Change can be hard. It challenges us to step outside of one’s usual life and way of doing things. But, as The New York Women’s Foundation’s Faith, Feminism and Philanthropy forum proved, it becomes easier, day by day, with one fundamental element: dialogue.

In her keynote address at this first-of-its-kind conference hosted by the NYWF in June at The New School, Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson invited a panel of representatives from faith-based, women’s and philanthropic organizations to explore the concept of change and the powerful collaborative possibilities that emerge when women from diverse backgrounds begin talking together.

“Faith is not an easy subject to insert in public discourse,” acknowledged Nurah Ammat’ullah, forum panelist and Executive Director of the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research & Development. And Indeed, the topic sparked wide-ranging viewpoints and thought-provoking observations.

Alexie Torres-Fleming, forum panelist and Executive Director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, commented that she did not identify with the word feminist -- “the feminist label does not fit with the experiences of poor girls and women of color.”

Other panelists observed the unique challenges of their positions. “Activist women of faith struggle to hold true to their core beliefs in the face of being marginalized within their own religious communities,” noted moderator Marlene Provizer, former Executive Director of the Jewish Fund for Justice. “At the same time, they are often dismissed or misunderstood by secular feminists over the role of religion.”

While a number of differing viewpoints and insights were shared, the value of the dialogue itself and the need to continue the conversation was clear to all. Moreover, Faith, Feminism and Philanthropy underscored that true collaboration can only be achieved when honesty and mutual respect are present.

About the Ruth Ray Hunt Initiative

The Faith, Feminism and Philanthropy conference was just one part of the NYWF’s Ruth Ray Hunt Initiative, a three-year program focused on faith, feminism and philanthropy. The initiative was underwritten by a grant from the Ruth Ray Hunt Memorial Fund, made possible by Helen LaKelly Hunt (co-founder of the NYWF) and her sister Swanee Hunt in tribute to their mother Ruth Ray Hunt.

Through the initiative, now in its second year, the NYWF has distributed over $300,000 in grants to faith-based organizations serving low-income women and girls in New York City.

Through forums like Faith, Feminism and Philanthropy, the Ruth Ray Hunt Initiative of the NYWF is also cultivating the invaluable sharing of resources and expertise among grantee partners. Most importantly, by forging stronger alliances between organizations, the NYWF is helping to build bridges to economic justice for the women and girls of New York City.

In 2006, the NYWF’s Ruth Ray Hunt Initiative awarded grants to these faith-related organizations working to transform the conditions of poverty for women and girls:

Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition
Increasing opportunities for predominantly low-income Latina women and girls to obtain living wage jobs and pursue higher education through improved educational equity and access to Northwest Bronx public schools.

Catholic Big Sisters & Big Brothers
Supporting mentoring, counseling and skill-based programs for girls and families residing in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood.

Beit Shalom
Educating Bukharian Jewish women on family violence and providing information and referrals for domestic violence support services.

Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development
Supporting health education, disease prevention, and better access to health care for Muslim immigrant women.

Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
Expanding programming at Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice’s Center for Community Wellness to meet girls’ mental and physical needs and strengthen their critical thinking skills through increased awareness about political and social issues.

In the coming year, the Foundation will provide additional opportunities for dialogue and information sharing, continue its philanthropic support to faith-related organizations, and seek to foster new partnerships to benefit women and girls living in poverty.

The New York Women’s Foundation extends special thanks to speakers and panelists of the Faith, Feminism and Philanthropy forum:

• Panel Moderator: Marlene Provizer, former Executive Director of the Jewish Fund for Justice
• Katharine Henderson, Executive Vice President, Auburn Theological Seminary, NYWF Board Member
• Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson, Concord Baptist Church
• Nurah Ammat’ullah, Executive Director, Muslim Women’s Institute for Research & Development
• Alexie Torres-Fleming, Executive Director, Youth Ministries for Peace & Justice
• Adrianne Shropshire, Executive Director, New York Jobs with Justice
• Eileen Jamison Tyrer, Program Officer, Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock