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Investing with a Gender Lens:
A Guide for Philanthropy in Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, talking about gender-focused philanthropy is not a luxury—it is an urgent necessity. Women and gender-diverse people sustain much of the island’s community and caregiving work, yet their efforts remain the least funded. Meanwhile, the challenges continue to grow: gender-based violence, economic inequality, political underrepresentation, a housing crisis, and more.

Investing with a gender lens is both an act of social justice and a strategic decision that strengthens entire communities, multiplies impact, and helps build a Puerto Rico grounded in fairness and dignity for all.

What Does It Mean to Invest with a Gender Lens, and Why Does It Strengthen Philanthropy?

Investing with a gender lens means recognizing that structural inequalities limit women, girls, and trans and nonbinary people’s access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power—and choosing to act intentionally to change that.

It is not about “adding women” to a predesigned project. It is about planning from the start with the goal of closing gaps. It requires moving beyond a “neutral” philanthropic approach and asking critical questions:

  • Who is making the decisions?
  • Who truly benefits from every dollar invested?
  • Are we considering how gender, race, class, age, or immigration status intersect in this investment?

For philanthropy, adopting this lens is not only the ethical choice; it is a smarter investment strategy. When donors fund women and feminist organizations, resources reach the grassroots level where essential services are sustained—shelters, health programs, education, and community-based economic projects.

The evidence is clear: every dollar invested can generate multiple dollars in social and economic returns, strengthening entire communities.

Even global philanthropic leaders have reached the same conclusion. Melinda Gates has explained that she chose to focus her philanthropy on women because she saw, again and again, that “when we invest in women and girls, that change ripples out to the whole family, the whole community, and the whole society.” It is a simple but powerful truth: women reinvest in their communities, making every resource go further.

In short, investing with a gender lens does more than transform lives—it strengthens philanthropy itself, making it more strategic, sustainable, and impactful.

The Landscape in Puerto Rico

Globally, less than 2% of philanthropic funding goes to organizations working directly with women and girls. In Puerto Rico, the gap is even wider.

Yet these are the very organizations sustaining vital services: shelters for survivors, legal and psychological support, community health programs, and solidarity-based economic initiatives.

According to our most recent study, 59 organizations collectively serve more than 15,000 people each year. Every dollar invested in these groups can translate into three to four dollars in social and economic benefits.

The problem: more than half have experienced funding cuts, nearly 40% have had to reduce services, and 11% have been forced to close temporarily. In real terms, this means fewer shelters, fewer prevention programs, and fewer opportunities to break cycles of violence and poverty.

RELATED
Gender Equality: A Key Piece to Sustainability [IN SPANISH]

In this interview [in Spanish] with Luis Alberto Ferré Rangel, I share the work we are leading at the Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico in support of gender equity.

Principles That Transform Investment: A Feminist Philanthropy Lens

Intentionality:

Set clear gender equity goals. For example, commit a fixed percentage of your annual budget to women-led organizations.

Intersectionality:

Prioritize communities facing multiple layers of exclusion, such as Black, rural, migrant, or LGBTTQI+ women.

Trust:

Offer flexible, multi-year funding with reduced bureaucracy. Sometimes a narrative report tells you far more than a hundred indicators.

Collaboration:

Listen to and respect community knowledge. The most effective solutions come from the people living the realities we aim to change.

Accountability with a rights-based approach:

Measure changes in power, participation, and well-being, not just outputs on a spreadsheet.

Practical Strategies for Donors

Before investing, look deeply at how the organization makes decisions and who is included in those processes. Ask:

  • Who is at the decision-making table?
  • Which historically excluded voices hold real power within the organization?
  • How is a gender lens integrated into programs, internal policies, and evaluations?

These are not procedural questions—they reveal whether the organization lives the values it promotes.

Programs cannot function without the labor and infrastructure that sustain them. When you fund fair salaries, rent, utilities, technology, and administration, you are investing in the organization’s ability to operate with dignity and continuity. Supporting core costs is not an “extra”—it is a high-impact strategy that allows staff to serve their communities more effectively.

Organizations need stability to create real change. Consider offering multi-year grants—ideally three years or more—that are flexible and unrestricted. This enables planning, talent retention, innovation, and resilience in moments of crisis, without disrupting the deep work that takes time.

Instead of requiring costly external evaluations or indicators disconnected from lived reality, prioritize direct listening. Invest in processes where participants themselves can express what changed, what worked, and what could improve. This builds learning, trust, and shared accountability—far from unnecessary bureaucracy.

Related
Gender Lens in Philanthropy: Data, Impact, and Opportunities [IN SPANISH]

In this episode of Somos Filantropía, you’ll hear why investing with a gender lens is not only an act of justice but also one of the most effective strategies for achieving real social impact. I talked about the challenges of fundraising on the island, the tangible returns of investing in women, and the opportunities Puerto Rico has to become a global model of feminist philanthropy. It’s an inspiring conversation that shows how directing resources toward women and diverse communities is essential to transforming our collective future.

Challenges and How to Address Them

Cultural and Political Resistance

Gender equity requires resources, but also a transformation of mindsets. Resistance can stem from patriarchal traditions, political polarization, or fear of change.

How to address it:

  • Invest in public education, workshops, campaigns, and dialogue spaces.
  • Use powerful narratives grounded in real examples that show gender equity leads to economic, social, and community benefits.
  • Build alliances with community, business, and government leaders who can amplify the message.

Lack of Data and Evidence

Many decisions are made without gender- and race-disaggregated data, masking critical inequalities. Without data, it is harder to justify strategic investments.

How to address it:

  • Allocate at least 5% of your budget to feminist research, data collection, and intersectional analysis.
  • Support local organizations that generate knowledge rooted in lived experience.
  • Require metrics that capture not just activities but real changes in well-being, autonomy, and access to rights.

Narratives Opposed to Equity

Public discourse often distorts or minimizes the fight for equity, creating confusion and misinformation.

How to address it:

  • Amplify stories of success: safer communities, women leading solutions, young people making informed decisions.
  • Use media, social networks, press, and partnerships with content creators to shift the narrative.
  • Prioritize messages that connect to shared values—justice, prosperity, safety, and well-being.

A Call to Action

Investing with a gender lens is not charity. It is a recognition that Puerto Rico’s sustainability depends on ensuring that all people—in all their diversity—have access to resources and decision-making power.

Communities already have the will and the solutions to transform the country. What they need now are the resources.

If you are a donor, foundation, or company, this is the moment to join those who are building a future where equity is not the exception, but the rule.