On May 17th, 2019 Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice announced the release of their top ten Feminist Funding Principles. The principles share what Astraea has learned over the last four decades about what it takes to support activists on the front lines to make enduring social change.
Similar to the Channel Foundation, Astraea believes the strongest approaches to achieving justice center the needs and visions of people who face multiple oppressions. Through grant making, capacity building, philanthropic advocacy, and media and communications, Astraea support’s brilliant and brave grassroots activists and artists who challenge oppression and seed social change.
Astraea sits at the nexus of more than 40 years of feminist grant making and movement building. The Feminist Funding Principles are an invitation to all funders and philanthropists to engage in a thoughtful rigorous practice that acknowledges the power of purposeful, feminist-led grant making. These principles can be applied across different organizational strategies, geographic priorities, and theories of change. In addition, they offer feminist-based recommendations and guidance to funders on holistic and sustainable ways to support their grantee partners.
The Channel Foundation is inspired by Feminist Funding Principles launch by Astraea (a fellow women’s fund and also a member of the Women’s Funding Network). Read the full report here.