What We Fund
Together, WDN members make catalytic investments in innovative approaches to social change, while also investing bedrock money to lift the field and support movements. We help fill gaps in traditional philanthropy by seeking out opportunities and investments that can make a transformative difference. We use an intersectional lens — including race, class, gender, and sexual orientation — in everything we do.
We view our grantees as partners who we are constantly learning from and with. Our rapid-response grantmaking happens via The Emergent Fund, which has an open application process. Other than the Emergent Fund, we do not accept unsolicited proposals.
Reflective Democracy Campaign
The Reflective Democracy Campaign works to increase the power of women and people of color in American public life through groundbreaking research, engaging communications, and catalytic grantmaking.
- Advance Native Political Leadership
- Brady & Peavey
- Center for Technology & Civic Life
- Colleen Loper
- Councilwoman (film)
- Dr. Paru Shah research grant
- European Women’s Lobby
- FairVote
- Michigan United
- National Legislators Conference
- Oakland Rising
- Pathway Project
- Public Leadership Institute
- Purcell Public Affairs
- Restaurant Opportunities Center United
- TargetSmart
- Texas Organizing Project “Growing the Cadre of Women to Serve & Organize”
- Trio Strategies
- Women Organizing Women Network
Jean Hardisty Catalytic Impact Fund
Catalyzing long-term and rapid-response organizing and social justice movement infrastructure, the Hardisty Fund supports leadership and power building among groups of people whose power is systematically limited.
Movement for Black Lives Leadership and Infrastructure
- Black Youth Project 100
- Black Futures Lab
- BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership & Dignity)
- National Domestic Workers Alliance: We Dream in Black Initiative
Movement for Black Lives District Attorney Accountability and Power Building Strategy
- BLMHTX (Black Lives Matter Houston Texas)
- Electoral Justice Project
- Springboard Partners/James Rucker: Police Union Accountability Pilot Project
In Honor of Jean Hardisty
The Emergent Fund
A collaboration between WDN, Solidaire, and Threshold Foundation, the Emergent Fund was formed to provide rapid-response funding to defend communities against injustice and develop innovative strategies to transform our country.
- #BlackLivesMatter Channel Black Media Training Cohort
- #ItTakesRoots
- #LeadWithLove
- 18MillionRising
- All of Us Initiative @ Organization United for Respect (OUR), a project of the New World Foundation.
- Arizona Center for Empowerment
- BlackOUT Collective
- Blackout for Human Rights – #MLKNOW 2017 Short Advocacy Film Series
- Brown Boi Project – Gender Justice Response
- Campaign for Southern Equality – Rapid Response Initiative
- Center for Media Justice – Securing Freedom: Racial Justice Digital Defense
- Council on American-Islamic Relations, California (CAIR-CA)
- Domestic Worker Legacy Fund
- Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute
- Faith in Florida
- Faith in Texas – Rapid Action Network
- Georgia Muslim Voter Project
- Grassroots Asians Rising Alliance
- Haitian Migrant Border Crisis Strategy Group
- Indianapolis Community Action Network (IndyCAN) – Sanctuary and Solidarity Congregations
- Indigenous Women Rise
- Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Justice
- Jolt
- LA Voice Muslim Organizer Capacity Building
- March to Springfield for a People and Planet First Budget
- Mijente
- Movement for Justice in El Barrio
- Movimiento Cosecha
- MPower Change
- Muslim Anti-Racist Collaborative
- NC Leadership Development and Rapid Response Infrastructure
- New York City #FreedomCities Campaign
- NM Comunidades en Acción y de Fe (CAFé)
- No Ban No Wall New Jersey/ Mpower Change
- No One Stands Alone: Creating at Rapid Response Network
- Now We Rise
- Oceti Sakowin People’s Climate March – Indigenous Block
- Puente Human Rights Movement Rapid Response
- Soulforce: Combatting Spiritual Terrorism
- Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN)
- Southerners On New Ground (SONG)
- Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL)
- SpiritHouse Inc/The Harm Free Zone
- Texas Rapid Response Plan: A Collaboration of Texas Organizing Project, the Workers Defense Project, and the Texas Civil Rights Project
- The 501-C3 2017 people of color data training initiative
- The Icarus Project’s Rapid Response Program: Sustaining People & Movements for the Long Haul Ahead
- Transgender Gender-Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP)
- Undocumented Youth & Families Defying Detention & Deportation in NM
- United We Dream
- We the People: Building a Progressive Infrastructure in Michigan
Criminal Justice
Empowering formerly incarcerated people and their families for their full rights and dignity.
- All of Us or None
- Enlace
- Essie Justice Group
- Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
- Forward Together
- Justice for Families
- Nation Inside
- National Advocates for Pregnant Women
- National Council For Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
- The Return (film)
Environment
Investing in Indigenous and women’s leadership in the fight for climate justice.
- Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
- Climate Justice Alliance
- Catching the Sun (film)
- Earthworks
- Food and Water Watch
- Honor the Earth
- Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy
- Indigenous Climate Action
- Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign
- It Takes Roots Initiative
- WildEarth Guardians – Chaco Canyon Campaign
- Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network (WECAN)
Gender-based Violence
Addressing misogyny and sexism through culture change strategies.
Immigration
Supporting the organizing hubs fighting to keep immigrant families together.
International Peace and Democracy
Fostering peace and justice through culture change work and women’s leadership.
- Just Vision / Naila And The Uprising
- Just Vision / Local Call
- New Israel Fund
- 3P Human Security
- Mina’s List
- Peace and Security Funders Group
- Women’s Regional Network
Progressive Political Infrastructure
Strengthening our democracy through key investments in civic engagement and public policy development.
Reproductive Health
Reshaping the national conversation on reproductive justice.
