Equality Can't Wait Challenge

Equality Can't Wait Challenge

Amount: $10 million (awarded to NMCC & Native Women Lead collaboration)

Status: Completed/Past competition (awards announced August 2021)

Geographic Scope: United States

Focus Areas: Gender equality, women's economic empowerment, Indigenous women entrepreneurship

Funder: Pivotal Ventures (Melinda French Gates' investment firm), with support from MacKenzie Scott, Dan Jewett, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies

Description: An intense competition to identify the best ideas for helping to expand women's power and influence in the United States by 2030. Four organizations were selected as winners, each receiving $10 million awards. Selected from a pool of over 550 applications.

NMCC's Award: New Mexico Community Capital partnered with Native Women Lead to win $10 million for "The Future is Indigenous Womxn" initiative, which catalyzes the investability and economic liberation of Indigenous women by scaling impactful businesses owned by Native women.

Focus of NMCC Award: Native women interested in entrepreneurship lack equitable access to capital, business development resources, financial capability, and career opportunities. The award will help scale Native women-led businesses and increase economic power and wealth creation through community employment opportunities.