Soft heart. Sharp mind. Unbreakable backbone. Women carry a rare balance of strength and care. The soft heart that checks on a neighbor, nurtures a child, and builds community; the sharp mind that leads organizations, shapes policy, and drives solutions; and the unbreakable backbone that keeps moving forward even when the weight of families, workplaces, and communities rests squarely on her shoulders. Women’s History Month invites us to reflect not only on the trailblazers who paved the way, but also on the responsibility we share today to build systems where women are supported, valued, and able to thrive. That’s why investing in women is not just the right thing to do, it’s essential to the health of our communities. When we support early childhood education, we strengthen families and give children the foundation they deserve. When we advance maternal health and birth equity, we ensure that every mother has the dignity, care, and safety she deserves during one of life’s most profound...

The Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative (ECEFC) is proud to announce our 2026 Early Care and Education (ECE) Grantee Partners This year, ECEFC is investing $305,000 across 11 organizations serving Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. These funds support advocacy organizations, grassroots partnerships, and coalition models working to strengthen the early childhood ecosystem across our region. Meet Our 2026 Grantee Partners: Together, this cohort reflects a powerful commitment to: Advancing pay equity and professional respect for early childhood educators Strengthening family child care and workforce sustainability Expanding...

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking about love in action. At Washington Area Women’s Foundation, love looks like investing in a girl’s idea to make positive change in her community. It looks like ensuring a young woman has access to education and economic opportunity. It looks like supporting a mother through a safe and equitable birthing experience. And it looks like resourcing women leaders to disrupt or change harmful systems. Love is equity that doesn’t begin at one moment in a woman’s life, but requires sustained investment at every stage. From early childhood education to entrepreneurship. From workforce pathways to leadership pipelines. From surviving to thriving. Love, in our work, is not sentimental. It means changing the conditions that have historically limited women and girls, especially women and girls of color in the Washington, DC region, from accessing power and prosperity.Love is philanthropy that moves beyond charity toward transformation. If we truly love...