And some convention updates
We are proud to announce the creation of the WDI USA Foundation, an independent charitable organization dedicated to advocating for women’s sex-based rights.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Foundation’s mission is education, carried out primarily through grants to WDI USA to produce substantive events, including our national convention, and resources such as amicus briefs and webinars on matters of public importance. Unlike WDI USA, the Foundation can solicit tax-free gifts from individual donors and apply for grants from the many corporations and foundations that limit their giving to 501(c)3s. The Foundation is barred from taking part in lobbying and other political activities, again unlike WDI USA, which is a 501(c)4 nonprofit.
The Foundation’s launch represents hundreds of hours of work by many people, including but not limited to the members of the WDI USA Foundation Board — Irene Lawrence, Katherine Kinney, and Brianna Pressley. It is a major step forward in the movement to restore and extend women’s sex-based rights. As such, this announcement deserves to be entirely celebratory.
After months of exploring every alternative, however, the WDI USA board has made the difficult decision not to hold a convention in 2026. We regret this decision, but it’s the responsible thing to do.
Our annual national convention is one of the most important, enriching, and enjoyable things WDI USA does. It is also by far the most expensive. Because we keep ticket prices low to ensure that women from all walks of life can attend, convention registrations cover only a small part of the actual cost. The rest has been provided by donations — primarily by a single, very generous grant from a family foundation.
In late 2024, our major funder made the decision to accept grant applications only from 501(c)3 organizations. In response to this change in policy, WDI USA began to work on creating the Foundation, which received 501(c)3 designation from the IRS last fall, just barely too late for the annual funding cycle from our major funder. As the Foundation registers as a charitable organization state by state, it will reach out to our original funder and to corporations and other foundations whose missions align with Articles of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, as well as to individual donors who wish to make tax-exempt contributions.
Postponing this year’s convention will allow us to invest more into other areas of advocacy, including our legal work. WDI USA has already committed to filing another amicus brief in Olympus Spa, and we are tracking multiple other cases with potential opportunities to file more radical feminist amicus briefs on the horizon.
Instead of holding a national gathering this fall, as the Foundation moves forward, the WDI USA board will work with State Contacts and other volunteers to organize smaller, much less expensive events — online and ideally regionally in person — while we look ahead to reconvening nationally in September 2027. If you have ideas or would like to be involved, let us know!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via email to [email protected] and/or [email protected]
In solidarity,
The WDI USA Board of Directors
Elizabeth Chesak, president
Katherine Kinney
Lorraine Nowlin
Holly Stewart
The WDI USA Foundation Board of Directors
Irene Lawrence, president
Katherine Kinney
Brianna Pressley
