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Fall 2025
Dear Friends,
When I was little, I wanted to be a witch for Halloween. At first, it was the broomstick that fascinated me — the idea of flight, of freedom. But what I was most drawn to were the women themselves: powerful, wise, and unapologetically different. The kind of women who saw the world in ways others couldn’t, and refused to apologize for it.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand what that longing really meant. “Witches” were never dangerous because of their magic — they were dangerous because of their independence. They were the women, and sometimes the men, who healed without permission, who questioned authority, who gathered in community when the world told them to be silent.
In many ways, they were some of the first organizers.
That spirit feels especially alive right now. Across our country, we are witnessing a new kind of witch hunt — one aimed at immigrant families, at women, trans and gender-expansive people, and at anyone who dares to stand as an ally. Although times have changed, the patterns of fear and control remain. We see them in every attempt to divide communities, silence truth-tellers, and shrink the power of women and girls. Here on the SouthCoast, we know another story — one of resilience, imagination, and solidarity. We are doing what women have always done: turning care into action and action into lasting change.
At the Women’s Fund SouthCoast, we are investing in the next generation of women who refuse to shrink. Our Young Women’s Initiative participants are leading with vision, creativity, and fire. Through our new Step Further Fund, we’re seeding ideas from grassroots leaders who are redefining what justice looks like in their own neighborhoods. With partners like Gnome Surf, we’re supporting spaces where women and girls of all abilities can belong and lead.
This is feminist work at its core — rooted in care, collaboration, and defiance.
As we move toward the end of the year, I’m asking you to continue to stand with us. Your gift to the Women’s Fund helps ensure that women, girls, and gender-expansive people continue to rise, organize, and shape a region where equity isn’t a dream — it’s a daily practice.
Our magic isn’t myth. It’s community. It’s courage. It’s you.
With gratitude and resolve,
Christine Monska
Executive Director
We are excited to launch our new Step Further Fund designed to seed bold, early-stage ideas from grassroots organizations and emerging leaders to create waves of change across the SouthCoast.
In its first year, the Fund will provide one-time grants of up to $2,500 to eligible organizations that support activities such as:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and approved projects will receive funding within 30 days. Learn more about eligibility and access the online application by clicking here. We’re proud to continue advancing change in small but meaningful ways across our community.
After an incredible pilot year, we’re thrilled to welcome 15 new young women from across New Bedford to the next Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC), part of our Young Women’s Initiative (YWI). This cohort includes youth ages 14–19, with more than 80% identifying as Hispanic or Latina.
As we begin this new chapter, one applicant captured the spirit of YWI beautifully:
“After attending the YWAC celebration and policy forum I felt so immensely inspired. Seeing my peers and friends speak about the work they have done over the past months, seeing people my age making real change in our community showed me the power that young people can have with the right guidance, passion, and determination. The words of the young women who made up the council in the past year exclaimed their love for the work they have done, a mix of enthusiasm and devotion to the causes they have dedicated their time to has sparked the same feelings of eagerness in me.”
We’re grateful for the support from the Island Foundation and the New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF). The Island Foundation sustains YWI directly, while NYWF’s disability-justice grant expands inclusive recruitment and youth-led grantmaking across our programs—ensuring young women and gender-expansive youth of all abilities can lead and reimagine what justice looks like on the SouthCoast.
We are proud to announce that the Women’s Fund SouthCoast has received a new grant from the New York Women’s Foundation to advance disability justice in our region. This funding supports our efforts to ensure that women and gender-expansive people with disabilities can lead, thrive, and shape the solutions that impact their lives.
In September, our Executive Director, Board Member Lynn Murray, and Programs & Operations Coordinator Jaliyah Gonsalves represented the Women’s Fund SouthCoast at the 2025 Feminist Funded Conference in Washington, D.C.—a global gathering of movement builders advancing a shared vision of liberation and justice.
Hosted by the Women’s Funding Network, the convening brought together hundreds of leaders from across the world who are reimagining philanthropy through the lens of care, equity, and collective power.
“Our work on the SouthCoast is deeply local—but it’s also part of a global movement to reimagine power itself,” said Executive Director Christine Monska. “Investing in women and girls isn’t just transformative for our communities—it’s essential for our democracy.”
WFSC is honored to stand alongside this global network of feminist funds, bringing home new ideas, partnerships, and inspiration to strengthen our shared pursuit of gender, racial, and economic justice.
As part of our 2026 grants cycle, we’re proud to partner with Gnome Surf, a Fall River–based organization using surf therapy to build confidence, belonging, and leadership among women and girls with disabilities and their support networks.
Founded in 2019, Gnome Surf is one of the fastest-growing surf therapy organizations in the world, offering more than 10,000 sessions annually across the Northeast, Texas, and Costa Rica. Its year-round programs—from surf and skate to SurfFit and wellness initiatives—create inclusive spaces where children, families, and communities can thrive.
The WFSC funding supports two signature programs:
All of Gnome Surf’s work is rooted in kindness, empathy, and love. We’re proud to partner with them in advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging across all abilities. You can learn more about Gnome Surf and all of our grantee partners by clicking here to visit our updated website!
As we enter a new fiscal year, we’re thrilled to welcome Cynthia Cummings as our new Board President and extend our gratitude to Carmen Amaral for her leadership during a time of growth and transformation.
We also welcome Laura Ryan Shachoy as Vice President and Lynn Murray as Secretary, joining a dynamic team of community leaders guiding the Women’s Fund SouthCoast into our next chapter.
Lynn Murray, Clerk of the Board
Together, this leadership team will help advance our strategic plan to deepen our impact and strengthen the movement for gender, racial, and economic justice across the SouthCoast.
Join us on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, from 5:30–7:30 PM at Round the Bend Farm in Dartmouth to celebrate a year of growth and community. Register by clicking on this link, calling 508-219-6102, or emailing us at jgonsalves@womensfundsouthcoast.org.
About Us
We imagine a world in which women and girls are valued and their voices heard.
Our Impact
The success of women and girls ripples through the community to make a more just place for all.
Join Our Movement
Local women helping local women. We advocate, we advance. Our collective voice initiates change.
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