WDNAction

WHAT WE DID

Identified power-building organizations and vetted programs for grant recommendations.
Advised WDN Action Board on how to distribute grants

OVERVIEW

WDN Action is a national network of women dedicated to progressive causes such as voter rights, sustainability, and equality for everyone in the country. Their goal is to build power for women and other under-represented groups by building a conglomerate of feminist donors. In a political landscape that in many ways is a fundraising competition, WDN wants to level the playing field by ensuring that women are using their spending power so their impact on elections will be felt.

CHALLENGE

Through WDN Action’s work, they were able to raise $8.6 million in funds for progressive groups ahead of the 2022 midterms. It was crucial that they were able to distribute those funds early enough in the election cycle that they would have the greatest impact, while still going to a diverse group of organizations that would engage with under-represented groups.

SOLUTION

We prioritized areas with the most contested elections such as Georgia and Nevada, donating to organizations with a focus on engaging with voters such as NextGen America, which provides advocacy training for young voters. We also partnered with them on their WDN Action Program, as our founder and CEO, Katrina Gamble, spoke on panels with leaders of WDN and other organizations.

RESULTS

$8.6m

WDN Action allocated $8.6 million to 67 organizations in 13 states from out support.

Through our support, WDN Action was able to allocate $8.6 million to 67 organizations in 13 states. These included organizations in highly contested swing states like Georgia, and others where they’re battling voter suppression and laying the groundwork long-term in states with a lot of electoral power like Texas. We ensured that there was a substantial focus on organizations representing racial minority groups by allocating 91% of funds granted by WDN Action to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations and 70% to BIPOC women-led organizations.

“The depth of knowledge (current and historical) that Sojourn Strategies brings is top notch. Katrina is able to create a compelling narrative based on experience, knowledge, and relationships, and to write various reports and updates to ensure that interested funders had the information needed to fill funding gaps.”