News
Q&A With Member Jane Segal Following First All-Initiative Meeting of 2024
One of the things revealed during our strategic planning process is that the vast majority of WDN members want to move towards a Participatory Grantmaking Model, with 87% of our survey respondents in support. One reason for this is that participatory grantmaking empowers impacted communities to decide who and what gets funded. Last month all four […]
Highlights from WDN Connect 2023
In November, we gathered in Charlotte for WDN Connect 2023: Rise & Renew. From our opening night workshop on art and culture to a discussion about how our fates are intertwined, WDN Connect 2023 in Charlotte was full of inspiring content and powerful connections. This year’s conference was full of ideas, inspiration, camaraderie, and some […]
WDN’s Impact in 2023
When we step back and look at our work in 2023, we see a constellation formed from moments of mobilization. Like stars in an unchanging sky, movement leaders and organizations guide us toward a more just future, which is why we prioritized and robustly supported existing partnerships with unrestricted funding. We also introduced new partnerships […]
We Sent $3.8M to the Field This Fall
We close 2023 with one of our largest funding pushes to date – over $3.8 million in grantmaking this fall! WDN’s members, staff, and movement partners collaborated to channel these funds to 48 organizations championing progress across Black liberation and feminism, workers’ rights, economic justice, abortion access, a Just Transition, year-round voter engagement, and pro-democracy […]
Together in Community, Solidarity, and Action
Our hearts are breaking, but our commitment to justice and action does not waver. At WDN, our work on Palestine-Israel is deep-rooted. Many of our members have spent much of their lives grappling with their understanding of this ongoing cycle and working together to bring more justice to the region. In 2009 WDN members traveled […]
To See Takes Time: Re-Imagining Democracy and Its Future
After several years of headline-grabbing research, intensive strategy development, and project incubation, WDN’s Reflective Democracy Campaign has been a bit quiet recently as they develop the next phase of their work, centered around an experimental vehicle designed to meet the profound challenges of democracy-building in our moment. Campaign Director Brenda Choresi Carter explores the remarkable historical juncture we’re currently in and how the Campaign – a unique think tank with an action arm – is building on its pioneering work and breaking new ground.
Read More »$380,000 to 6 Organizations Advancing Reproductive Justice
WDN’s Abortion Bridge Collaborative (ABC) Fund supports organizations that center reproductive justice in their mission, values, and work as they navigate this new rapidly changing landscape. Using an open, grantee-centered nominations network our Grantmaking Advisory Council seeks out organizations that: With our recent grants, we’re incredibly proud to support 6 new grantees engaging in the […]
Court Accountability on the Heels of Devastating SCOTUS Rulings
The SCOTUS majority took two more steps back from the will of the American people in last week’s rulings against affirmative action and LGBTQ+ rights. A conservative faction of Supreme Court justices has allowed wealthy corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections (Citizens United v. FEC); stripped us of bodily autonomy […]
The ABC Fund One Year After Dobbs
One year after the Dobbs decision, a patchwork of laws and an uncertain future for abortion access continue to characterize post-Roe America. Service providers, movement leaders, and abortion defenders on the frontlines continue to push back against restrictive policies to deliver abortion care, defend abortion access, and advance reproductive justice nationwide. The Abortion Bridge Collaborative (ABC) Fund […]
We Just Directed $2.4M to 27 Movement Organizations
In our most recent round of grants, we sent $2.4M to 27 organizations dedicated to creating safer, healthier, and more just communities for all. This latest round of support maintains our commitment to existing partnerships, explores new catalytic opportunities, and meaningfully backs a wide ecosystem of change-builders. $600k to Black-Led Movements and Community Safety Jean […]