NEWS & UPDATES

On March 12th at 5:00 PM, participants of the Vote16PA initiative of The Fund for Women and Girls co-hosted a roundtable discussion with Representative Chris Pielli, prime sponsor of the Pennsylvania House memo, “Lowering the Voting Age for School Board Elections.” The hybrid event, held at the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, brought together state-level elected officials and community leaders from across Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties to engage

In April 2025, the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act was passed in the House of Representatives. The Senate, however, did not take up the bill for a vote. The "SAVE America Act" was recently introduced in the House and Senate; a bill very similar to the SAVE Act (though slightly more restrictive). As of March 10th, 2026 the "SAVE America Act" may come up for a vote in Senate next week. Senate GOP leaders are looking to put the "SAVE America Act" debate behi

On March 24 , The Fund for Women and Girls will travel to Harrisburg for a day of advocacy at the Pennsylvania Capitol. Participants will spend the morning delivering informational materials to legislators and, when possible, meeting directly with elected officials in support of paid leave (Family Care Act). These conversations help build awareness and momentum around issues such as economic equity and workplace fairness. In the afternoon, participants will gather on the Rot

The Fund for Women and Girls is proud to serve as the Pennsylvania state partner for Vote16USA, a national organization working to expand youth civic engagement by allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. As the Pennsylvania state seat, The Fund helps lead and coordinate Vote16USA’s efforts across the Commonwealth, connecting local advocacy to a growing national movement focused on strengthening democracy through early civic participation. This partner

Earlier this month, Blake Emmanuel , Director of Policy & Advocacy at The Fund for Women and Girls , testified before the PA Senate Democratic Caucus Policy Committee in support of the Small Necessities Leave Act , proposed legislation that would provide workers with limited, job-protected leave to address urgent family and caregiving needs. Blake’s testimony, along with insights from other advocates and policy leaders, was recently featured in Pennsylvania Capital-Star , hig

On January 20, 2026 The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus Policy Committee recently convened a public hearing at Penn State Abington to examine the Small Necessities Leave Act , proposed legislation that would provide workers with up to 20 hours of job-protected leave to address urgent personal and family needs. Among those invited to testify was Blake Emmanuel , Director of Advocacy and Policy at The Fund for Women and Girls, Chester County . Emmanuel shared testimony

PRESS RELEASE TEXT: On January 21, 2026, Representatives Chris Pielli (Chester County) and John Inglis III (Alleghany County) circulated a House memo titled “Lowering the Voting Age for School Board Elections.” The memo announces forthcoming legislation to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in Pennsylvania school board elections. “No one deals with the repercussions of Pennsylvania school board decisions more than students themselves. Students are deeply affected by school bo

The Fund for Women and Girls advances gender equity in Chester County and beyond by driving systemic change defined as shifts in: policy, practice, and culture. We focus on three core priorities: Equity in Education, Health & Safety, and Economic Stability. Through this lens, The Fund works to remove structural barriers so people can thrive, from ensuring fair and inclusive educational opportunities, to expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare and sa

On Tuesday, November 18th, The Fund for Women and Girls was proud to be in Harrisburg for “Our Health, Our Future: Our Lobby Day” — a collective effort to advance policies that support women, girls, and families across Pennsylvania. The day centered several critical issues impacting health and safety across the Commonwealth, including: Strengthening reproductive healthcare access Creating a public paid family leave program through the Family Care Act Protecting individuals

The Fund invites you to be civically engaged with us. Whether you are new to all this political stuff or you are a seasoned activist, we welcome you to come view oral arguments in front of the PA Supreme Court in this very important case and stay after to discuss the issues raised, arguments and counter arguments, and the impact on women seeking to access reproductive healthcare particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged and underserved. Please note, we are not lawyers

This fall The Fund for Women and Girls kicks off a new training series with two important workshops for you and your non-profit. ...

Blake Emmanuel, our Director of Advocacy and Policy went to Washington, DC with Planned Parenthood and other advocates to speak out...

See a behind the scenes look at what it looks like when we go to The Hill. For more info and pics, click HERE .

Cheryl Brubaker, our Executive Director, draws on decades of nonprofit leadership and her Mennonite roots to champion equity, community,...

In the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Cheryl and Blake (our Executive Director and our Director of Advocacy and...

High school girls+ from across Chester County gathered to present their thoughts on issues that affect women+ to state legislators. These...

Our Girls+ Advisory Board (GAB) offers high school students hands-on experience in philanthropy and strategic grantmaking. Over 20...

The Fund for Women and Girls board proudly announces we stand in support of a Pennsylvania Paid Family Leave Program. In our role as a...

Basic human rights are being threatened, and we will not sit idly by while this occurs. The actions of the Federal administration over...

The Board is thrilled to announce the appointment of Cheryl Brubaker as The Fund’s new Executive Director, effective July 15, 2024. Prior...