Kathryn Snyder

Director of Programs & Initiatives | Women Donors Network & WDN Action

Pronouns: they/she

Kathryn is a Black, queer, gender nonconforming, radical, abolitionist. Before becoming the Director of Programs and Initiatives at Women Donors Network, Kathryn was a Senior Program Officer at the Libra Foundation, where they co-directed the national Criminal Justice and Social Policy grantmaking portfolio. Prior to Libra, Kathryn spent nearly eight years as a Senior Advisor at Tides Advocacy, providing financial, programmatic, and legal support to a mix of institutional funder, individual donor, and organizational clients. With a background in law, including roles at firms in San Diego and San Francisco, as well as experience as a Criminal Justice Fellow at the Dr. Beatriz María Solís Policy Institute, Kathryn has contributed significantly to criminal justice reform efforts. They hold a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, along with degrees in Sociology and Human Development, and a Minor in Communication from the University of California, Davis. Kathryn shares their life with their partner Shayna (they/she) and their two children: Zuri (she/they) and Asani (they/them).

Presentations from Facing Race 2024

Lessons Learned from Philanthropy's Response to Genocide in Palestine

Since October 7, 2023, philanthropy has responded to the genocide in Palestine in shameful ways—continuing to raise money for illegal settlements, cutting funding for Palestinian-related activism, surveilling activists, weaponizing anti-Semitism to shut down criticism of Israel, and more.

There has also been unprecedented donor organizing, to support Palestinian movements in Palestine and in the US, while building with funders internationally. Grassroots International, Solidaire Network, and Women Donors Network have been on the forefront of organizing on this issue, and invite participants to strategize with us on how to disrupt entrenched philanthropic behavior in an interactive workshop to identify solutions together.

We will explore:
-What are the lessons we learned as a public foundation and donor networks as we raised funds and organized donors?
-How can funders and activists work more closely to address the harm caused by philanthropy, and accompany movements for Palestinian liberation?
-How do we integrate solidarity with Palestine into our work on racial justice and democracy?
-Can we nurture and grow internationalism in U.S. philanthropy through work on Palestine?
-What would you like to see in future strategies for mobilizing funding, donor organizing, working with frontline organizations, and integrating Palestine work into various sectors in philanthropy and activism?

Speakers: Chung-Wha Hong, Kathryn Snyder, Jas Wade, Vivette Jeffries-Logan