The Ascend Fund is currently seeking proposals from organizations committed to achieving gender parity in the Michigan, Mississippi, and Washington State Legislatures. Learn more and apply for support today!
News
Stay up to date with the latest stories about The Ascend Fund and our partners working to achieve gender parity. Read The Ascend Fund Perspectives on Parity column and sign up for our newsletter.
WLBT
Pilot program announced aimed at increasing number of women in Mississippi legislature. The Ascend Fund is launching this pilot program in three states, including Mississippi.
Mississippi has 174 state legislators and only 16 percent of those are women. However, a national group is hoping to help change that.
The 19th News
What it takes to build a nonpartisan pipeline for women candidates
In a space dominated by Democratic groups, the LBJ Women’s Campaign School highlights its nonpartisan approach in trying to help more women get elected to office.
Inside Philanthropy
Off the Sidelines: The Fund Propelling Women Into Office
A record number of women ran for and won elected offices in 2018, and women make up more than half of the U.S. population. But they represent less than 30% of Congress, state legislators and statewide executives
MPB News
Fund offers grants to recruit women to run for Miss. legislative seats
Mississippi ranks 48th in the nation for the number of women in its legislative ranks according to The Ascend Fund. The non-partisan, organization out of Seattle, announced its providing grants to recruit women to run for state legislative seats, in 2022.
Reuters
Philanthropist fund backs women to run in U.S. elections
A new philanthropic fund to support more women running for elected office in the United States was launched on Tuesday, organizers said, amid intense public debate over politics ahead of the November presidential election.
The Ascend Fund
On Parity: Fall 2020
In a year filled with relentless challenges, economic anxiety, and alarming headlines, our partners consistently rose to the moment and guided women running for office through a pandemic, racial reckoning, and the most polarizing election in recent history.
NBC News
New grant fund looks to power gender parity in elected office
Panorama Global, a nonprofit group, is sponsoring recruitment and training programs for women running for elected office across the country. The group received its seed money from Pivotal Ventures.
Press releases
June 15, 2021
The Ascend Fund Announces Funding for Pilot Initiative Focused on Electing Women to State Legislatures
The Ascend Fund announced $540,000 in available grant funding to organizations in MI, MS, and WA state to increase the number of women in the states’ legislatures.
January 14, 2020
Panorama Global Launches The Ascend Fund to Achieve Equal Representation for Women in U.S. Politics
Today, Panorama Global announced the formal launch of The Ascend Fund, a collaborative fund dedicated to accelerating the pace of change towards gender parity in U.S. politics
March 9, 2021
The Ascend Fund Awards Half a Million Dollars in Grants to Accelerate Gender Parity in U.S. Politics
Today, The Ascend Fund awarded $550,000 in grants to four nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations to further the goal of gender parity in elected office.
March 3, 2020
The Ascend Fund Awards $850,000 in Grants to Advance Gender Equity in U.S. Politics
Today, The Ascend Fund awarded $850,000 in general operating grants to 10 nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations to further the goal of gender equality in elected office.
September 15, 2020
Ascend Fund Announces Bipartisan Advisory Committee of Formerly Elected Women
The Ascend Fund announced their nine-member Advisory Committee, comprised of formerly elected women from both sides of the political aisle and all levels of political office.
NewsLEtters
June 15, 2021
On Parity: Summer 2021 Newsletter
To date, we’ve invested almost $6 million in national organizations that share our commitment to electing more women. I’m excited to announce that this summer we will invest more than $500,000 in state-based organizations.
October 13, 2020
On Parity: Fall 2020 Newsletter
In a year filled with relentless challenges, economic anxiety, and alarming headlines, our partners consistently rose to the moment and guided women running for office through a pandemic, racial reckoning, and the most polarizing election in recent history.
March 16, 2021
On Parity: Spring 2021 Newsletter
Our twelve partner organizations are accelerating the pace of parity by empowering women to see themselves as leaders and equipping women with the skills to run and win. In 2020 alone they trained more than 36,000 women.
November 7, 2020
On Parity: Post Election Analysis
What. A. Week. While Americans fretted over the presidency, women across the country and up and down the ballot made history and broke records. The United States has elected its first female Vice President, Kamala Harris.