We Remain Steadfast In Advancing

Racial Justice

Dear Aisha,

As we navigate this pivotal moment of uncertainty leading up to the election, my staff and I find ourselves reflecting on the values that guide us. In a time marked by both hope and anxiety, we are resolute in our dedication to supporting the most marginalized and ensuring that our work continues unabated. Regardless of the election's outcome, our focus remains steadfast on advancing racial justice and amplifying the voices of Black and brown women, girls, and gender expansive individuals. 

In the midst of this uncertainty, there is much to celebrate in our pursuit of racial justice. Locally, the Massachusetts Maternal Health Omnibus bill, signed into law by Governor Healey, represents a significant step forward by expanding access to midwifery care and addressing racial disparities in maternal health. On a national level, the recent landmark legal settlement for the Fearless Fund not only supports women of color entrepreneurs but also ensures that organizations like the Boston Women's Fund can continue our vital work. These wins highlight the transformative impact of grassroots efforts and the importance of a supportive ecosystem in advancing racial equity. 

Our team has also been reflecting on one of the most significant developments on the national stage — Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy. While her run for the presidency is a historic milestone and a meaningful representation of progress for women and gender expansive people of color, it also serves as a call to action. While we celebrate her achievements and the visibility she brings, we must also remain vigilant and proactive in building systems and institutions that are genuinely inclusive and equitable from the outset. True progress goes beyond representation. It requires us to create spaces and opportunities that are for us and by us, ensuring that our voices are not just seen, but deeply embedded in the fabric of our society. 

To achieve this, we must continue to dedicate significant resources to supporting our communities and advancing movement-building efforts. This means investing in grassroots organizations, fostering leadership within our communities, and advocating for policies that address systemic inequities. It’s through these concerted efforts that we will forge a future where our contributions and needs are fully integrated into the structures of power and influence. Only by doing so can we ensure that progress is not only symbolized, but sustained and transformative. 

As we look ahead, we are reminded of the importance of our collective efforts in the fight for racial justice. The challenges we face are significant — from attacks on our reproductive rights to absurd lies being spread against Haitian communities — but, so too is our capacity for meaningful change. Your continued support and engagement are crucial as we work together to build a more equitable and just society. 

In Power and Solidarity,

Natanja Craig Oquendo



BWF Welcomes New Board Members!

Q&A with D.J. Baker

We are excited to welcome D.J. Baker (they/them) to the Boston Women’s Fund Board of Directors! D.J. currently serves as the Program Manager at the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, one of BWF’s Community Impact grantee partners. Early in their career, D.J.’s work focused on food justice and access in economically disadvantaged communities. Later, they became a certified birth doula and their work has niched in working with queer and trans/nonbinary individuals and families. 

“The history of the Boston Women’s Fund is a powerful history, and witnessing the leadership of Natanja, I saw a vision of the future. BWF is playing a crucial role in communities across the Boston Metro. The approach is deeply intentional, unique, and very personal with every organization and partner.” 

Read more about D.J., what liberation means to them, and the work they hope to do with the Boston Women’s Fund on our blog!

Young Women’s Initiative

Summer 2024 Recap

Last year, we joined The National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives (YWI) and partnered with Jamila Gales, Founder and Executive Director of Girls Reflecting Our World (GROW), to launch the GROWUP LeadHership initiative. This summer, 29 young people joined an 8-week GROWUP LeadHership cohort, exploring their upcoming journeys into higher education, topics of transition, social and emotional well being, developing leadership skills and core values, civic engagement, and understanding local policy. 

At the end of the cohort, 71% of GROWUP LeadHership participants felt more comfortable expressing their needs. 57% of participants felt a stronger responsibility towards civic engagement and more optimistic about their future. Youth leaders noted,

"GROWUP has supported my transition into young adulthood by teaching me how to love myself and making sure that I will never forget that I have people who I can always call anytime I want."

“[The program] has provided me with a network to young women who are also transitioning to college/adult life or those who have already done so.”

BWF remains dedicated to nurturing the well-being and empowerment of girls and gender-expansive youth. We look forward to another year mobilizing youth leaders in philanthropy and civic engagement, growing their comfort in discussing equity issues and fostering a strong sense of collective responsibility and community!

The events of 2020 highlighted what Boston Women’s Fund has known for the last 40 years — grassroots leaders and organizations fulfill a pivotal role as first responders to emerging, critical community needs and act as the “last mile” of the social infrastructure, connecting the most vulnerable to lifesaving and sustaining services and opportunities with the trust of shared lived experience. 

BWF is a leading a first-of-its-kind research effort to surface the strengths, challenges, unmet needs, and collective impact of Greater Boston’s grassroots ecosystem led by and for women, girls, and gender-expansive people. With our research partners at the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and the Sillerman Center for Advanced Philanthropy at Brandeis University, we are collecting quantitative data and first-person experiences of grassroots, civic, and philanthropic practitioners to produce a comprehensive baseline report to be released this Fall.

I’m calling this, “hurricane season… and I don’t mean the weather.” All my clients, colleagues, and friends are feeling it - the pressures at work, the political swirl, and the storm of urgent community needs. It’s hard to know where to focus.

This is the kind of season when I, especially, want to anchor in my values and priorities. What do the women and gender-expansive folks in my own backyard need right now? While we rightly focus at the national level and the many threats to our rights and futures, I am also thinking about Boston’s grassroots leaders. Sometimes our grantee partners are the only ones their community members can trust in times of need. They offer lifelines and real connections that only local leaders can. 

So what can I do for BWF’s grantee partners during hurricane season? I’m giving my year-end gift a little early this year, and giving just a little more. I’m talking to my friends and family members about The Current, BWF’s monthly giving program. A little goes a long way when you make a monthly commitment.

Please join us. Set up your monthly gift. Consider renewing or even increasing your year-end gift with me. Let’s weather this together.

Sincerely,

Brianna Boggs, Senior Philanthropic Advisor and BWF Supporter

Youth homelessness is a hidden crisis, but the solution is so close to home. Watch as Asjah Monroe, Founding Director of BWF grantee partner, Small House Inc, describes how each one of us can show up for a young person in crisis and help them keep their appointment with destiny. Small House offers life skills, coaching, and (in the future) housing programs for transition-aged youth and young adults experiencing homelessness.

In August, Governor Healey signed a bill into law that would expand crucial access to midwifery care in the state of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Maternal Health Omnibus bill increases access to midwifery care, removes barriers to opening and sustaining birth centers, and provides additional perinatal and postpartum provisions.

Nominate A Leader for AAWPI’s Civic Impact Fellowship and Incubator Program

Pennsylvania, Georgia and Massachusetts - we’re coming for ya! Know an inspiring Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) woman or gender expansive person (ages 22+)? We want to meet them. Nominate a changemaker (and nominate more than one!) for our first-of-its-kind Civic Impact Fellowship and Incubator Program. It takes 10 seconds. P.S. Nominate yourself too!

AAWPI invests in AAPI leaders – who often don’t see themselves as leaders, and we invest in the hopes and dreams of our communities. They support changemakers with $10,000 to design and implement a project that creates change and equity for our AAPI communities. They then provide them with trainings, mentorship, and a deep, supportive community to help them bring their ideas to life. Nominate someone you believe in at aawpi.org/nominate! 

Join Melanin Mass Moms for their Virtual Monthly Support Group Meeting

Melanin Mass Moms hosts monthly support group meetings both in-person and virtually for mothers of color navigating all stages of motherhood! Register for their upcoming virtual meeting on September 26 at 8:30pm at bit.ly/47vlv33. 

Attend Neighborhood Birth Center’s Empowered Birth Workshop: Haitian Kreyol Edition

Join doulas, Alexa Paris Forte and Christina Francois for our Empowered Birth Workshop on Friday, September 27 from 11am to 1pm at the Mattapan Community Health Center. A transformative workshop where we share essential concepts such as choice, bodily autonomy, and equity, along with additional mindset and communication tools to help identify and remove fears and help birthing people to feel empowered and knowledgeable. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to support and uplift expectant parents in their birth journey! Please share widely with families in the Haitian Community! Register for FREE at bit.ly/4d8q0Sc. 

Apply to Asian Women for Health’s Community Health Worker Training

Exciting News! Introducing A Condensed 2-week format for our Community Health Work Program! Our Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program is upcoming in January with a condensed 2-week format! This FREE hybrid program offers the same comprehensive training as our regular 10-week course, covering all core competencies to empower you as a Community Health Worker. We provide Job Readiness Training, Job Placement Assistance, Financial Literacy Classes and much more! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to kickstart your career in public health! Interested? Apply here: awfh.org/Fall2024. 



WE'RE READING

"A Sunny Place for Shady People" by Mariana Enriquez

"The Hacienda"

by Isabel Cañas

WE'RE WATCHING

"The Bear" on Hulu

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"

WE'RE LISTENING TO

"No Mercedes" by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco

"SEJODIOTO" by Karol G

"Ale Ale" by Marc Anthony

*Disclaimer: The above media do not reflect the views of Boston Women's Fund and are not endorsed by Boston Women's Fund. These are the items our board and staff are currently engaging with to further their learning and/or rest and find joy.