Who We Are

The Women’s Foundation of the South (WFS) is a public foundation led by and working for womxn* and girls of color (WGOC) in the Southern United States

We raise money and invest it in nonprofits and businesses across 13 states as the only permanent foundation dedicated to centering and investing in the collective health, wealth, and power of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian womxn and girls across the entire American South.

We invest in womxn of color (WOC) because we know that when WOC-led organizations and businesses are well capitalized, they facilitate more just policies, hire more people of color, generate wealth in their communities, conduct relevant and effective programs as well as create the conditions necessary for everyone to prosper.
*use of “womxn” includes trans womxn and gender non-conforming people
Image
Image
Image

WHY WE EXIST

When womxn of color are successful, the entire community thrives. Yet, Southern states consistently fall below the national average in outcomes for womxn in areas like health, legal protection, and economic security.

Womxn of Color (WOC) in the South are more likely to have incomes below the federal poverty line, significantly higher maternal mortality and morbidity rates, are less likely to have access to caring, high-quality healthcare and health insurance, or have legal protection from domestic violence, reproductive injustice, and employment discrimination.
Census statistics project that the United States will have a “minority white” population by 2045. This means that current racial minorities (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian people of color) will be the primary demographic engine of the nation’s future growth. Data also predict that womxn of color will be the majority of all womxn in the United States by 2060. We see glimpses of these shifts right now in the American South, where over half of the country’s Black population resides. If current outcomes experienced by people of color in Southern communities serve a bellwether of what we can expect for the country within a generation, then the very future of America is in danger. Simply put, what happens in the South is the predictor of the future success of the country. When we disconnect our most marginalized communities from prosperity, we cap the economic and political potential of the entire country.
Image
Image
Image
Image

Our Approach

An investment in womxn and girls of color in the South is the surest way to change their lives and the future direction of our country. The time to invest in the outcomes we want is now.

Philanthropy is poised to lead by elevating innovation and best practices and investing in the people and organizations working to create and replicate transformational change. Yet, despite its charitable intentions, legacy philanthropy often causes further harm by limiting investments, access to power, and opportunities for organizations led by people of color, especially womxn of color.

Therefore, WFS is writing the next chapter for womxn and girls of color (WGOC) in the South. We believe that solutions are often held by those closest to impacts of the problem. By transforming the way philanthropy prioritizes its funding, we invest in the health, wealth, and power of Southern WGOC.

By 2026, WFS will serve the thirteen states of the American South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.