Celebrating Women’s History Month: 8 Women Making History

Who are the women—past and present, known and unknown—moving the needle and making waves in the nonprofit sector? This month, in celebration of “Women’s History Month” we are highlighting eight influential females that have shifted thinking, made tremendous strides, and continue to push the industry forward. From transformative philanthropy to extraordinary leadership as nonprofit founders and executives, these women have shaped the nonprofit sector.

1. MacKenzie Scott (1970- )— MacKenzie Scott is an author, philanthropist, and one of  TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Scott is the founder of Bystander Revolution, an organization dedicated to stopping cyberbullying through crowdsourced stories and education. Formerly married to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Scott pledged to donate at least 50 percent of her nearly $60 billion net worth to charity via the Giving Pledge. In 2020 alone, she donated almost $6 billion to charitable causes, making history as one of the biggest annual distributions by a living individual ever. Her philanthropic focuses are democracy, education, racial equality, LGBTQ+ and gender equality, and climate change. 

2. Tina Tchen (1956- )— Tina Tchen is a Chinese-American lawyer, activist, and leader and the current CEO of Time’s Up. She has made a name for herself in the legal system fighting against sexual harassment, gender inequity, and issues of workplace diversity and inclusion. She was formerly the Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, and under the Obama Administration, she served as Assistant to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. Tchen was also the Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. In 2018, Tchen co-founded and later became the CEO of Time’s Up, an organization dedicated to fighting sexual harassment and discrimination in Hollywood and beyond in response to the Me Too movement.

3. Isabel Allende (1942 - )— Isabel Allende is a Chilean-American journalist, editor, novelist, and philanthropist. The author of “The House of the Spirits” and “City of the Beasts,” she is notably one of the most widely-read Spanish authors in history. After the death of her daughter Paula Frías Allende, Allende used her wealth to establish Isabel Allende Foundation in 1996 in Paula’s honor. The mission of the foundation is to “invest in the power of women and girls to secure reproductive rights, economic independence, and freedom from violence.” Since its inception, the foundation has awarded grants to American and Chilean organizations that address reproductive rights, women’s empowerment, healthcare, education, and protecting women and children from violence. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Allende the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

4. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (1981- )— While Beyoncé is best known for her career as a performing artist, actress, director, and producer, she is also a philanthropist, activist, and humanitarian. In 2006, she co-founded the Survivor Foundation to help those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. During her 2007 Beyoncé Experience tour, she partnered with Feeding America, The Houston Food Bank, and The Global Food Banking Network to help raise awareness to end world hunger. In 2013, she co-founded Chime for Change to raise funds for and promote education, health, justice, anti-trafficking and anti-slavery for girls and women. In 2017, Beyoncé launched BeyGOOD to help victims of disasters. She donates generously to charity every year, recently donating tens of thousands of dollars to the Black Lives Matter movement. In April 2020, Beyoncé donated $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health to help those affected by COVID-19. 

5. Melissa A. Berman — Melissa Berman is the founding President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a nonprofit launched by the Rockefeller family to transform philanthropy. Under Berman’s leadership, RPA facilitates over $250 million in giving each year to more than 25 countries.  The organization supports innovative philanthropy and develops strategies to support high-impact nonprofit organizations through research, donor collaboratives, and bespoke consulting. A visionary in philanthropic giving, Berman is responsible for the development of the “Philanthropy Roadmap” and “The Theory of the Foundation.” Prior to leading RPA, Berman was a director of City Harvest and the Foundation Center. She is also a speaker, university lecturer, and judge for the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Citizenship. 

6. Reshma Saujani (1975- )— Reshma Saugani is an Indian-American lawyer, politician, author, activist, and founder and CEO of Girls Who Code (GWC). A lifelong advocate for the people, she formerly served as  Deputy Public Advocate of New York City. In 2010, Saujani was the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress. During her campaign, she became aware of the gender gap in STEM classes, specifically with computers. She founded GWC in 2012 to close that gap and inspire a generation of female engineers. Since its beginning, GWC has helped more than 200,000 girls learn coding through programs like after-school clubs for middle schoolers and high schoolers and immersion programs. In 2015, Saujani was named to Fortune Magazine's 40 Under 40 list.

7. Mary Golda Ross (1908-2008)— Mary Golda Ross, known as “Gold,” was a Native American aerospace engineer, philanthropist, and women in STEM advocate, famous for being the first female engineer in the history of the Lockheed Corporation. Born in Oklahoma as the granddaughter of Cherokee Chief John Ross, she was raised in the Cherokee Nation capital of Tahlequah before attending college to study mathematics. In the 1950s, she became Lockheed’s first female engineer, working on projects including flyby missions to Venus and Mars. In her lifetime, she was involved in and financially supported societies to promote STEM learning, including the Society of Women Engineers, American Indians in Science and Engineering Society, and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes. Upon her death in 2008, she left a $400,000 endowment to the National Museum of the American Indian - ensuring that her donation would continue to grow and impact future generations. 

8. Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry (1872-1943)— The granddaughter of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry was a philanthropist who dedicated her life to helping provide better care for African American children. After her marriage to Dr. John E. Perry, founder of the first private hospital for Black people in Kansas City, she helped provide care for Black children who, at the time, were excluded from the state-sponsored welfare services. Perry helped form the Missouri State Association of Colored Girls, and later, in 1934, Perry founded the first Colored Big Sister Home for Girls in Kansas City. She also helped establish the Civic Protective Association in Kansas City, served as the chairperson of the National Association of Colored Girls and served as a trustee of the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association. After her death in 1943, states finally began to extend public welfare services to Black children.