Feminism, Foundations, and Social Change: Understanding Women’s Philanthropic Nonprofits

Abstract

It is crucial to understand the role of feminism in addressing social issues, particularly with the prevalence of feminist causes today. This necessitates examining feminist organizations within public administration that strive toward equity, and gender and social equality. It is also crucial to understand those institutions that have influence and resources to invest in social change. The intersection of these topics is found in women’s grantmaking foundations and funds (WFFs). This research explores how these organizations are 21st-century feminist organizations, the type of feminism they embody, and their role in—and contribution to—social change. Feminist organizations aim to advance gender, social equality, and equity despite being overlooked in public administration, philanthropy, and nonprofit literature. This research utilizes an exploratory and descriptive design to shed light on the current state of feminist organizations and foundations in public administration, filling critical knowledge gaps.

Keywords

• feminism
• feminist organizations
• women's philanthropy
• social change
• social equity