Global Fund for Women
Musimbi Kanyoro started their work experience in 1987 as the Executive Secretary for Women in Church and Society at the Lutheran World Federation. Musimbi then joined the World YWCA in 1997 as the General Secretary [CEO], becoming the first non-white woman to hold the role. During their tenure, they transformed the organization into a young-women-led organization and stabilized its finances. Musimbi then worked at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation from 2007 to 2011 as the Director of Population and Reproductive Health. During this time, they managed a $30 million grantmaking portfolio and founded the first Aspen Women's Leadership Council. In 2011, they joined the Global Fund for Women as the President & CEO, overseeing the organization's growth in grantmaking and successfully merging it with another non-profit. Musimbi expanded the organization's influence through international dialogues, media contributions, and global speaking engagements. Currently, they serve as the Chair at UWC International.
Musimbi Kanyoro has a diverse education history in the field of theology and linguistics. Musimbi has obtained a Doctor of Ministry degree with a specialization in Feminist Theology from the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Musimbi has also pursued their academic interests at the Harvard Divinity School as a Visiting Scholar, focusing on Ancient Hebrew and Old Testament studies. Furthermore, Musimbi Kanyoro holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin.
Global Fund for Women
We advance the rights of women and girls worldwide by increasing the resources for and investing in women-led organizations and women’s collective leadership for change.We envision a just, equitable and sustainable world in which women and girls have resources, voice, choice and opportunities to realize their human rights.The Global Fundfor Women was founded in Palo Alto California by three bold women: Anne Firth Murray, Founding President, Frances Kissling, and Laura Lederer. The three were convinced that women’s human rights and dignity were essential to the advancement of global agendas for social, economic, and political change. Frustrated by traditional philanthropy’s lack of interest in funding women’s groups and human rights, they forged a new path, founding an organization that would fund women-led organizations directly.Musimbi Kanyoro joined the organization in 2011 – a pivotal time when we embarked on a new strategic direction to support women’s leadership and women-led solutions. In 2012 Global Fund surpassed the $100 million mark in grantmaking. In 2013, our 25th anniversary year, Global Fund refocused its programmatic emphasis by adding a stronger component of learning, monitoring and evaluation.In March 2014, Global Fund for Women and the International Museum of Women – IMOW – merged to create a bold force for women’s human rights. The merger brings together IMOW’s skills in awareness raising, online advocacy and digital story-telling with Global Fund on-the-ground relationships and grant-making activities with women leaders and women’s rights organizations around the world.