Women Moving Millions began as a campaign in 2007 and quickly transformed into a community with a shared vision of creating a gender equal world.
Visionaries Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, and Chris Grumm (then CEO of the Women’s Funding Network) launched this groundbreaking funding campaign with the goal of building a global collective of committed, purposeful women making bold philanthropic gifts of $1 million or more for the advancement of women and girls. History was made when $181 million was pledged to 41 women’s funds.
Knowing the need to mobilize greater resources for women and girls did not end with the campaign, a passionate and purposeful group of members stepped into leadership and created the plan to move from campaign to community. Those same members committed their financial resources, and along with a $1.5 million grant from J.P. Morgan Chase, Women Moving Millions, Inc. was born. Jacki Zehner became the founding Board President with Jessica Houssian later becoming the organization’s first Executive Director. In 2017, in light of her extensive contributions to the organization, Jacki Zehner was named Co-Founder of WMM alongside Helen LaKelly Hunt.
Today, WMM is the largest community of individuals giving a minimum of $1 million to resource women and girls and has elevated the power of women’s philanthropy. As a growing global community, our members have collectively committed over $1 billion and are using the power of their voice, networks, and influence to inspire others to invest with a gender lens.
We are grateful for our visionary founders, members, and partners who understood the power and transformative potential of this community to change the world. These amazing leaders, listed below, stepped up early to help create the largest group of individual donors making million-dollar gifts for women and girls.