ABOUT BOSTON WOMEN'S FUND
MISSION.
Boston Women’s Fund uplifts, advocates for, and invests in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals who are leading grassroots organizations and systems change. Together we strive toward racial, economic, social, and gender justice.
VISION.
We envision a world where power, opportunity, and access exist for those persistently marginalized, regardless of gender identity or gender expression.
VALUES.
WE BELIEVE:
Philanthropy has a unique role and responsibility and is at its best when working together with
communities to create a more just and equitable world.
In the power of organizing and movement building.
Our work is sustained through creativity, joy, and an abundance mindset.
In the power of transformative relationships. Individuals shape relationships, relationships shape communities, and communities shape society.
That when we disrupt harmful practices we move toward systems change and a more just world.
Experts come from within their communities and when we invest in women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals, we uplift families and communities.
In the value of continuous learning, evaluation and growth in both individuals and organizations.
PRINCIPLES.
TO EMBODY OUR BELIEFS:
01
We take an informed, responsive, participatory, and transparent approach to philanthropy.
02
We act boldly and take risks working to create space for transformative practices.
03
We use an intersectional lens that prioritizes racial, gender, social, and economic justice.
​
04
We ensure women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals are at the core of every decision.
05
We promote grassroots systems change and support power from the ground up.
06
We advocate for processes and programs that shift power to those affected by the issues.
07
We invest in efforts that create belonging and inclusivity and lead toward healing at the individual, community, and societal levels.
08
We are committed to shared leadership, accountability, equity, and cultural diversity in all decisions, operations, and practices.
OUR HISTORY.
The Boston Women’s Fund (BWF) was founded in 1984 by a group of progressive women who sought to support marginalized women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in achieving racial, economic, social, and gender justice. BWF was the first women’s foundation in Massachusetts and is one of the oldest of the over 145 nonprofit women’s foundations in the United States.
Our founders recognized that organizations supporting women, girls, and gender-expansive people received fewer foundation grants than other organizations. This was especially true for groups helping low-income women and women of color. Today, research shows that women and girls receive less than 7.5% of all grant dollars awarded by foundations nationwide.*
We believe that change begins with women, girls, and gender-expansive people in their own communities, and that with the necessary resources they are able to implement their ideas. We believe that women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals can and must be leaders within all movements if progressive change is to occur.
Since our inception, a core value at BWF has been that decisions would be made by a racially and economically diverse group of women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals and that money would be raised by a broad group of donors across all economic backgrounds. To date, BWF has granted more than $7.9 million in over 340 grant awards to grassroots organizations.
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*Women’s Funding Network, Accelerating Change for Women and Girls: The Role of Women’s Funds, 2009. Washington, D.C., Foundation Center.
MEET THE TEAM.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Akosua Ampofo Siever
Chair
​
she/her
Danielle Parish
Director
​
Individual Giving Officer,
MIT Sloan
she/her
Jennifer Aronson
Ex-Officio Member
​
Associate VP of Programs,
The Boston Foundation
she/her
Amanda Matos-Gonzalez
Vice Chair
​
Senior Manager, Assessments NeighborWorks America
she/her
Stephanie Klinkenberg-Ramirez
Director
​
Senior Associate, Choate
she/her
Makeeba McCreary
Ex-Officio Member
​
President,
New Commonwealth Fund
she/her
Virginia Meany
Chair, Finance Committee
​
Retired
she/her
Qwin Mbabazi
Director
​
Senior Manager of Organizational Culture and Community Partnerships, GLAD Legal Advocates & Defenders
she/any
Chastity Bowick
Chair, Governance
​
Director
Trans Emergency Fund
she/her
D.J. Baker
Director
​
Program Manager, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
they/them
PARTNERS.
The work of the Boston Women’s Fund is only possible through the support of our donors and partners. They are the fuel that keeps us going. We are grateful for their commitment to women, girls, and gender expansive individuals.
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