by meeting urgent needs in communities and building lasting solutions to the crises women face.”

MADRE works with community partners in Colombia, Guatemala, Iraq, Kenya, Nicaragua and Palestine. They focus on three strategies: grant making, organizational strengthening, and legal advocacy.

Grants fund local, women-led organizations that are meeting immediate needs, such as shelters and health clinics, while also focusing on lasting change. MADRE targets groups that prioritize the leadership of young women and girls, Indigenous women, Afro-descendant women, LGBTIQ people, and people with disabilities.

Community-based partner organizations receive training, advice on funding models, and strategic exchange to strengthen their capabilities. MADRE also helps women leaders advocate for their communities in policymaking spaces by providing legal advocacy and training.

These strategies are applied across the following programs: ending gender violence by equipping women with tools to prevent abuse in war and building clinics and counseling centers;  advancing climate justice through grassroots solutions like building clean water systems and seed bank harvesting; building a just peace by bringing aid to communities, working to address root causes of conflict and involving women in the peace process; and a feminist policy jumpstart which advocates that U.S. policymakers champion gender justice and human rights.

In December, 2019, MADRE Executive Director Yifat Susskind delivered a talk at TED Women encouraging people to think like a mother in order to not get overwhelmed by crises and be able to take action. It’s a philosophy that guides MADRE’s strategy today.  

If you’re interested in taking action to support women leaders around the world, a great way to do so is with a donation to MADRE. You can also help out by amplifying their work on social media. Follow MADRE on Facebook, Twitter @MADREspeaks, and Instagram @madrespeaks. #ThinkLikeAMother

Feel Good Friday - Feminist Network

International Women’s Day was March 8th and we’re going to continue the celebration by highlighting the international women of Feminist Network.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Lviv, Ukraine, the mission of Feminist Network is the “creation of space for the development of the feminist community in Lviv and Ukraine.”

The activists who started this organization originally wanted a space where they could discuss feminism with other women. Since those early days, Feminist Network has grown in both size and scope. Now, they do work focusing on gender and feminist education; creation, support and development of the feminist community; and building a network to unite different leaders and city institutions in order to bring feminist values to life.

Projects they run include public lectures and events, art exhibits, street protests, a club for teenage girls called Girls Can, events focused on LBGTQ rights, and online classes in medi, writing, and feminist theory.

Since the Russian invasion last year, Feminist Network responded by starting new activities to support the people of Ukraine. These include finding housing for refugees and activists from regions where active hostilities are taking place, providing free babysitting services for refugee’s children, holding free sessions with psychologists for people in the community, providing humanitarian support to elderly women in Lviv, and creating online content to address the needs of vulnerable groups during the war. You can see the volunteers behind these efforts in this short video and read these stories of how and why they got started. 

The best way to provide support to Feminist Network is with a donation. You can also help by amplifying their work on social media. Like the Feminist Network Facebook page, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Buy From a Black Woman

If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate Black History Month, visit today’s Feel Good Friday organization, Buy From a Black Woman, and support Black entrepreneurs. 

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Buy From a Black Woman (BFABW) “ensures that Black Women have the tools and resources that will allow them to be successful.” 

As they explain on their website, due to lack of support and awareness, “annual sales for Black Women Business Owners are five times smaller than all Women-owned businesses.” BFABW aims to increase those numbers by educating, empowering and inspiring Black women in business.

Educational resources are designed to help Black women start, maintain and grow their businesses. There are free worksheets you can download that cover topics such as the consumer purchase decision process, price and cost analysis, and setting intentions to keep your vision for your business top of mind. You can also tune into monthly workshops offered as part of BFABW University. From trademarks and order fulfillment to financial management, these courses are streamed live at BFABW.tv where recordings are also posted for later viewing.

Empowerment comes through a variety of grants. BFABW awards grants to cover the creation and hosting of an e-commerce website, trademarking a brand name or supporting specific projects that will help advance a current business.

Inspiration comes through connections and events. Classes, gatherings, holiday markets and a multi-city tour across the United States highlighting Black women business owners are some of the ways community members stay engaged and inspired.

The best way to support the entrepreneurs behind Buy From a Black Woman is also the most fun. Get out your credit card and start shopping! Clothing, beauty products, art, furniture, professional services, fitness, travel, and more. There are over 170 shops in this online directory so you’re sure to find something you’ll like.

You can also support BFABW by donating your money and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Buy From a Black Woman on Facebook, on Twitter @BFABWInfo and on Instagram @buyfromablackwoman.

 

Feel Good Friday - Mujeres Unidas y Activas

National Hispanic American Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th which makes this a perfect Feel Good Friday to talk about Mujeres Unidas y Activas, United and Active Women.

Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) is “a grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women with a dual mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice.” 

It began in 1990 as a project of the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights. At that time MUA had a leadership training for women and a theater project that informed the community about AIDS, domestic violence, and immigrant and workers’ rights. Today, they have offices in San Francisco, Oakland and Union City, and offer a wide range of programs, campaigns and resources to support Latina immigrant women.

MUA support group meetings happen virtually each week and cover topics such as peer counseling, healing and wellness workshops, civic and political education workshops and Zumba classes. MUA also provides access to legal services, a support line for survivors of domestic violence, parenting programs, English classes for staff members, domestic workers and sexual assault crisis counselors, and a group specifically for the thousands of Guatemalan immigrants in the Bay Area who speak Mam. 

Details about all their programs can be found at this link and, for people unable to join a live meeting, there is a page on the website with resources for survivors of violence, domestic workers, immigrants and employers. 

In addition to this wide range of services, MUA also invests in campaign work to strengthen their organization, their leaders and their community power. They focus on rights for immigrant women and domestic workers, as well as language access and civic engagement.

What is the impact of MUA’s work? In response to the coronavirus pandemic, MUA shifted all of its programs to operate remotely. They set up food distribution to members who were hungry, and, through the MUA COVID19 Immigrant Families Relief Fund, they distributed over $500,000 cash relief to current and former participants who were out of work and struggling. MUA’s campaign work helped get the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights signed into law guaranteeing daily and weekly overtime for domestic workers.

If you’d like to support MUA and the people they help, you can do so by making a donation and amplifying their work on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @mujrsunidas and Instagram @mujeresunidasyactivas.

 

Feel Good Friday - EMILY's List

I don’t often repeat Feel Good Friday blogs, but when I do, it’s to remind you about EMILY’s List.

I first wrote about EMILY’s List on June 9, 2017 and the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade inspired me to raise them up again and highlight the impact they have on U.S. elections.

 

Founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm, the work of EMILY's List is summed up by their mission statement: “We elect pro-choice Democratic women to office." Their vision is to balance the voice of power by having the government more accurately represent the people it serves and to "elect leaders who ignite change".

As explained in the history section of the website, "the name "EMILY's List" was an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" (i.e., it makes the dough rise)." That dough has been rising for over 30 years and now EMILY's List is the largest national resource for women in politics and one of the largest financial resources for minority women seeking federal office.

 

While fundraising is the beginning, it’s certainly not the end. EMILY’s List has a program called "Run to Win" that recruits and trains women how to, yes you guessed it, run for office and win.

EMILY's Lists supports women's campaigns with finances, they also provide research and strategic assistance to secure election victories.

Since their founding, EMILY’s List has helped elect 159 Democratic pro-choice women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 to governors' seats, more than 1,300 women to state and local office and, of course, one to Vice President. 

If you want to see more pro-choice Democratic women in positions of power around the country, run for office! If you're reading this blog, you've got my vote.

 

While you’re considering that and designing your logo, there are other ways you can support EMILY’s List. Attend an event, make a donation to recommended candidates, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @emilyslist and Instagram @emilys_list.