A P R E S E N T A T I O N B YB E T H H O N I G

3 O F T H E M O S TP O W E R F U L W O M E NI N P H I L A N T H R O P Y

B E T H H O N I G C H A R I T Y . C O M

M O R E W O M E N A R E L E A D I N G P O W E R F U LF O U N D A T I O N S A N D A T F O R E F R O N T O F G R A N T -

M A K I N G E N D E A V O R S .

Read on to learn more about three of the

most powerful female leaders in

philanthropy.

“women are taking the lead in building donornetworks and donor-advised funds, which play a fast-

growing role in tapping new sources of funding andaggregating resources for different causes.”

- I N S I D E P H I L A N T H R O P Y

MELINDAGATES

As the co­chair of the Bill and Melinda

Gates Foundation, Gates’ name has become

synonymous with the term philanthropy

power player. Gates has demonstrated a

strong commitment to women’s

empowerment and closing gender gaps.

Last month, The Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation pledged $80 million to closing

the gender data gaps and accelerating

progress for women and girls. “We cannot

close the gender gap without first closing

the data gap,” said Melinda Gates during

her keynote speech at the Women Deliver

conference in Copenhagen. “We simply

don’t know enough about the barriers

holding women and girls back, nor do we

have sufficient information to track

progress against the promises made to

women and girls. We are committed to

changing that by investing in better data,

policies and accountability.”

SUSANBUFFETT

Buffet is the chair of three philanthropic

outlets: The Sherwood Foundation, the

Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and

the Buffett Early Childhood Fund.

As you might suspect, Susan Buffett is

related to the other famous Buffett (Warren

is her father). She has been called “the most

powerful woman in U.S. philanthropy not

named Melinda.” Her namesake foundation

is lauded as the biggest private funder of

reproductive health initiatives throughout

the world. Additionally, Buffett is at the

helm of the Sherwood Foundation (which

awarded more than $101 million in 2014)

and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund (total

given: more than $18 million in 2013).

DIANEVON

FURSTENBERG

The fashion icon leads the Diller­von

Furstenberg Family foundation with her

husband Barry Dille. The couple’s focus:

Community revitalization and renewal by

creating new urban designs and

reinvigorating existing landscapes,

especially in New York City. The Diller­von

Furstenberg Family Foundation was

instrumental in creating the High Line,

backing the project with a donation of $35

million. The park has transformed

Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and is

now one of the city’s most prominent

tourist destinations. Additionally, von

Furstenberg’s foundation supports other

great initiatives for education, human

rights, arts, health and the environment.

T H A N K Y O U

B E T H H O N I G C H A R I T Y . C O M