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ABOUT BOSTON WOMEN'S FUND

Mission & Vision

MISSION.

Boston Women’s Fund uplifts, advocates for, and invests in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals who are leading grassroots organizations and systems change. Together we strive toward racial, economic, social, and gender justice.

VISION.

We envision a world where power, opportunity, and access exist for those persistently marginalized, regardless of gender identity or gender expression.

VALUES.

WE BELIEVE:

Philanthropy has a unique role and responsibility and is at its best when working together with
communities to create a more just and equitable world.

In the power of organizing and movement building.

Our work is sustained through creativity, joy, and an abundance mindset.

In the power of transformative relationships. Individuals shape relationships, relationships shape communities, and communities shape society.

That when we disrupt harmful practices we move toward systems change and a more just world.

Experts come from within their communities and when we invest in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals, we uplift families and communities.

In the value of continuous learning, evaluation and growth in both individuals and organizations.

Values
Principles

PRINCIPLES.

TO EMBODY OUR BELIEFS:

01

We take an informed, responsive, participatory, and transparent approach to philanthropy.

02

We act boldly and take risks working to create space for transformative practices.

03

We use an intersectional lens that prioritizes racial, gender, social, and economic justice.

04

We ensure women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals are at the core of every decision.

05

We promote grassroots systems change and support power from the ground up.

06

We advocate for processes and programs that shift power to those affected by the issues.

07

We invest in efforts that create belonging and inclusivity and lead toward healing at the individual, community, and societal levels.

08

We are committed to shared leadership, accountability, equity, and cultural diversity in all decisions, operations, and practices.

OUR HISTORY.

The Boston Women’s Fund (BWF) was founded in 1984 by a group of progressive women who sought to support marginalized women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in achieving racial, economic, social, and gender justice. BWF was the first women’s foundation in Massachusetts and is one of the oldest of the over 145 nonprofit women’s foundations in the United States.

 

Our founders recognized that organizations supporting women, girls, and gender-expansive people received fewer foundation grants than other organizations. This was especially true for groups helping low-income women and women of color. Today, research shows that women and girls receive less than 7.5% of all grant dollars awarded by foundations nationwide.*

 

We believe that change begins with women, girls, and gender-expansive people in their own communities, and that with the necessary resources they are able to implement their ideas. We believe that women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals can and must be leaders within all movements if progressive change is to occur. 

 

Since our inception, a core value at BWF has been that decisions would be made by a racially and economically diverse group of women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals and that money would be raised by a broad group of donors across all economic backgrounds. Over the past 40 years, BWF has granted more than $7.6 million in over 385 grant awards to grassroots organizations.

*Women’s Funding Network, Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women’s Funds, 2009. Washington, D.C., Foundation Center.

History
Meet The Team

MEET THE TEAM.

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Natanja Craig Oquendo

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Alexandra Auguste

Deputy Director

she/her
 

Meet Alex

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Aisha Woodruff

Director of Communications

she/her
 

Meet Aisha

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Kiarah Hortance

Sr. Program Associate

she/her
 

Meet Kiarah

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Sumaya Mohamed Ibrahim

Program and Operations Coordinator

she/they
 

Meet Sumaya

Board of Directors

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

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Akosua Ampofo Siever

Chair

she, her, hers

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Chastity Bowick

Chair, Governance

Director

Trans Emergency Fund

she, her, hers

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Qwin Mbabazi

Director

Senior Manager of Organizational Culture and Community Partnerships, GLAD Legal Advocates & Defenders

she, her, hers

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Amanda Matos-Gonzalez

Vice Chair

Senior Manager, Assessments NeighborWorks America

she, her, hers

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Danielle Parish

Director

Individual Giving Officer,

MIT Sloan

she, her, hers

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D.J. Baker 

Director

Program Manager, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

they, them, theirs

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Virginia Meany

Chair, Finance Committee

Retired

she, her, hers

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Magalis Troncoso Lama

Director

Executive Director,

Dominican Development Center

she, her, hers

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Jennifer Aronson

Ex-Officio Member

Associate VP of Programs,

The Boston Foundation

she, her, hers

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Claudia Thompson

Chair, 40th Anniversary

Managing Launch Director,

BNI Global

she, her, hers

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Stephanie Klinkenberg-Ramirez

Director

Senior Associate, Choate

she, her, hers

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Makeeba McCreary

Ex-Officio Member

President,

New Commonwealth Fund

she, her, hers

PARTNERS.

The work of the Boston Women’s Fund is only possible through the support of our donors and partners. They are the fuel that keeps us going. We are grateful for their commitment to women, girls, and gender expansive individuals.

Partners
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