Pioneers of Feminist Philanthropy in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican visionaries creating a fund for women, girls, and the non-binary community in Puerto Rico
In the beginning, it felt like a dream… I’ve always been the type of person who dives right in, and I feel very happy with what we’ve achieved
-Elba Montalvo, Co-Founder
FOUNDING MEMBERS
NEW YORK MEMBERS
Elba Montalvo
Elba Montalvo has dedicated her career to improving the lives of children at the local, national, and international levels. With the help of the New York Women’s Foundation, Puerto Rican women in the diaspora, and local feminist leaders in Puerto Rico, the first Foundation on the island dedicated to feminist philanthropy, the Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation, was created. Elba’s dream was to create a bridge between the Puerto Rican Diaspora—who is always looking to help their own—and Puerto Rico, so together they can support women’s organizations on the island.
Dianne Morales
Dianne Morales is an expert in education, workforce and youth development issues. She has many years of experience in program startup, including the implementation of NYC Department of Education’s office of Youth Development and School Community Service and the development of the nonprofit Jumpstart.
Gladys Carrión
Gladys Carrión has been recognized as a national leader in her efforts to reform Juvenile Justice in New York State and a fearless advocate for children and families involved in the child welfare system. She is a tenacious fighter for the rights of children and families. She has received numerous awards and has served on several national advisory committees focused on reforming juvenile justice and promoting the well-being of children and young adults.systems
Digna Sanchez
Digna Sánchez is a well-known community leader in the Latino community of New York who now lives in Puerto Rico and is very active in many women’s causes on the island. In New York she was an Assistant Commissioner and EEO Officer for the Department for the Aging. She also served as Assistant Commissioner/Regional Coordinator responsible for overseeing the Regional Office of Child and Family Services in New York City. She was also a founding member of MADRE, an organization dedicated to helping women in more than 80 cities and in Central America and the Caribbean.
PUERTO RICO MEMBERS
Sara Benítez Delgado
Sara Banítez is a feminist, sociologist and social science professor. She has participated in many feminist meetings in Puerto Rico and internationally. She has given lectures, facilitated workshops and written articles on gender issues, women in science and violence against women, citizen dialogues and competitions, participatory research and social action research.
Dr. Irma Lugo Nazario
Irma Lugo-Nazario is an academic and transdisciplinary professional. She has focused her research studies in the areas of Women and Gender Studies, Gender Violence, Human Rights, and Education for Peace. Above everything, she bets on education as a the tool to achieve social transformation. Her research has focused on Women and Gender Studies, Gender Violence and Human Rights.
Marta Elsa Fernandez
Marta Elsa Fernández Pabellón is a community leader, feminist, and fierce family advocate. She is a founder and current member of the Organization for Puerto Rican Women Workers (OPMT- Organización Puertorriqueña de la Mujer Trabajadora). She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation since June 2017, the Board of the Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, and the Board of the Observatory of Gender Equity.
Mariluz Franco
Mariluz Franco-Ortiz is a community social psychologist with more than three decades of anti-racist work in Puerto Rico. She is a professor and researcher at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Puerto Rico Cayey (Instituto, UPR-Cayey). Among her topics of interest in research are: the study of the intersections of racism and sexism
IN LOVING MEMORY
María Dolores Fernós López-Cepero
María Dolores Fernós López-Cepero was an attorney, a feminist, and an activist. She founded and actively participated in several women’s rights organizations in Puerto Rico. Fernós López-Cepero worked hard to transform Puerto Rico’s judicial system in favor of women and families. She was a pioneer in movements for social justice, mainly in the areas of poverty and equity and particularly with respect to women’s rights issues.
OUR HISTORY
Hurricanes Irma and Maria
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, women in the archipelago faced greater challenges in dealing with inequalities, violence, and the lack of effective agency. This highlighted the critical need for philanthropic investment to support the work of non-governmental organizations that operate with limited resources.
A Committed Diaspora
Puerto Rican women in the diaspora, led by Elba Montalvo and Digna Sanchez, subsequently requested support from the New York Women’s Foundation, a women’s fund created over 30 years ago.
A Philanthropic Diaspora
Lisette Nieves, a Puerto Rican philanthropist in the diaspora, wanted to be our first donor. Her generous donation allowed the founding board members to consult with local feminists in Puerto Rico about the possibility of a new women’s fund in the archipelago.
Feminist Philanthropy in Action
The New York Women’s Foundation provided a $100,000 operational grant to allow the Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico to formalize and begin fundraising to launch the first and only feminist philanthropy organization on the island.
Launching in Puerto Rico
After an official launch in New York in November 2019, the Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico officially opened its doors as the first of its kind, led by women from across the islands in collaboration with women from New York.
A Committed Diaspora
Puerto Rican women in the diaspora, led by Elba Montalvo and Digna Sanchez, subsequently requested support from the New York Women’s Foundation, a women’s fund created over 30 years ago.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, women in the archipelago faced greater challenges in dealing with inequalities, violence, and the lack of effective agency. This highlighted the critical need for philanthropic investment to support the work of non-governmental organizations that operate with limited resources.
A Philanthropic Diaspora
Lisette Nieves, a Puerto Rican philanthropist in the diaspora, wanted to be our first donor. Her generous donation allowed the founding board members to consult with local feminists in Puerto Rico about the possibility of a new women’s fund in the archipelago.
Feminist Philanthropy in Action
The New York Women’s Foundation provided a $100,000 operational grant to allow the Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico to formalize and begin fundraising to launch the first and only feminist philanthropy organization on the island.
Launching in Puerto Rico
After an official launch in New York in November 2019, the Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico officially opened its doors as the first of its kind, led by women from across the islands in collaboration with women from New York.
Our Blog
Discover more about us with our blog.
Get to know our growing community with some of our success stories.
