THE STORIES THAT MOVE US
Stories, Milestones + the Movement
This set brings together the stories, films, partnerships, and people connected to our 40th anniversary. Through these cards, we look at how women’s voices shape culture, how storytelling can move people to action, and how four decades of work continue to ripple through greater Milwaukee.
Click a card to explore.
Why it matters
The Piano represents the first decade because it reflects a central tension of the era: women gaining rights and visibility while still fighting to be fully heard.
For the Women’s Fund those early years were about creating a space where women’s voices, leadership, and priorities could shape philanthropy in greater Milwaukee.
Why it matters
Kathryn Bigelow’s historic Academy Award win for The Hurt Locker made visible what had been true for a long time: women were leading in spaces where they were still treated as exceptions.
This card connects that breakthrough to our work during the second decade when we starting using data, reports, and grantmaking to identify inequities, fund solutions, and expand who gets recognized as a leader.
Why it matters
Lady Bird reflects the power of women telling their own stories with honesty, complexity, and care.
In the 2010s, our work leaned into that same belief through programs, conversations, and partnerships that helped more women’s experiences be seen as valuable sources of knowledge and action.
Why it matters
Nomadland centers a woman navigating loss, uncertainty, work, and reinvention: themes that feel especially connected to the Women’s Fund today.
This card reminds us that equity work must make room for the realities women are living through now, including economic instability, changing communities, and the need to build futures with dignity and belonging.
Why it matters
This card names the 36 women who launched the Women’s Fund, and reminds us that movements do not begin in the abstract. They begin with people willing to gather, give, organize, and believe something better is possible before everyone else can see it.
Their leadership created the foundation for 40 years of work in greater Milwaukee.
Why it matters
This card highlights our collaboration with Milwaukee Film and the special grant that helped launch Cinematic Sisterhood.
It matters because storytelling is part of systems change. When women’s voices are centered on screen and in community conversation, we expand whose experiences are seen, discussed, and valued.