20 May 2009

Recognize an Outrageous Original: Gloria Steinem

As the Ms. Foundation for Women recognizes Gloria Steinem’s 75th birthday on May 21, we ask you to make a contribution in her honor. Help the Ms. Foundation further her legacy of building grassroots action.

Read Gloria’s words (our emphasis added) from her letter to attendees at the Women of Vision Awards:
The Ms. Foundation has grown to a staff of 35 whose President, Sara Gould, is a national pioneer of women’s economic development. It has also grown thanks to the expert help of 15 board members, including men who not only care about wives and daughters, but understand that there is no such thing as democracy without feminism. It has inspired the spread of local women’s funds across this country and in other countries, and earned the support of individuals and foundations by multiplying the human benefits of every dollar given.

Yet Ms. has never sugar-coated the fact that having greatly increased the amount of charitable dollars going to projects for women and girls still leaves this sum at less than ten percent of corporate, foundation and individual giving. Most important, it has never lost its personal link with the diversity of women and girls on the ground who know best what they need, and are infinitely creative about how to achieve it.

I think that, for all of us, this is the best gift: Ms. has kept its spirit, its soul, and its ability to link rather than rank; a rare thing as institutions grow. Ms. has successfully made the journey from a dream with only money enough to last a few months to a reliable, deeply-rooted, transforming source of energy that we can include in our wills and bequests with confidence.
Make a gift to help further Gloria’s legacy.

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