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“We’re doubling down on what we know to be true – that there is no collective liberation without gender justice.”

With passion and purpose, the 2024-25 Giving Project cohort mobilized half a million dollars for BIPOC-led organizations fighting for gender justice in our region. Thanks to the dedication of the 20 community members in this year’s cohort, Headwaters is resourcing 12 organizations across the region building power to end patriarchy, transphobia, and homophobia, and to create a world free from misogyny. 

This year, cohort participants raised over $250,000 from their communities through grassroots donor organizing. Combined with a matching contribution from Headwaters, the 2025 Giving Project will provide each organization with a two-year, unrestricted grant totaling $40,000. 

Doubling Down on Gender Justice

This year’s Giving Project was organized around the theme of gender justice. Over the course of the six-month program, the cohort built an understanding of gender justice as an intersectional and expansive struggle that centers those most impacted by various, often compounding, forms of gender-based oppression.  

Sierra Judy, Headwaters’ Giving Project Program Officer, explains the decision to focus on gender justice as this year’s Giving Project theme: “The focus on gender justice as a funding priority was set a year ago. In choosing this theme, we were doubling down on what we already knew to be true: that there is no collective liberation without gender justice.” 

When this year’s cohort first met in September of 2024, they didn’t yet know how pressing this Giving Project’s focus would become. With the Trump administration’s attacks on transgender people’s self-determination, access to healthcare, and legal recognition, alongside an increasingly hostile environment for reproductive healthcare, the fight for gender justice has taken on increasing urgency. 

“All of the cohort members came into the program with a commitment to gender justice,” explains Judy, “As our political environment has continued to shift and become more hostile to issues of gender justice, that commitment only deepened—it fueled their fire.” 

Bilal Alkatout, Headwaters’ Co-Executive Director, echoes Judy’s praise for the cohort’s focus in this moment: “At a time when the right is positioning gender self-determination as a political wedge issue and many supposedly progressive institutions are shying away from full-throated support of gender justice, this cohort stepped up. Headwaters is proud to reinforce organizing throughout Minnesota that advances gender-justice, thanks to this cohort’s fierce donor organizing.” 

Introducing the 2025 Giving Project Grantees

Headwaters is honored to welcome the following 12 organizations into our grantee community, thanks to the stewardship of the 2024-25 Giving Project cohort. We invite you to take the time to learn more about each of these impressive organizations fighting for gender justice throughout Minnesota.  

From Minneapolis to Moorhead, recently founded to long-standing, cultural organizing to systems change work, each of these organizations embodies a deep care for their communities, a commitment to the sustainability of our movements, and vision of collective liberation rooted in ending gender-based oppression. 

“What excites me about the list of gender justice organizations is that it’s not one size fits all,” shares Chris Olson, Giving Project Development Officer, “This $500,000 is going out across the state to bolster so many pockets of justice and resistance work. There’s more variety than even I could have imagined.”  

With deep care and intentionality, the 2024-5 Giving Project cohort selected the following 12 organizations to receive $40,000 grants ($20,000 each year for two years): 

Each of these organizations works to dismantle gender-based oppression while advancing collective liberation across diverse communities and movements. 

“There’s an exciting mix of strategies that we’re seeing in terms of how organizations are supporting gender justice,” explains Angela Kunkel-Linares, Program Coordinator for the Giving Project, “From countering patriarchy through relational skills to driving high-level systems change, their work intersects with immigration justice, housing justice, environmental justice, health justice, and more.” 

In addition to the 12 organizations named above, Headwaters recognizes the two finalist organizations that received site visits but were not ultimately selected to receive the Giving Project grant. These two organizations will each receive a one-time $10,000 payment in honor of their time and effort. 

Celebrating the 2024-2025 Giving Project Cohort Members

This year’s intentionally multiracial, cross-class, and multi-generational cohort consisted of 20 incredibly dedicated people. Each participant brought a unique perspective to gender justice, worked with one another to build on their political education, collectively donor organized $250,000, and gave every grant application the deep consideration and care it deserved. 

“Cohort members knew coming into this super intersectional, multi-generational, cross-class, cross-race space, that they were going to be expected to push themselves into more liberatory ways of being. I think this group was incredibly special,” explains Judy, “They were the right group at the right time.” 

Please join us in celebrating this year’s incredible cohort members: 

• Ahmed Makaraan 
• Andi Snow 
• Anna Lifson 
• Bridget O’Connor 
• Caspian Wirth-Petrik 
• Chetna Tandon 
• Claire Mathews-Lingen 
• Comfort Dondo 
• Destiny Showers 
• Ellie Benson 
• Etan Newman 
• Jacob Molho 
• Latosha Cox 
• Lily Vue 
• Madeline Hodapp 
• Matuor Alier 
• Molly Dubois 
• Nancy Vue Tran 
• Nelle Rivers 
• Rosalva Hernandez 

Looking Ahead to the next Giving Project

Moving forward, the Headwaters Giving Project will run every other year. We are already looking ahead to the next Giving Project, which will kick off in 2026! 

The Giving Project continues to be one of our most impactful programs for community leaders, advocates, and volunteers to learn the ins and outs of community grantmaking. If you are interested in staying in touch for our next Giving Project, please fill out our interest form!