Happy Mwende Kinyili on Building a Global, Grassroots Feminist Movement

What happens when $2.83 billion disappears from women's rights funding globally? Conversely, what is possible when donors break out of traditional silos to work collaboratively with the goal of abundance and liberation for all? Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette talk with Happy Mwende Kinyili, co-executive director of global feminist fund Mama Cash to explore this unprecedented crisis — and discover surprising reasons for hope.

Happy shares powerful stories from Kenya to Argentina, explaining how participatory grantmaking creates lasting change and why "the people who've gotten us into this mess aren't going to get us out of it." For donors feeling overwhelmed by massive global needs or the frustrating retrenchments of recent years, Happy offers their own mother's wisdom: "Don't try to do everything, do something." Learn how small actions can have huge impact, why trust-based philanthropy works, and how co-leadership models are reshaping organizations.

Additional Resources

Mama Cash

Green Girls Platform

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Urgent Action Fund

Mark Suzman on the Giving Done Right Podcast

CEP’s Three Year Study on the Impact of MacKenzie Scott’s Large, Unrestricted Gifts