Over the course of history, women have given generously of their time, talents and money to support others, but it wasn’t until the mid-twentieth century that women began to fund women.

While women worked tirelessly and fearlessly as the hands, feet and heart of the suffrage movement, its major funders were men. Women of high net-worth sat on the sidelines until the turn-of-the-century when a bold few stepped up to provide the final push for the vote - women like Eliza Eddy, who bequeathed two-thirds of her estate to women's suffrage, and Miriam Leslie, who left the bulk of her estate to Carrie Catt to further the cause. These represented the first and largest donations to the women's rights movement. Alva Vanderbilt and her daughter Consuela later took up the torch lit by these pioneers - giving office space, money and in-kind gifts to fuel the movement.

Despite early efforts, it would be the early 1970’s before major funding of women’s issues would begin, with The Ms. Foundation and The Astraea Foundation emerging as pioneers in bringing women donors together.

Today, women of high net worth are funding women in record numbers and at unprecedented levels. Together, they are leveraging their funds to support women and girls and create sustainable social change.