News
Recapping WDN Connect 2020
This year for the first time, our annual conference WDN Connect went virtual! We had some amazing speakers whose powerful words energized us to continue to fight for change. Read on for some highlights from their talks. Keynote Address: Isabel Wilkerson Isabel Wilkerson*, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Caste: The Origins of Our […]
New Video: How Did We Take Action in 2020?
This year, we watched a storm hit our country, fueled by longstanding systemic problems, national emergencies, and failings in leadership. In response, we saw communities around the country rising up. In order to support the frontline movements and those most affected, WDN moved our highest amount of grants, ever. To see more, watch our new […]
Emergent Fund in the News
The Emergent Fund was featured in a new article by Giving Compass entitled, “Rapid, Flexible, And Impactful Philanthropy? Emergent Fund Shows Us How It’s Done.” Emergent Fund uses a five-point grantmaking approach that is rapid, flexible, participatory, values-driven, and flips the dynamic of power. Since its inception in 2016, Emergent Fund has demonstrated that getting dollars […]
Grantmaking Update: how is WDN taking action in defense of Black lives?
The Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd are the largest, most sustained protests in our nation’s history – and we are answering the call. Together, we mobilized $4.9 million to the field in critical c3 grants in the first half of 2020. We are moving resources quickly and deepening our commitment […]
Reflective Democracy in the News
The Reflective Democracy Campaign is back in the news: the Campaign’s research was cited in the New York Times‘ “On Politics” column about the symbolism and real policy advantages to having a woman of color as Vice President. Our grantee And She Could be Next, a two-part documentary series on female history makers filmed by […]
In a Time of Upheaval, Sheriffs Finally Face Scrutiny
Our Reflective Democracy Campaign has released its latest report on the demographics of elected sheriffs and it’s unequivocal: America’s sheriffs are nearly all white men. Sheriffs commonly oversee residential evictions, domestic violence calls, traffic stops, polling place monitoring, and criminal investigations. 75% of sheriffs voluntarily collaborate with ICE to hold undocumented people in custody for […]
Message from WDN President & CEO: Our Collective Grief, Anger, and Action
Dear WDN Community, I’m writing to you during a time of collective grief and profound anger, and in solidarity with those on the ground in Minnesota who are demanding that George Floyd‘s life matter—and those around the globe who are demanding that Black Lives Matter. For those who want to support organizers in Minnesota, here are […]
WDN-backed Hive Fund in the News
WDN (through our Safe & Sustainable Impact Collective) co-founded and provided early funding for an exciting new project: The Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice. The Fund was recently profiled in Inside Philanthropy (subscription required) and Philanthropy Women. WDN Vice President Tamara Chao and WDN Member Jane Breyer (who is also a VP at the Energy […]
Emergent Fund awards second round of COVID-19 Relief Grants
Already since January 2020, WDN members have proudly moved $750,000 to the Emergent Fund, with $450,000 since the pandemic. $100,000 of this funding was specifically designated for COVID-response work. In just the last month and a half, this funding has been leveraged into over $1.4 million in commitments to COVID-response funding from other funders and […]
WDN’s Reflective Democracy Campaign funds “Councilwoman”, the film
WDN’s Reflective Democracy Campaign is a proud funder of Councilwoman, a film about Carmen Castillo. Castillo is a Dominican American woman who is elected and serves as a city councilwoman in Providence, Rhode Island. The film follows her as she advocates for workers rights, leads the fight for a $15 minimum wage in Providence, and runs a grueling […]
