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Philanthropy presents itself as a mechanism for solving inequality. But the structure through which philanthropic money moves can reproduce a familiar hierarchy: People with resources decide which problems deserve attention, organizations compete for funding according to those priorities, and communities affected by the resulting decisions are asked to prove that they can deliver someone else’s definition of impact. While the problem is often framed in terms of who gets funde

“This morning we met the absolute powerhouse that is Natanja Oquendo from the Boston Women's Fund. 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. This year they did something incredible -they gave "well-being grants" to 18 grassroots orgs in the Boston area. This was an additional $5k t

There is $112 billion in Greater Boston’s total nonprofit revenue, yet only $25 million went toward nonprofits explicitly serving BIPOC women and girls. While this demographic comprises 20% of Greater Boston’s population, it is served by only 0.2% of the area’s nonprofits, according to a new report by UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy (CWPPP) and the Boston Women’s Fund. The “Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change” report issued March 26 exposed t

"In grassroots and nonprofit community spaces across Greater Boston, leadership often looks less like institutional power and more like improvisation. It looks like pulling double shifts and answering crisis calls after midnight because there is no backup staff. Stretching one grant across three programs. Delaying salaries to keep community services running. It looks like carrying not only organizational responsibility, but also the emotional, relational and material weight o

Nonprofit burnout among women of color leaders isn’t a personal failing—it’s a structural one. New research shows what funders must do differently to support equitable grantmaking practices. Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change, a new research report from the Boston Women’s Fund, shows that women and gender-expansive nonprofit leaders of color are paying the cost of philanthropic inequities with their bodies. The report’s focus group participants expressed that insufficien

Boston Women's Fund's CEO, Natanja Craig Oquendo and Researcher Jessica Martin sits with WCVB to discuss "Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change." WCVB CityLine: Supporting Women and Girls of Color New data shows just 0.2% of Greater Boston nonprofits focus on women and girls of color. Natanja Craig Oquendo, CEO of the Boston Women's Fund, and Jessica Martin, the research consultant for the study, lay out the resources needed to change current inequities. "When we talk about

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios "Less than 1% of the revenue that Greater Boston nonprofits serving women, girls and gender-expansive people reported in 2024 went to groups prioritizing girls and women of color. Why it matters: Those groups' leaders reported being understaffed, overworked and less supported than other nonprofits, according to a new report from the Boston Women's Fund and UMass Boston. The findings come six years after U.S. business, philanthropic and poli

" We're not asking for everything to shift immediately. We're asking for people to make small shifts so that everyone here in Boston feels like they belong and that they're protected. I think that's what philanthropy wants to do, but I think we have some work to do to get there. " - Natanja Craig Oquendo

Natanja Craig Oquendo and Dr. Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson join WBZ-TV’s Courtney Cole to discuss the new report “Carrying the weight, leading the change.” "...When you support the people who need it the most, you end up taking care of everybody. And so that's our answer, is that we're really just trying to take care of the most vulnerable people in our city, who are doing the most amazing work on the ground... And they deserve a lot more than 2 cents on every hundred dollars that'

A new report shows the region's philanthropic sector can raise up to $1 billion for women's and girls’ causes in a year, but only about 2% of that goes to efforts supporting women and girls of color. "Greater Boston’s philanthropic sector can raise up to $1 billion for women's and girls’ causes in a year, but only about 2% of that goes to efforts specifically supporting women and girls of color, according to a new report. The chief executive at Boston Women’s Fund, which comm

Leaders gathered at a Boston Women’s Fund convening to discuss the preliminary findings and implications of the Carrying the Weight, Leading the Change study. ( JayPix Photography) "For women of color leading on the frontlines of social change, carrying the weight rarely comes with accompanying resources. There is an urgent need for new models of what can be possible when sustained investments replace extraction and partnership replaces paternalism. This is demonstrated in a

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

A group of visionary women came together in 1984 to award Boston Women’s Fund’s (BWF) first five grants totaling $20,000. These small...

For immediate release: January 15, 2025 Contact: Aisha Woodruff, aisha@bostonwomensfund.org 210-373-1993 BOSTON — January 15, 2025...

Three local organizations receive $75,000 in grants for their work addressing the maternal health crisis Members of the Birth Equity and...

Grants to 3 Black-Led Grassroots Organizations Go Beyond Abortion Rights For immediate release: July 25, 2023 Contact: Aisha Woodruff,...

Through equitable, radical practices, BWF is scaling while reimagining philanthropy BOSTON — June 29, 2023 — Boston Women’s Fund (BWF),...

Boston Magazine has named Boston Women's Fund Executive Director, Natanja Craig Oquendo, one of the 150 MOST INFLUENTIAL BOSTONIANS for...

During Black History month, BWF Executive Director Natanja Craig Oquendo was a featured panelist on GBH's historic TV show "Basic Black"!...

Natanja Craig-Oquendo. PHOTO: RICHARD HOWARD Natanja Craig-Oquendo is ushering in a new era at the Boston Women’s Fund. The Villa...