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Our Vision
Our society’s well-being depends on achieving true gender equity. This means women* are equal decision-makers and leaders. They have opportunities to advance economically and achieve and maintain financial security. They live free from harassment and violence. And they have the freedom to decide whether and when to have children.
Even as women make up half of the U.S. and global populations, they continue to face significant barriers to achieving full equity and autonomy—barriers that are only heightened for Black women, Indigenous women, women of color and nonbinary people.
We invest in gender and reproductive equity because we believe that when women are fully free to shape their own lives, we can build a healthy, vibrant future for our families, our communities, our country and our world.
Quote from Fatima Goss Graves
Equality in my mind really is that vision for women and girls to live and learn and work and really be who they want to be.President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center
The Opportunity
The women-led movement for gender equity has fought for and won many gains over the past century. Now we need to invest in efforts to build on these successes and take on the political, cultural and economic challenges that threaten them.
To achieve our vision, we take a holistic approach to addressing the interconnected barriers women face—from lack of reproductive autonomy, to limited economic opportunities, to gender-based violence, to inequitable political representation.
Together with our grantees, we are working to:
- Increase comprehensive sex education, birth equity and access to reproductive health care. This work has become especially urgent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 to overturn the long-recognized constitutional right to abortion.
- Advance policies that build women’s economic power, particularly fair and equitable protections for caregivers and care workers.
- Support women’s safety and security at home, in the workplace and in society at large.
- Build political power for women at the state and national levels.
We prioritize efforts led and informed by the people most impacted by structural inequities, including Black, Indigenous and women of color, transgender and gender-expansive people, and women struggling to make ends meet. Through this work, we want to see women—across race, geography and income—achieve power and freedom in all aspects of their lives.
1.9%
Of U.S. charitable dollars go toward supporting women and girls. (Source)
63%
Of U.S. adults believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. (Source)
90%
Of survivors of violence believe that victims should be the ones to decide whether and to whom they report violence and harassment. (Source)
28%
Of U.S. Congress is made up of women. While this is the most women in Congress to date, it is still far from fair representation. (Source)
Our Focus Areas
The challenges and inequities we work to address are complex and entrenched in existing systems. We invest in four interconnected focus areas that reflect the diversity of communities we support.
Reproductive Freedom and Power
We work to support efforts to ensure access to abortion, contraception and birth equity.
Economic Power
We support advocacy and organizing efforts to increase paid family leave, child care coverage and equal pay for women, particularly for women of color and those struggling to make ends meet.
Safety and Security
We partner with organizations preventing gender-based violence and support younger people and survivors of gender-based violence and harassment to lead cultural change.
Political Power and Leadership
We support civic engagement and organizing and invest in pathways to increase and support the political leadership of women who are committed to the issues we fund.
Our Grantees
Our grantees include state and national organizations, advocacy and legislative initiatives, and funder collaboratives that draw together the voices of those most affected by gender and reproductive inequity.
View more grantees in our Gender and Reproductive Equity Grantmaking portfolio
Pooling Funds to Magnify Impact
Collaborative for Gender and Reproductive Equity (CGRE) acts as a dynamic learning community of donors and foundations united in the advancement of gender, reproductive and racial equity.
Securing 21st Century Workplace Policies
Family Values @ Work is a national network of state and local coalitions helping spur the growing movement for family-friendly workplace policies.
Fighting for Reproductive Justice
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership that amplifies and lifts the voices of Black women leaders to secure sexual and reproductive justice for Black women, girls and gender-expansive people.
Supporting Black Women Running for Office
Higher Heights for America is a grassroots organization that utilizes its network of members, activists, volunteers and supporters to help Black women grow their political leadership and representation.
Creating a Future Free From Sexual Violence
'me too.’ is a global, and survivor-led, movement against sexual violence, dedicated to creating pathways for healing, justice, action and leadership.
Building Movements for Reproductive Justice
A state-driven, national organization run by and for young people, Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE) provides a political home for young people, advocates for meaningful policy change and shifts culture, working in states where the challenges and opportunities are greatest.
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
How Funders Can Support Organizations During Leadership Transitions
Executive leaders shape every aspect of their organizations: from strategy to relationships, processes and pace. So, when a new leader takes the helm, the changes can ripple throughout the entire organization—and sometimes into the field. To understand how funders can support grantees experiencing leadership transitions, we partnered with NNR Evaluation, Planning & Research LLC to interview leaders across our Gender and Reproductive Equity portfolio. The resulting resource outlines the challenges and opportunities these transitions present and offers recommendations for how funders can provide support during times of change.
*Our Terminology
We support every person's right to define their gender identity. For the purposes of our grantmaking and shaped by Schusterman's commitment to equity, our definition of “women” includes cisgender women, transgender women, femme-identified people, and gender-nonconforming people.