Washington Women’s Foundation is in an exciting season of growth, clarity, and renewed purpose. As we continue moving through this “Year Zero” of our new plan, we are building on decades of collective giving while sharpening our focus on the future: women funding women and girls across Washington State. 

You may recall we updated our vision and mission this January and committed to fostering an intentional community of women of all backgrounds, united in building a just, equitable, and thriving Washington. Our clarified mission is to provide long-term, unrestricted capital, organizational support, and networking to social change efforts supporting women and girls statewide. 

Grounded in Community, Courage, Curiosity, and Care 

At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful purpose: to leverage the power of our collective to break down systemic barriers, advance women’s leadership, and meet essential needs so every woman and girl in Washington can thrive. 

This purpose shows up not only through grantmaking, but also through education, relationships, advocacy, advice, and the many ways our members support meaningful change. By centering women and girls, we are seeing more clearly how issues such as education, health, housing, immigration, leadership, and economic opportunity shift when viewed through their lived experiences. 

Listening More Deeply and Deciding Together 

One of the most important shifts underway is our commitment to broader community decision-making. Over the past year, WaWF has invited more member and community voices into significant decisions, including our grantmaking approach and the development of our updated business plan. 

That kind of shared decision-making takes time. It can be complex, and at times it can feel messy. But it is also one of the great strengths of a collective. When we make space for many perspectives, we create stronger, more thoughtful decisions—and a foundation that better reflects the communities we serve. 

Momentum Is Building 

Six months into this new chapter, we are already seeing encouraging signs. Membership contributions have increased by 11%, and the number of general fund donors has grown by 56%, with many new supporters coming from outside the membership. 

Our clearer focus is helping more people understand who we are and why our work matters. It is also opening doors to new conversations and partnerships, including opportunities to participate in statewide conversations about policies and practices that affect women’s lives, like the invitation we received from the Washington Women’s Commission to attend the signing of the Governor’s Executive Order 26-01 supporting workplace accommodations for people experiencing menopause. This is an important area of work for improving women’s lives, and a valuable space for WaWF to occupy. 

We are also grateful for the recognition of longtime partners. This year, the Junior League of Seattle honored WaWF with its Community Touchstone Award, recognizing our commitment to service, innovation, and transformational community action. 

Investing in Organizations Led by and for Women 

WaWF has already awarded $300,000 in grants this year (with more to come!), along with $20,000 in Merit Awards. Our grantmaking has supported powerful organizations such as ELLA and Afghan Advantage Plus—both examples of the leadership, expertise, and deep community knowledge that drive meaningful change. 

ELLA is a Chicana/Latina-led social justice organization rooted in advocacy and leadership development for women in the Yakima Valley. Afghan Advantage Plus provides culturally specific support for Afghan women and girls across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Each organization demonstrates what becomes possible when women closest to the work are resourced to lead. 

This year’s applicant pool also showed the extraordinary breadth of work happening across Washington. We received 162 applications across focus areas including healthcare and wellness, education, racial justice, gender and reproductive justice, housing, climate justice, immigration, civic engagement, art and culture, and more. Seventy percent of applicants were BIPOC-led organizations, and they ranged in budget size from $2,000 to over $15 million. 

Learning, Measuring, and Communicating Our Impact 

As our work evolves, so does the way we learn from it. WaWF is beginning to explore Ripple Effect Mapping, a participatory evaluation approach designed to capture the indirect, long-term, and often unexpected impacts of community-based work. Because our grants often support general operations and our impact flows through the organizations we fund, we hope this approach can help us better understand and share the ripple effects of our collective giving. 

We are also strengthening how we communicate with members, partners, and the broader public. From more consistent social media activity and expanded access to recordings on YouTube to a new member portal and refreshed branding work, WaWF is investing in clearer, more accessible ways to stay connected. 

Our branding and messaging work has been thoughtful and collaborative, involving board members, staff, and committee leaders. In September, you will all see the results, which we believe will help us tell our story with greater confidence and consistency as we continue to grow our collective power. 

Women Funding Women 

At its core, WaWF is a collective of women funding women and girls in Washington State. We believe the wisdom, experience, and strength of women can break barriers, open opportunities, and create generational change. 

There is much to celebrate, and much more to do. As we look ahead to the Convening on September 11 at the University of Washington Intellectual House and our PopUP for Women & Girls event on December 9 at MOHAI, we are energized by the momentum building across our community. 

We invite you to be part of what comes next. Join us for our educational day, the Convening, on September 11 to learn, connect, and deepen our shared understanding of the issues shaping the lives of women and girls across Washington. Then help carry that energy forward by putting together a table for PopUP for Women & Girls on December 9, bringing friends, colleagues, and community members into this growing movement. 

Together, we are building a stronger, more connected foundation—and a more just, equitable, and thriving Washington for women and girls.