BOSTON WOMEN’S FUND GRANTS OVER $475K TO GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS LED BY AND FOR WOMEN AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE LEADERS

Through a community-led process free of grant applications, BWF funnels philanthropic power to marginalized communities and removes funding barriers for nonprofits.

BOSTON —  July 23, 2025 —  Boston Women’s Fund (BWF), a foundation committed to creating a world where power, access, and opportunity are accessible to all, today announced over $475,700 in grants to grassroots organizations led by women, girls and gender-expansive individuals across Greater Boston. All 19 grant recipients were nominated by the public and selected by a community-led allocations committee, disrupting the standard philanthropic practice of top-down grantmaking and enabling communities to direct the flow of philanthropic dollars.

At a time when many philanthropic institutions are shifting funding priorities, community-led grantmaking offers an opportunity for marginalized communities to gain the resources needed to address their most pressing challenges.

“When people are empowered to influence the flow of philanthropic funds where they live, everyone wins,” said Natanja Craig Oquendo, BWF’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are committed to supporting communities that have been persistently overlooked, and we let them tell us what issues are impacting them most and who’s showing up for them — not the other way around. Boston Women’s Fund couldn’t be more honored to support another round of life-changing grassroots work in Greater Boston this year.”

BWF eliminated grant applications and instead holds conversations with publicly nominated organizations. For new grantees, a community committee then reviews the information and selects grantees using a consensus model. Fifteen of BWF’s grantee partners are receiving funding from the organization for the second consecutive year or more. The fund uses multi-year support as a pathway to sustaining grassroots organizations, many of whom have faced steep funding cuts this year.

BWF has granted approximately $8.4 million in 420 grant awards to date.

The following organizations have been selected as BWF’s 2025 grantee partners:

Abilities Dance

Asian American Women's Political Initiative

Asian Women For Health

Association Of Haitian Women In Boston 

Birth Equity & Justice MA

Dominican Development Center

Essex County Community Organization 

For Black Girls Inc.

Grimes King Foundation For The Elderly

Love Your Magic

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

Matahari Women’s Worker Center 

Melanin Mass Moms

Propa City Community Outreach

Sisters Unchained

Small House

Somali Parents Advocacy Center for Education 

Stories Inspiring Movements

Women Encouraging Empowerment

About Boston Women’s Fund

Boston Women’s Fund (BWF) is an intermediary foundation investing in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals leading grassroots organizations working toward racial, economic, social, and gender justice. BWF envisions a world where power, opportunity, and access exist for those persistently marginalized, regardless of gender identity or gender expression. BWF predominantly supports leaders of color from communities persistently excluded from philanthropy. Founded in 1984 by progressive women, BWF was the first women’s foundation in Massachusetts. BWF has granted approximately $8.4 million in 420 grant awards to date. To learn more, visit www.bostonwomensfund.org.

Contact: Aisha Woodruff aisha@bostonwomensfund.org