Though founded in 1996, the Women’s Fund really begins in 1993 when a coalition of women, led by Dr. Diane Brashear, began looking for ways to address, as they put it, “why many of our most critical problems fall hardest on women”.
Martha Lamkin was there. “We launched Women’s Fund with the conviction that all members of our community deserve full recognition,” she told us recently. “Moreover, policies that support women and girls benefit everyone—families, boys, men, and the common good.” To achieve their goal of creating better opportunities for women and girls, Martha said, Women’s Fund synthesized a “moral, financial, and active engagement of resources.” Women’s Fund of Central Indiana would be the first such organization in the state, and it would join a global movement to put more resources in the hands of women.
When the Going Gets Tough…
Thanks to founding mothers like Martha, we now have three decades of tremendous progress made over the full lifespan of Women’s Fund. That legacy puts us in good standing during moments of trial.
In fact, it is only because of our history that Women’s Fund is able to embark on a bold new direction for 2026 and beyond.
“It is long past time for the world to recognize the transformative power of women’s philanthropy,” said Women’s Fund president Tamara Winfrey-Harris. “We are
exceptional at making a way out of no way. But with the coming wealth transfer, our resources can align with our will. I can’t wait to see what women do.”
This evolution for Women’s Fund centers on a significant shift in both fundraising and grantmaking.
Where previously we relied mainly on our endowment to make grants, Women’s Fund will be seeking larger, multi-year commitments from individual donors and institutional funders for grantmaking. That leads to more direct funding for groups working on behalf of women and girls.
If you’ve read this issue’s cover story, you’ll be familiar with predictions that women will be the primary inheritors of the Great Wealth Transfer. This phenomenon puts us in mind of an observation made by Women’s Fund in our inaugural study of Hoosier women’s outcomes—On Shaky Ground:
“At a time when the financial capacity of women is growing so dramatically, the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana provides a bridge between need and ability.”
Why was our financial capacity growing so dramatically in the 1990s? Well, speaking of thirtieth anniversaries, the working group Diane formed in 1993 was assembled thirty years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. That legislation kicked off a three- decade run of growing equity in women’s pay and social autonomy. In part, this is what helped to establish organizations like ours.
While we aren’t relying on predictions, the Great Wealth Transfer at least has the potential to kickstart another funding movement fronted by women.
What is certain is that women find themselves in an era of change. Consequently, the ambitions of the Women’s Fund have expanded to meet the moment. Our organization is working to grant more than $1 million into the community annually, essentially doubling total grant amounts in previous years.
When needs abound, we don’t sit on our assets. By strategically drawing on our endowment to fund our new ambition, the Women’s Fund advisory board have
embraced the challenge of this moment.
We are asking donors to adopt the same spirit of trust and abundance in making unrestricted, multi-year contributions.
As Founding Mother Martha Lamkin put it: “Building on the hard work and accomplishments of the past, the coming Great Wealth Transfer can empower the Women’s Fund to lead further advancements in women’s health, safety, and financial stability.”
…The Tough Start Giving
Like all our Founding Mothers, current leadership at Women’s Fund acknowledges that too many of the challenges women face stem from too few women shaping the political and professional world we live in. How can philanthropy bypass these obstacles without waiting on favorable election cycles or business trends?
First, we democratize philanthropy, similar to innovations pioneered by the first Women’s Funding Movement. As stated in the recent history of the era, Uprising of Women in Philanthropy, “Women of all levels of means must be literally invested financially in gender equity movements for the movements to fully succeed.”
That principle motivated our new Women in Health Giving Collaborative Fund, where granted funds are voted on by donors operating in healthcare. From those giving $5 to those giving $50,000, every woman has an opportunity to cast an equal vote to decide grantee partners.
Second, in such a fast-paced world philanthropy must be nimble. By raising more dollars for direct grantmaking, the Women’s Fund is positioning itself to respond to sudden crises, especially those that block access to healthcare, childcare, and housing.
That’s why Women’s Fund will provide more vehicles for giving, including multi-year gifts, donor-advised funds, named endowed funds, and more grantmaking pools like Women in Health. More choices at more giving levels can inspire a more economically diverse base of donors.
And we’ll have more big news to announce in the coming year. As we look forward to a jam-packed anniversary in 2026, the Women’s Fund plans to highlight not only the wisdom of our founding mothers, but also the innovative way we can harness that wisdom in a fast-changing world.
Martha Lamkin: “I’m grateful for the opportunity of helping to found the Women’s Fund 30 years ago. That was exciting. Seeing the potential for its next 30 years is truly exhilarating!”
This article was published within the August 2025 issue of the Women’s Fund’s Diane magazine.
