As resources shrink and crises grow, what kind of funding actually helps?Join us to explore what five years and $20 million of feminist funding reveal about how to build trust, resilience, and staying power in social justice movements. As the world reels from intersecting crises escalating authoritarianism, shrinking civic space, and declining support for human rights and gender justice—philanthropy is at a crossroads. Funders face real trade-offs: whether to fund this or that, whether to continue moving money at all, and how to do it in ways that matter.
But here’s what we know: how we fund is as important as what we fund.
Over the past five years, Fenomenal Funds a $20 million feminist funding experiment, pooled resources from four private foundations and expertise from 47 women’s funds to test a different approach: one rooted in power-sharing, non-competition, and mutual trust. We didn’t just fund projects. We funded infrastructure. We supported relationships. We invested in resilience—emotional, political, and organizational.
This was more than a grant making model. It was an attempt to practice a more sustainable and inclusive philanthropy in a deeply challenging world.
And it worked.
We now have concrete evidence that feminist, trust-based, and collaborative grant making strengthens organizations and movements alike. That long-term, flexible funding allows women’s funds to build reserves, shift strategies, and support frontline actors in ways traditional models often don’t. That investing in collaboration means investing in relationships, not just giving money, but building the trust and accountability required to do things differently. This webinar, co-sponsored by Fenomenal Funds and the Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN), marks the final public event of Fenomenal Funds. It’s a moment to reflect, share, and ask:- What does it take to build lasting resilience in feminist funds and movements? How can funders build relationships that deepen impact not just deliver grants? What makes a funding model truly effective in today’s challenging world? Join us to hear from funders and feminist organizers who’ve lived the experiment and walk away with practical, thought-provoking insights for your own funding strategies.