The New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF) held two events in New York City, a gathering at the Ford Foundation for an in-person and virtual release of the findings from the first phase of the NYC Fund for Girls and Young Women of Color (GYWOC), which also welcomed new grantee partners focused on supporting the mental health of girls, young women and gender expansive youth of color throughout New York City.

In addition, members of the NYWF community gathered to celebrate Women’s History Month alongside host, the Shah Garg Foundation. Together, the Foundations immersed themselves in the Making Their Mark exhibition, a curated display featuring the works of over eighty artists from the Shah Garg Collection.

The first fund of its kind in the United States, the NYC Fund for Girls and Young Women of Color (GYWOC) is a collaborative effort that brings together a growing group of diverse philanthropic funders to promote the progress of young women of color whose ambitions, voice, capacities and identities have long been dismissed or derailed. Started in 2015, The Fund envisions a creating a city that offers every opportunity for all girls and young women of color, to succeed economically and socially by offering meaningful and holistic support to organizations and programs led by and for young women and TGNC youth of color.  

When this Fund was established in 2015, the creators did not imagine the changes which would shake the United States and the rest of the world. Over the past decade the world experienced some dramatic events that included the election of a conservative government, racial reckonings, and the COVID-19 pandemic. During all these events, this overlooked population needed support and investment more than ever. Having The Fund meant, the ability to agilely support the organizations that provided strong leadership opportunities for girls, young women and youth of color and those which had a focus on collective advocacy for policy change. Moreover, the New York Women’s Foundation could use its participatory grantmaking approach to enable the Fund to create spaces for collaboration and shared learnings across organizations.

This week, members of our community gathered to celebrate Women’s History Month alongside our gracious host, the Shah Garg Foundation, and our partner Women of Culture. Together, we immersed ourselves in the Making Their Mark exhibition, a curated display featuring the works of over eighty artists from the Shah Garg Collection.

The evening was infused with the power of art and the spirit of solidarity as we came together to honor the incredible women artists whose work resonates deeply with social justice issues. In the words of Susan Sawyers, whose inspiration fueled this unforgettable event:

"Art helps us connect across cultural differences, across generations, but also with ourselves so that we can better understand our shared values. This idea is consistent with The New York Women’s Foundation’s core belief that grantee partners have the ability to advocate and implement their own visions for the communities and society. Artists do too!"

About The New York Women’s Foundation:

The New York Women’s Foundation creates an equitable and just future for women, girls, gender-expansive individuals and their families by investing in bold, community-led solutions to ignite action for gender, economic, and racial justice.  Since 1987, The Foundation has invested $125 million in 500+ organizations, creating a vibrant community of grantees, philanthropists, advocates, innovators, and change-makers.