Jen Risher | San Francisco, CA
What is the most impactful investment you have made thus far through your gender lens philanthropic giving? Why did this gift resonate with you in particular?
The most impactful investment I’ve made with a gender lens is joining Women Moving Millions in 2023, becoming a board member in 2024, and going through the Philanthropic Leadership Program. Initially, I expected to find my own thing within the gender equity space. However, it didn’t take long to recognize the power and joy of learning from community, uplifting and championing other women, and taking collective action. Thanks to my PLP sisters, over the last year, I’ve made more and larger philanthropic donations to women and girls than ever before.
My journey to impact began in the 1990s when Microsoft and Amazon led my husband and me into sudden new wealth. It was amazing. But there were unexpected, complex emotions. I found myself questioning my identity, worrying about relationships with friends and family, and uncomfortable with my place in the world as income inequality grew. To reconcile our new reality and my uneasy feelings, I started writing as therapy. I continued writing with the hope that my story could help other people. In September of 2020, “We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth” was born. Then, as I shared my personal experience of wealth, I felt more authentic and more grounded. Even better, readers thanked me for my vulnerability, saying they resonated with my experience, felt acknowledged, validated, and less alone, and found new courage to talk with family members and work through their own relationship with money.
As I recognized the power of personal narrative, I also saw the power of my money to drive economic, racial, and gender equity. In 2021, my full-time job became finding ways to invest in women, underserved communities, and overlooked markets—for both financial and social return. Since then, I’ve invested $10 million in early-stage, venture capital funds, CDFIs, and ETFs that align with my values. Most exciting has been investing with women-of-color fund managers. Meanwhile, within the philanthropic space, through #HalfMyDAF, the initiative my husband and I started in 2020, I am disrupting a system designed to keep money sitting. The whole sector could benefit from getting more donor advised fund dollars moving. To inspire that to happen, we’ve donated millions, worked with partners, rallied donors and nonprofits, and moved over $70 million from DAFs to nonprofits in the last five years. In 2025, I am thrilled to announce that #HalfMyDAF will give away $2.25 million in matching funds with $750K going to organizations working within gender equity and $250K for reproductive justice.
What is your process for identifying and supporting grantee partners who are aligned with your values and who you believe will move the needle on advancing gender equality?
In 2024, my process for identifying partners was recognizing the smarts, passion, and work of the women in my PLP—and joining them.
During our PLP experience, I was inspired by our collective power. This led to a smaller group of us joining Lisa Shannon to advocate for an optional protocol for CEDAW at the White House. Advocacy work was new to me. I’m grateful for the learning and for our impact. Since that experience, I’ve made a three-year, unrestricted commitment to Every Women Treaty. Similarly, inspired by Rachel Foster’s life-long dedication to ending the exploitation of women and girls, I donated to the World Without Exploitation conference and made a three-year, unrestricted commitment with the goal of supporting her in raising additional funds. Jen Rainin is another PLP sister superstar. After enjoying an early showing of her movie, “Outcry” in Sonoma, I contributed toward the distribution, then joined her at a Curve Foundation event in Houston. This Fall, it was thrilling when Patti Lee-Hoffmann challenged our PLP group to collectively raise $800K for Kamala Harris. To support Patti’s effort (as well as Kamala,) I made my largest-ever 501c4 donation. Then, when Carey Jones set up a call with Swing Left, I gave through that organization too. Finally, to support Sophia Yen and Pandia Health, I spearheaded a pitch call, invested myself, and her team raised $500K. I share all this as an example of what’s possible. There are many impactful approaches to advancing gender equity.
What does it mean to you to be part of a community that shares your values and vision for a gender equal world? How do you apply the idea of community to your broader work?
The work of advancing gender equity is deeply personal. At the same time, we need one another. Being within the WMM community means being part of a movement where we recognize and celebrate our interconnectedness and interdependence as we work individually and together toward the broader goal of a gender equitable world. I’m grateful. WMM is a wonderful source of power, purpose, inspiration, challenge, belonging, support and friendship. It’s also a necessity for my sanity, satisfaction, and success.
What opportunities do you see for impact in the wider philanthropic landscape and what advice would you give to others considering a bold investment in women and girls?
If you’re beginning your journey of impact, my advice is to start by looking within and trusting your power. Figure out what cause area speaks to you, what problem you want to solve, what community or nonprofit you want to champion. When your investment is heartfelt and personal, you will be engaged, fulfilled, and fueled to do more. Also, you aren’t alone. There is strength in community. It’s okay not to know. Talk with other women, listen to their stories, join forces with someone you admire, take collective action.
If you’ve been working on impact for a long time, my advice is to make sure you’re still energized. This is an action-packed, long game. Maybe it’s time to re-engage by shifting your perspective. Take a risk on something new, where you’re out of your comfort zone, and challenging yourself. Give somewhere you’ve never given before. Try advocacy or investing. Challenge existing philanthropic practices and structures. Break taboos. Make mistakes. Have fun. We aren’t confined to the philanthropic landscape. Together, let’s buck the system, break the confines of the philanthropic landscape, and make a bolder impact in the wider, wilder world.
