Investing in Women’s Political Representation and Power
In 2025, the rapidly shifting political landscape included rising political violence and explicit attacks on women of color. These conditions made it even harder for women in the United States to aspire to elected office and compounded longstanding structural barriers to public leadership.
In response, The Ascend Fund at Panorama Global doubled down on its commitment to support women leaders. In 2025, Ascend awarded $550,000 in new and renewed grants to partners—including Asian American Women’s Political Initiative, Latinas Represent, and We Are The League—while sustaining support for a broader cohort advancing gender parity in politics.
Ascend also convened a six-month series of monthly community sessions for the 12 organizational partners in our 2024 grantee partner cohort. These gatherings created trusted spaces for peer learning, safety strategy exchange, and collective problem solving during a period of heightened volatility for work advancing women’s political leadership.
The Ascend Fund is pursuing a two-pronged strategy: deploying one-year catalytic grants to grassroots organizations in underfunded regions of the country, while expanding support for 501(c)(3) infrastructure initiatives and cross-organizational networks that can sustain cross-movement work. Through this evolving approach, Ascend is not only meeting the moment, but strengthening the long-term infrastructure needed for women of color to lead and for our democracy to thrive.
For funders interested in supporting creative and responsive approaches to building women’s political power across the United States, Panorama offers targeted recommendations in this blog, Democracy Can't Wait: Five Priorities for Women's Political Leadership, and in this post-election analysis, Unfinished Business: Systemic Barriers for Women in the 2024 Election.
As the 2026 midterm cycle approaches, the importance of strengthening women’s political representation is clearer than ever. Learn more about The Ascend Fund and join us in supporting partners building the future of our democracy.
