I would say my philanthropic journey started when I was a child watching my mom in action serving in her community. That said, I did not think of myself as a philanthropist until I joined the WMM campaign in 2009. I was actively giving to women and girls focused organizations, so there was no convincing on that front, but being part of something bigger, a campaign, and later a community was transformative. It was an honor to be part of the leadership team that created WMM in the form is it today. The driving force behind my giving is the same today as it was over 25 years ago, that from a gender perspective the world is unjust and unequal, and I must do what I can to advance women and girls.What inspired you to make a $1M+ commitment to women and girls? What do you want to say to others who are considering a bold investment in women and girls?
What inspired me was seeing other women boldly stepping forward to use their financial capital, together with their social capital, to champion for causes, organizations, and leaders who were making positive change happen. Chris Grumm, who led the Women’s Funding Network for a number of years, was, and is, a force of nature and her support and mentorship made such a difference. At the time WMM started gender lens philanthropy was barely talked about and ‘women’ philanthropists were not very visible. That is no longer the case. Women are increasingly stepping into their power and that is a beautiful thing. For those that have not yet done so, but can, my question is simple – What are you waiting for? “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
What are you up to now?
After leaving a leadership role at WMM in 2018, I have recentered my energy around the broader area of women and money. I believe so strongly that investment capital, directed with a gender lens, can have incredible impact and I have spent a lot of time investing directly in women entrepreneurs and women managed funds. I began writing in 2009, and now have a newsletter, SheMoney (on Linkedin) that has almost 160,000 direct subscribers. In 2022 I launched SheMoney, a content and consulting platform designed to support women on their financial wellness journey, and we have big plans. I believe it was Ruth Ann Harnisch who first said that finance is the new frontier of feminism, and I could not agree more. Money matters so much, and while giving is incredibly important and impactful, so are all the other money moves, especially spending and investing. We can apply a gender lens to just about everything we do with our money.
I want to close by saying how incredible it is to see how WMM continues to grow and thrive. Back in those early years we dreamed that it would become a powerful community of amazing women who were using their resources to advance women and girls, and it is all that and more.
