Creating lasting change takes more than funding – it takes understanding where resources can have the greatest impact and learning from others working across the gender justice field. 

Last month, Rise Up Together brought members of our Leadership Council together for a special learning conversation with Lana Dakan, Vice President of Program Investments at Prysm Initiative, and our Co-Founder and Executive Director, Denise R. Dunning. The discussion explored the evolving philanthropic landscape, the connections between reproductive health and rights, education and economic opportunity, and the role donors can play in supporting long-term, locally led change.

The conversation was part of our ongoing Learning Series for Rise Up Together’s Leadership Council – a collaborative network of gender justice champions and committed supporters from across the U.S. who share our vision of a more just and equitable world. Throughout the year, members come together to learn from experts in gender equity and philanthropy, exchange perspectives, and deepen their understanding of the issues shaping our work. 

Over the years, Learning Series guests have included Dana Rice of Lever for Change, Tamara Kreinin of the United Nations Foundation’s Women and Population program, Iris Mwanza of the Gates Foundation, Shruthi Jayaram of Dalberg, Hali Lee of The Big We, and Linda Weisert of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, among others. 

Our community was excited to learn more about how Prysm is reimagining philanthropy by mobilizing new investment in women’s reproductive health and rights and helping donors turn bold ideas into strategic, evidence-based investments for systems-level change. 

Among the themes explored during the conversation: 

• Reproductive health is deeply connected to other outcomes, including education, economic opportunity, gender equality, and climate resilience. 

• Philanthropy can play a catalytic role by investing in innovation, advocacy, and local leadership, particularly at a time of growing funding gaps. 

• Long-term, locally led solutions are essential to creating systems-level change that lasts. 

By creating space to learn together, we can strengthen not only how we fund change, but how we understand what it takes to sustain it. 

Interested in getting more involved with Rise Up Together? To learn more about our Leadership Council, please reach out to Jen Byrne, Rise Up Together’s Strategic Donor Engagement Manager, at [email protected].