Women Moving Millions
In November 2007, Ambassador Swanee Hunt and her sister, Helen LaKelly Hunt, along with the Women's Funding Network, launched Women Moving Millions, a ground-breaking initiative to inspire gifts of $1 million and above to women's foundations to effect lasting social change by improving the lives of women and girls. Remarkably, as the United States entered an economic crisis in the fall of 2008, women stood fast in their commitment to boldly fund women and girls. The initiative's first phase drew to a close in April 2009 with 100 donors giving more than $180 million--over $30 million more than the campaign's goal.
Hunt Alternatives Fund serves as the institution that represents co-founder and campaign catalyst Ambassador Hunt. From inception to completion of the first phase, Fund staff worked closely with campaign leadership to ensure that Ambassador Hunt’s bold vision was reflected in all areas of the initiative.A 2009 Foundation Center and Women’s Funding Network joint report found that in recent years funding for women and girls by the broader foundation community has grown at a faster rate than foundation giving on the whole (223 percent compared with 177 percent), although as a share of overall foundation giving, it has remained below 7.5 percent for more than 15 years. Women Moving Millions will turn that tide by injecting significant capital into projects to empower girls and women.
The Women’s Funding Network is a global movement of 145 women’s foundations, raising money and making grants to create lasting social change through the advancement and leadership of women and girls. Worldwide, women’s foundations cite work to eradicate poverty through the empowerment of women and girls as their top area of funding or grant making.
With the resounding success of the first phase, campaign leaders now focus their energy on determining the future course of this movement. Women Moving Millions will move into its second phase as a program of The Sister Fund (founded by Helen LaKelly Hunt) in continued partnership with the Women’s Funding Network. Partners are discussing a multi-prong approach that will nurture and expand donor leadership so that women’s philanthropy can become bolder and more strategic, and have a greater impact on the lives of women and girls around the globe.
Press Coverage of Women Moving Millions
Articles by Donors
Articles about Swanee Hunt and Helen LaKelly Hunt
The Increasing Philanthropy project of Hunt Alternatives Fund encourages current and future donors to give boldly and realize their philanthropic potential. Organizations supporting women and girls often find themselves vying for limited funds. Our solution is clear: increase the philanthropic pie. This is an underlying value that we apply to all of our programs and projects.
