We Need Bold, Creative, and Brilliant Action

Greetings,

There are days when I am scared. There are days when I am angry. And there are days, more than I’d like to admit, when I feel both so deeply that it’s hard to move at all. But, I do move through it. I move through the grief, the exhaustion, and the rage because I know I’m not alone —  And because I believe too much in what we’re building together to stop now.

Maybe you’ve felt it too, the weight of it. The ache of watching the world turn away from what’s just and true. But you’re still here. You’re still reading this. So I know you feel the pull of purpose too.

At the Boston Women’s Fund, we are holding all of that and moving anyway. We are resourcing leaders who are steady in uncertainty, respond to harm with care, and continue to build, even when the ground beneath them shifts.

We are also making space to listen. In a few weeks, we’ll gather for our research unveiling event — a moment that brings lived experience and data into the same room. But, this isn’t just a presentation. This is a call to action to Greater Boston. A chance to reflect and respond. To stop describing the barriers we already know too well, and start dismantling them — together.

In this newsletter, you’ll read stories about youth leaders shifting how we define leadership, about grantee partners investing in community wellness, and from our team as we reflect on how to resource justice with greater creativity and care. You’ll also find ways to take action — because this work isn’t a spectator sport.

If you, too, are carrying grief and still choosing to build, I invite you to act. Now’s the time to fund what you believe in, with a partner who shares your values and knows how to move resources where they matter most.

In Solidarity,

Natanja Craig Oquendo

Chief Executive Officer



GROWUP LeadHership

Summer 2025 Update

Over the last six months, GROWUP LeadHership moved from spring skill-building into a focused summer intensive that centered  wellness and real-world practice. Leaders refined a shared definition of health and wellness, met with mentors, and took part in "She Inspires,” a series of candid conversations with women and gender-expansive leaders about healing, work, and advocacy. This arc paired learning with belonging, including financial coaching, women’s health education, and trauma-informed wellness, plus space to practice leadership in community.

Alongside the summer sessions, our youth leaders took part in a grantmaking track modeled after our Allocations Committee participatory grantmaking process. They built values-based grant criteria, sent out RFCs (Requests for Conversations) to aligned groups, reviewed organization profiles, and used a consensus decision-making model to make the final grant allocation. By the end of June, GROWUP youth leaders moved $30,000 toward youth-centered community care, including a $25,000 Youth-Centered Movement Building grant to For Black Girls Inc., a nonprofit providing holistic support for Black girls and women through education, literacy, the arts, community, and advocacy, with an explicitly inclusive approach to gender.

BWF sends a huge thank you to this year’s cohort and much gratitude for how young people aren’t just tomorrow’s leaders, they’re driving change today.

Meet Our New Grantee Partner:

For Black Girls Inc.

This summer, with the leadership of GROWUP youth participants, we welcomed For Black Girls Inc. into the BWF community and awarded the organization a $25,000 Youth-Centered Movement Building & Activism grant for their outstanding dedication to the health and wellness of BIPOC girls and gender-expansive youth in Greater Boston.

For Black Girls uses education, literacy, arts, community, and advocacy to uplift Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth. They provide holistic services that address their diverse needs, cultivate a lifelong network of support, and dismantle barriers to equity and opportunity.

“For Black Girls Inc. was a living embodiment of the values this GROWUP cohort named as their priority: wellness of body, mind, and spirit. A wellness that focused on addressing and carving out a space of respite and play. For Black Girls’ approach to youth development is truly centered on the living needs and dreams of the girls and gender-expansive youth involved.”

— Sumaya Mohammed Ibrahim,

BWF Strategic Projects and Executive Manager

Founded in 2018, For Black Girls is building a “comprehensive support system, tailored to individual aspirations and ambitions, fostering a vibrant, inclusive community that uplifts and empowers Black girls and women of color to lead with confidence and pride.” Learn more about their programming and how you can get involved at forblackgirls.com!

There are just a few spots left for the Research Unveiling and Dialogue Event, presented by Boston Women’s Fund and UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy with support from YW Boston! Join us as we discuss our research effort on the well-being of BIPOC women leaders in the grassroots ecosystem and recommendations to sustain their leadership, before it’s released to the public. Our panel discussion, moderated by Natanja Craig Oquendo, BWF Chief Executive Officer, focused on the implications of these findings and actions we can take in the future will bring together leaders driving change for BIPOC women and girls, including —



• Dr. Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, Director for the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at UMass Boston & one of our research partners
• Aba Taylor, President & CEO of YW Boston
• Diana Hwang, Founder & Executive Director of Asian American Women’s Political Initiative

While the headlines cycle and elected officials waffle, our grantee partners are out there doing the work. They are training AAPI women to run for office in systems not built for them, supporting Black elders living at the edge of the poverty line, walking with young people through housing instability, and defending immigrant rights in an increasingly hostile climate.

They haven’t stopped, and we won’t either. But this work doesn’t sustain itself. Don’t wait until year-end. Across our sector, hundreds of layoffs and sudden closures show us that the safety net is fraying fast, yet grassroots leaders are still carrying their communities forward.

You’re reading this because you already know the power of grassroots leadership. You already believe in the vision of women and gender-expansive leaders. Now is the time to fund what you believe in.

Attend Sisters Unchained Film Screening & Discussion

We’re kicking off our 10-year anniversary year with a neighborhood screening of “DAUGHTERS” — a tender doc following four girls preparing for a daddy-daughter dance with their fathers inside a D.C. jail (Sundance U.S. Doc Audience Award). In a country where 2.7M children have a parent behind bars, we’re building safety through relationships, housing, income, and community care — not cages. Join us TODAY at 6:00 pm at the Wenham Street Cinema! This event is free and open to the public. Register now at this link.

Attend For Black Girls’ RADIANCE REDUX Fundraiser Event

Join us on Saturday, September 27, from 11:00 am - 5:30 pm at Credo Beauty for a beauty and self-care fundraiser! RADIANCE is more than a beauty event — it’s a movement. Every product purchased, every scent explored, and every conversation shared contributes to a greater mission of equity, empowerment, and advocacy for Black women and girls. Enjoy rosé, prosecco, mini facials, and product demos while supporting the next generation of leaders! Get your tickets at this link for $50 — the cost of sponsoring one slot in our LeadHers in Bloom program, empowering teen girls of color to thrive all school year long.

Join Melanin Mass Moms’ Fall Flannel Walk

Join Melanin Mass Moms for a cozy Fall Flannel Walk at D.W. Field Park in Brockton! Bring the family for a scenic stroll, donuts, and cider! This is the perfect chance to connect with other moms and families; let the kiddos run, play, and interact; and build community while soaking up fall vibes. Register for free at this link.

Save The Date: Love Your Magic’s State of Our Girls

Save the date for Saturday, October 18, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for Love Your Magic’s in-person State of Our Girls convening at the Howard Thurman Center in Brookline, MA. The State of Our Girls is a space where Black and Brown girls share their truths, and caregivers, educators, and community leaders commit to reflection and collective action for their well-being. Join us for a powerful morning of uplifting the voices, dreams, and well-being of Black and Brown girls. Save the date and join the movement.

Join SPACE’s 26th Annual 5K for Autism

Join us on Sunday, October 26, at 9:00 am at the Natick High School to lace up, show up, and run, walk, or cheer! Want to run with SPACE? You’ll get a free t-shirt, food, and a fun time! Register or donate at this link.

WE'RE READING

“The Night Ends with Fire” by K.X. Song



“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler

WE'RE WATCHING

“The Morning Show” on Apple TV



“Join or Die” Documentary on Netflix

WE'RE LISTENING TO

“Gigi Perez - Sailor Song” episode of the Song Exploder podcast

“Nice To Each Other” by Olivia Dean

*Disclaimer: The above media do not reflect the views of Boston Women's Fund and are not endorsed by Boston Women's Fund. These are the items our board and staff are currently engaging with to further their learning and/or rest and find joy.