#9/25 Gender Equality

Hello Everyone,

Recently I received some feedback on this newsletter from Miriam, who helps women affected by violence in rural Schleswig-Holstein. She reported on a foundation that insists that Miriam's association should seek state funding - claiming it is not their job to provide long-term financing.

Almost daily, I receive mail from dedicated people. I rarely know much about their fields of work, and even less often can I help. But this email triggered something in me. Because I hear this justification too often to let it stand.

You see, it is not a state failure when private funds are needed. Rather, it is normal for an open, solidary society. And where these billions are hiding (spoiler: not in foundations), I also just explained that at TEDx Berlin and re:publica25 (video).

I immediately sent Miriam a small amount from my digital FOFoundation. But that doesn't do much. It would help her much more if I made my support public. Which is what I am doing here.

With this, I am starting a series: topic by topic, I will speak with experts and list organizations that I encounter. This is not a "Felix stamp of approval." But perhaps useful inspiration.

And why start with women and gender equality? Because many organizations in this field are currently suffering particularly from the withdrawal of state funds and a public discourse in which white men (well, well!) celebrate the macho backlash and the bro-conomy with applause.

No matter how you look at it, you can get involved: discuss on social media or simply support directly through my FOFoundation or the organizations themselves.

Sincerely, Yours

Exclusive Invitation: "Women's Billions for Billions of Women?"

Fitting the topic of gender equality, I will be speaking on June 10th at 6:00 PM at the Q Club Berlin (Friedrichstraße 101) with Kristina Lunz (Center for Feminist Foreign Policy), Janina Breitling (nookees, podcast "Das Neue Geben") and Andreas Rickert (Phineo) about why "Das Neue Geben" (The New Giving) is being driven more by women worldwide.

Will you be there? Then just write a short message to hallo@bcause.com and I will send you a ticket. I look forward to it!

My List for Gender Equality More than one in three women experiences violence. Very few victims speak as openly about it as Tanya Selvaratnam, whose talk at TEDx Berlin deeply impressed me. Furthermore, almost every woman is affected by professional disadvantages. And for gender-related minorities, it is often even infinitely harder.

Contrast that with another number: 0.42%. That is how much (little) of the funding from foundations worldwide goes to organizations that promote women's rights. Funding for people who look different or love differently is so low that it cannot even be measured.

The gender pay gap is well-documented. This Gender Philanthropy Gap is not. Internationally, this might be changing right now with the funding initiatives of MacKenzie Scott and Melinda Gates. Where we stand in Germany regarding this and why promoting gender equality is not a niche but a cross-cutting task is described by Karin Heisecke and Loubna Messaoudi on the bcause blog here.

1. The first point of contact for this in Germany is the filia.die frauenstiftung, founded by Ise Bosch, which is why I also included this organization first in the current focus of my FOFoundation. For 25 years, women have been funding together here, worldwide and for a few years now also with the support of a girls' advisory council.

2. Also long-established is Medica Mondiale, founded by gynecologist and 2008 Right Livelihood Award recipient Monika Hauser, to provide medical and psychological support to war-traumatized women. Today, the organization works worldwide against sexualized violence in conflict.

3. It is very difficult to get donations into countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. The human rights association HAWAR.help and its founder Düzen Tekkal carry out human rights work for those affected on the ground and also work on peace policy in Germany.

4. At the root of the issue is FAIR SHARE of Women Leaders: getting more women into leadership positions in NGOs and foundations is crucial for true equality. During my time in the foundation sector, I experienced how much remains to be done here.

5. Anyone interested in feminist and general gender work encounters almost only women. This made my meeting with Tomasz Pruszynski all the more impressive. He introduced himself to me in April at the Ashoka Visionary Program in Vienna: as a sea captain, as the founder of the Captain Nemo Foundation and as... someone who used to beat women. His foundation has nothing to do with the oceans; it helps women find their way out of women's shelters and into a life somewhere else. Because that is where assistance ends in Poland (and here too), causing many women to return to danger. Women's shelters all over Poland work with his foundation, which achieves a lot with little money through direct cash support and in-kind donations from companies.

6. My podcast co-host Janina Breitling recently spoke impressively and urgently on the podcast about the plight of girls who face exclusion and life-threatening danger during their periods. With nookees, she manufactures sustainable period underwear. This works as a business but is also flanked by the nookees foundation, which provides support where support is needed for those menstruating who cannot afford it.

7. The same problem is addressed by WASH United, since every year millions of girls in the Global South leave school when they reach puberty. The organization spreads menstrual hygiene education through over 600 organizations and also helps them influence government action more effectively.

So, that is the list of organizations that have impressed me with their work recently. What do you think? I look forward to additions, preferably directly on LinkedIn or Instagram or as a comment with a donation to or via my FOFoundation on bcause.

And now I have a special offer for all newsletter readers: You donate any amount to my FOFoundation and decide which organization I should support with 100 euros. You can easily note this in a comment with your donation.

A Person Who Inspires Me: Ise Bosch

“Why didn't we have ten more years?” asks Ise Bosch, looking at the progress of the LGBTQIA movement before the pandemic. How the philanthropy of the Bosch heiress continues to mobilize other companions today in the era of the polycrisis and the macho renaissance is what she discusses with us in Episode #44 “Queer Pride instead of Donor Pride”, which we have been looking forward to since the start of our podcast.

For everyone who wants to benefit from Ise's experience and analysis, we have made Ise Bosch's list "Gender Diversity and BiPoC" available on bcause - featuring a selection of the organizations she supports and recommends.

Here are also the links to Ise's books “Geben mit Vertrauen” (Giving with Trust, 2018) and “Besser Spenden! Ein Leitfaden für nachhaltiges Engagement” (Better Giving! A Guide to Sustainable Engagement, 2021).

And anyone who wants to participate can do so as an “heiress affected by wealth” through the heiresses' network Pecunia, as a donor or founder via filia.die frauenstiftung, or with a donation to the Astraea Foundation.

An Idea to Ponder: Venture Capital for Women

If only 2% of venture capital goes to female founders, and if they align more strongly with impact and are also entrepreneurially more successful in the long term, then this must be the most obvious impact opportunity of all time. I have found this argument convincing since the first time I heard it.

Fortunately, there are more and more female business angels and investors. We spoke with Verena Pausder and Katja Ruhnke in two podcast episodes - today they are leading the Startup Association and the Business Angel Association. Our podcast is a real career springboard :-).

But a specialized fund did not exist until now. That is why I was pleased when I encountered the “Female Catalyst Fund” AUXXO. The team of women invests exclusively in founding teams with at least one woman. First investments have already been made.

As with similar closed-end funds, you can only participate in AUXXO as an investor with a six-figure minimum amount. If you cannot or do not want to do that, you now have an alternative: with the balance in the bcause foundation account, you can co-finance the fund with any small amount. Returns at the end of the term then land back in the foundation account and can be reinvested or donated. A fund participation entirely without contracts and paperwork, but with the tax advantage of a donation.

And of course, meaningful financing of female entrepreneurship is not only available on bcause. For many years now, I have been using Kiva, the first microcredit platform where you can specifically support individual projects. The donation is repeatedly allocated on a rotating basis, which happens automatically or by choosing individual women (or men) with their projects all over the world. There are few nicer emails than those from Kiva announcing the repayment of a microloan (often just €20) and giving me the opportunity to keep the money working.