Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism

In overturning Roe v Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court stripped millions of people across the country of their reproductive rights and access to safe abortion without government interference. 50 years after Roe, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism continues to work, providing grants to organizations focused on mobilizing activists, helping people get the support & abortion care they need, & pursue legal action. Funders, here are three ways you can protect reproductive rights: https://lnkd.in/edV_i8vf ?? : Jane's Due Process

Read here how an online platform created by an Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism grantee launched a cascade of change in West Asia and North Africa. YES! Direct & flexible funding to southern-based feminist organizations is the best way to fight gender-based violence. #FundWhatWorks https://lnkd.in/eqkVuvdB

Urgent Action Fund is one of four sister funds. Our collective model of rapid response grantmaking protects & advances the civil, political and social rights of women and LGBTI people, and invests in social justice movements. https://lnkd.in/gCd4gYMt

Trust is the bedrock of transformative philanthropy. Quick, flexible funding from a trusted funder can be a lifeline for women and LGBTQ+ movements and activists who face direct threats to their safety and well-being. When we trust frontline feminist activists to identify their own priorities and respond with flexible, holistic funding they can use it to mobilize quickly to address urgent threats and strengthen feminist movements for long-term change. This approach is inherently feminist. It elevates the voices, lived experiences, and self-determination of those traditionally disempowered by philanthropic institutions. It redistributes agency, resources, and authority to communities spearheading movements for justice, equity, and liberation. For feminist movements, trust-based philanthropy: ?Devolves decision-making to movement leaders ?Replaces restrictions with transparency ?Prioritizes shared vision over top-down mandates To explore trust-based philanthropy further, watch The Chorus We Carry now. https://lnkd.in/eBqWbEVs

TRIGGER WARNING: violence towards the transgender community mentioned below. Between October 1, 2023, and September 20, 2024, Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU) reported that 350 trans and gender diverse people worldwide were murdered, though many cases remain unreported or misreported due to misgendering. These numbers demonstrate the highest death tolls since TGEU began collecting this data. This #TransgenderDayofRemembrance, we honor and recognize the courage our community displays to live so fully and in their truths. We honor their right to the most basic of human rights—the right to live, a right unjustly and cruelly denied to many. At Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, we support the safety and security of trans and gender diverse activists and movements through our grantmaking. From Russia to Lebanon to the United States and beyond, we are supporting transgender activists and organizations: ?? seeking asylum due to severe persecution in their home countries ?? working toward trans and gender diverse equity through education, networking, and advocacy in public and private spaces ?? advocating for the rights and wellbeing of transgender women at risk of physical attack from state and private agents ?? establishing safe travel plans, safety and security measures, trainings, and psychosocial support for its community members Our grants are a small act when resources are needed the most. We hope that by moving resources directly into the hands of trans and feminist movements, we will no longer be forced to hold a day of remembrance but instead a day to celebrate our community.

Despite being a crucial part of the broader struggle for gender equality, sex workers are often sidelined in feminist & human rights movements. Read the experience when sex workers demanded their rights in advocacy spaces like #WomenDeliver.#FundWhatWorks https://shorturl.at/Gizph

Check out the Realms of Kintsugi! This interactive virtual space was created by our sisters at Urgent Action Fund Asia and Pacific. It showcases the work, aspirations, and resistance of five artists from Asia and the Pacific. Meet Kenna, a non-binary artist, comedian, human rights activist, and feminist from Mongolia. They are on a quest to preserve the narratives of the marginalized, particularly the queer community and all genders oppressed in a society that is still entangled in homophobia and patriarchy. At present, their artistic focus embraces activism through diverse mediums, including installations, digital art, and experimental films, all striving to carve out space for reflection and commemoration. Explore Kenna’s work in the Realms of Kintsugi: https://lnkd.in/djgBrHTp

Gohar Shahnazaryan, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist activism advisor and long-time grantee, reflects on the journey of starting the Women’s Resource Center in Armenia, the challenges faced, including unjust treatment based on passport color in donor relationships and accusations of aligning with neoliberalism. Despite the difficulties, the center now operates as a feminist donor, prioritizing trust, care, and collective healing in partnerships and advocating for a critical understanding of power dynamics and social pressure. https://lnkd.in/eCRjn4ck

Thank you to The Bridgespan Group for mentioning Urgent Action Fund's work funding feminist movements in the fight on climate change. As always, we're pleased to work alongside such inspiring organizations as Global Greengrants Fund and MADRE. https://ed.gr/d6322

What is the importance of healing and collective care in our work, activism, and lives? At Urgent Action Fund, care is woven into every aspect of what we do. To us, care is revitalization for feminist movements. Care strengthens communities and builds trust. Care allows women, trans and non-binary defenders, to not only sustain their activism but ensure the well-being and safety of their communities. We want to highlight four books discussing care as resistance, love, and liberation. These incredible Black feminist authors share their stories and experiences and invite us to put ethics of love, care, and healing at the center of our movements and as the guideposts for transforming our world. Check out these books and dive into the world of collective care! 1. All About Love By: bell hooks 2. Rest is Resistance By: Tricia Hersey 3. Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care, and Safety By: Cara Page and Erica Woodland and Foreword By: Aurora Levins Morales 4. We Will Not Cancel Us By: adrienne maree brown