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Ms. Foundation For Women Inc

Annual Giving
$6.4M
Grant Range
$2K - $0.0M

Ms. Foundation For Women Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6,424,641 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: $2,000 - $35,000 (average $15,000)
  • Geographic Focus: United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories
  • Total Grantees: 200+ organizations (2023)

Contact Details

Overview

Founded in 1972 by Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Marlo Thomas, the Ms. Foundation for Women celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. Over five decades, the foundation has invested over $90 million in more than 1,600 grassroots organizations fighting for gender and racial justice nationwide. In 2023, the foundation launched a $100 million capital campaign, "Creating the Future We Deserve," building off a $50 million legacy gift. The foundation's strategic approach emphasizes providing general operating support to organizations led by and for women and girls of color, with 90% of their grantee portfolio comprised of such organizations. As Teresa C. Younger, President and CEO (who will step down in 2026 after 12 years), states: "Women of color can't be the new thing for one or two years. We need to truly invest in their leadership, give them the money to pay themselves and their teams and to do the work they want in their communities over time."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Ms. Foundation operates several targeted grantmaking initiatives:

  • Ms. South: Supports Women and Girls of Color (WGOC)-led organizations in 14 Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia). Organizations should have 75-100% of financial decision-makers as WGOC.

  • Ms. Midwest: Geographic priorities include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

  • Activist Collaboration & Care Fund: Launched in 2020 to deepen collaboration within and across movement building organizations, affirm organizations' need for healing and rest, and catalyze increased investment in social justice movements. Grant amounts: $15,000 - $25,000.

  • Birth Justice Initiative: $1 million investment supporting birth justice organizations, leaders, and movements across the spectrum of birth justice issue areas. Past grantees include Midwest Access Coalition, Chicago South Side Birth Center, Ttawaxt Birth Justice Center, and New Jersey's Birth from the Earth.

  • Girls of Color Initiative (GOCI): Provides grantmaking, leadership development, and capacity building resources supporting the advocacy and movement building of girls of color in the U.S. and its territories, prioritizing groups led by and/or centering adolescent girls of color.

  • Asian Women Giving Circle: Smaller project grants (up to $8,000) for Asian American women or gender-expansive people in NYC focused on arts and culture.

Most grants are awarded for general operating support, with the foundation increasingly offering two-year grants as a best practice.

Priority Areas

The foundation's grants enable organizations to advance women's grassroots solutions across race and class in three core areas:

  • Economic Justice: Women's economic development and security
  • Reproductive Justice: Comprehensive reproductive health, rights, and birth justice
  • Safety: Gender-based violence prevention and women's health

The foundation emphasizes supporting organizations led by trans women, cis women, and non-binary people who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).

What They Don't Fund

  • 501(c)(4) organizations
  • Organizations with annual budgets exceeding $10 million (for most programs; some initiatives have $2 million cap)
  • International organizations (focus is U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories only)
  • Organizations not meeting leadership diversity requirements (at least 50% of leadership must be trans women, cis women, and non-binary people who identify as BIPOC; some programs require 75-100%)
  • Individual projects (focus is on organizational general operating support)

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Teresa C. Younger (announced departure in 2026 after 12 years of leadership)

Recent Board Appointments (2024):

  • Kathy Ko Chin, CEO of Jasper Inclusion Advisors
  • Mary Kathryn Nagle, attorney and playwright
  • Dr. Renée T. White, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at The New School

Board Appointments (2020):

  • Candi Castleberry Singleton
  • Alex Busansky

Leadership Philosophy: Teresa C. Younger emphasizes that "the change we need to see in the world actually needs to come from the grassroots and those who are closest to the problems" and that "women have the answers to help them heal their communities, but they need the support to push back on systemic oppression." On leadership: "You're a leader for a reason, and you need to trust that you know how to lead. The strongest leaders I know are deeply in touch with themselves."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Ms. Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for funding. The foundation makes grants largely through targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to a limited number of applicants.

From time to time, the foundation launches open calls for proposals in specific grantmaking areas, which are posted on their website at forwomen.org/our-work/open-grants/.

For Organizations Interested in Funding:

  • Email grants@ms.foundation.org with questions or to express interest
  • Monitor the foundation's website for occasional open RFPs in specific program areas
  • Note that recent trends show the foundation focusing more on supporting existing grantee partners rather than issuing broad open calls

Application Format (when RFPs are issued): Typically consists of an online application form and uploading a single PDF document containing the proposal.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be a 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3)
  • At least 50% of leadership must include trans women, cis women, and non-binary people who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), where leadership includes executive director, management staff, advisory committee members, or governing boards
  • Majority of the organization's work should focus on issues impacting trans women, cis women, and non-binary people who identify as BIPOC
  • Annual budget typically must not exceed $10 million (some programs have $2 million cap)
  • Must be located in U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. territories

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available and vary by program and RFP.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly reported. However, the foundation maintains relationships with a relatively stable grantee portfolio and in 2022 supported more than 150 organizations with over $5.2 million, expanding to 200+ organizations in 2023 with $6.4 million.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented. Given the relationship-based and invitation-focused approach, reapplication opportunities would likely depend on specific program cycles and RFPs when issued.

Application Success Factors

Leadership and Demographics Are Critical: The foundation has explicit requirements about organizational leadership composition. Organizations must demonstrate that at least 50% (and for some programs 75-100%) of leadership includes women and non-binary people of color. This is not merely a preference but a threshold requirement.

General Operating Support Focus: The foundation strongly prefers to provide unrestricted general operating support rather than project-specific funding. As their materials emphasize, they believe in trusting grassroots leaders to know what their communities need.

Grassroots and Movement-Building Orientation: Successful grantees are explicitly described as grassroots organizations engaged in movement building. The foundation values organizations that are "closest to the problems" and advancing solutions from within affected communities.

Alignment with Core Issue Areas: Organizations should clearly demonstrate work in one or more of the three core areas: Economic Justice, Reproductive Justice, or Safety. Recent grantees include organizations like:

  • Adhikaar for Human Rights (engaging New York's Nepali community in human rights activism)
  • Native American Community Board (health and human rights for Indigenous groups)
  • Chicago South Side Birth Center (birth justice)
  • Midwest Access Coalition (reproductive access)

Collaboration and Care: For the Activist Collaboration & Care Fund specifically, the foundation looks for organizations committed to deepening collaboration within and across movements, and those that recognize the need for healing and rest among activists.

Two-Year Vision: The foundation aims to award two-year grants as a best practice, so organizations should be prepared to articulate multi-year vision and capacity.

Language and Values: Use language that reflects intersectional feminist values, centers women and girls of color, and emphasizes grassroots leadership. The foundation uses terms like "BIPOC," "trans women, cis women, and non-binary people," and "movement building."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is an invitation-based funder: Do not expect to submit an unsolicited proposal. Instead, email grants@ms.foundation.org to introduce your organization and monitor their website for occasional open RFPs.

  • Leadership composition is non-negotiable: Before pursuing this funder, verify that your organization meets the threshold requirements for leadership by women of color (50-75% depending on program).

  • Geographic alignment matters: Confirm your work is in their priority geographies (especially Ms. South or Ms. Midwest if applicable), though they do fund nationally.

  • Budget size is a factor: Organizations with budgets over $10 million are not eligible for most programs; some programs cap eligibility at $2 million.

  • General operating support is the model: Frame your case around organizational capacity and leadership rather than specific projects. The foundation trusts grassroots leaders to allocate resources where needed.

  • Long-term relationship building: With 90% of their portfolio being women of color-led organizations and a focus on multi-year grants to existing partners, this is a funder that values sustained relationships over one-off grants.

  • Movement-building orientation: Demonstrate how your work contributes to broader social justice movements for gender and racial justice, not just service delivery.

References

Research completed December 24, 2025

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