Photo credit: IllumiNative. With national media attention focused elsewhere, there was a bright light amid the 2024 election results that should be celebrated.

We’re thrilled to announce exciting updates to our WDN and WDN Action Boards!

During this critical year, WDN Action grantee partner Advance Native Political Leadership saw landmark numbers up and down the ballot. Understand how Advance Native was able to build political power and champion rights and sovereignty in 2024.

SAN FRANCISCO — Women Donors Network (WDN)—a national network of women donors and gender-expansive individuals committed to protecting and advancing gender, racial, economic, and climate justice—and Women Donors Network Action (WDN Action), its c4 affiliate, are proud to announce Hillary Holley as the new Managing Director of Politics & Advocacy for WDN and WDN Action.

The stakes of the November 2024 election can’t be overstated. The threats to our democracy extend far and wide, and there is growing disillusionment among large segments of voters as we continue to see profound attacks on nearly every issue we care about as a network. Amidst a backdrop of so much difficult news, we continue to be grounded in the power of long-term investments in organizing.

Our members are protecting and advancing a system that is in deep peril in our country: democracy.

It’s tempting to view the dire social and political situation we are in and think things are intractable or allow our rightful worry about the future to lead to paralysis. However, it is actually a moment where WDN Action can serve as a guide toward actionable hope.

“Early money is like yeast” has become a mantra in politics. But when talking about early money, the conversation often ends with funding candidates. WDN Action is working to change that.

2024 presents a unique confluence: catastrophic global events, nation-shaking elections, and simmering historic injustice overlap.
As a network of feminist donors and activists, how are we rising to this moment?

WDN Action is proud to support the critical work of the Alliance for Youth Action and many of their affiliates, who are leading critical organizing efforts across the country. They recently shared with us some exciting updates from their network…

Black Voters Matter is once again putting the Blackest buses in America back on the road for a tour throughout the South as part of their 2024 “We Fight Back” campaign and bus tour. Black Voters Matter created the bus tour in 2018 to engage with Black voters, policymakers, faith-based leaders, Black influencers, and HBCU students in advance of critical elections.

WDN and WDN Action recently surpassed $100 million in collective funding! We play a key role in supporting lasting movement infrastructure. Our long-term commitment to investing in people, not just projects sets us apart in the philanthropic landscape while as a strategic donor-organizing network we also understand the importance of responding to emerging needs. Listen to four funding stories that illustrate what $100 million to the field can look like in action.

Last week, WDN Action co-hosted a Protect the Squad briefing featuring the Working Families Party and a coalition of other donor networks and progressive organizations. We heard inspiring words from Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal and Summer Lee about the stakes of this moment and the need for bold vision and action. Organizers on the frontlines of the fight for our democracy are calling on funders to…

As we wind down 2023 and look toward a new year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our collective impact over the past 12 months. In 2023, WDN Action granted $7.4 million in c4 funding to 62 organizations, with 96% of funding supporting BIPOC-led or co-led organizations.

At WDN Action, we’re kicking off the summer by moving over $3 million to 24 groups organizing in key states as they drive work on local elections, issue advocacy campaigns, and organizing and programs to position them for expanded impact in 2024. 

As we mark one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the work of organizations across our movement is culminating in the Abortion Justice Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that builds abortion justice into federal law and charts a policy path toward a world where abortion care is available, affordable, and accessible.

In 2023, WDN Action is continuing to fund for the present and the future with strategic grantmaking primarily focused on renewal funding. We’re moving just over $3 million to 20 groups in key states. These early resources are critical for our grantee partners to be able to continue their work — particularly in "off years” when fundraising is often more challenging.

WDN Action grantee partner United We Dream, the nation’s largest network led by undocumented immigrant youth, received a major investment of ten million dollars from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott to support the vision of growing the organizing power of multiracial movement led by young people. 

By funding groups like Take Action Minnesota and Faith in Minnesota, WDN Action is helping to empower frontline organizers to advocate around issues that matter most and build community power and trust that wins elections.

WDN Action has granted more than $8.6 million in c4 funding to 67 organizations in 13 states this year. Read on for more about our latest grantmaking and what we’re hearing from our grantee partners.