As 2025 comes to a close, we reflect on a year of extraordinary achievements and transformative impact in health, education, and economic opportunity for millions of people around the world. For several years, we’ve shared our top highlights to showcase the remarkable work of Rise Up Leaders and our global network – but this year is particularly significant. In 2025, we officially launched as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Rise Up Together, marking a pivotal chapter of growth and possibility. We invite you to explore our Top 10 Highlights of 2025, celebrating the accomplishments of our leaders, partners, and supporters like you, while looking ahead to the bold opportunities and systemic change the coming year holds. Thank you for standing with us, for supporting our journey, and for believing in the power of local leadership to drive lasting change.
#1: New Era. Same Mission. More Impact.
On October 1, 2025, after 16 years as a fiscally sponsored project of the Public Health Institute (PHI), Rise Up officially became Rise Up Together, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We celebrated this milestone with an official announcement featuring reflections from our partners at PHI and Rise Up Together global team members, a special transition edition newsletter, an introduction to our inaugural Board of Directors, and recognition of the transformative gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, which helped fuel our successful transition. Stepping into this new era has given us greater flexibility to deepen our impact, expand our network, and continue resourcing local leaders to drive large-scale change for women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people across the globe.
#2: Celebrating Our Global Achievements at the 2025 Evening of Impact
On April 30, Rise Up Together’s 2025 Evening of Impact brought together social impact leaders, gender justice advocates, and supporters to celebrate our global impact and the transformative work of Rise Up Leaders like Betty Adera, who traveled from Kenya to share her story of preventing gender-based violence and expanding education for marginalized girls. Thanks to the unwavering generosity of our community, we surpassed the evening’s $300,000 goal, demonstrating the collective power of our network at a time when global challenges demand bold and immediate action. As our Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Denise R. Dunning, shared at the event: “We are here. We are doing the work. We are not giving up and we know you won’t either.”
#3: Launching Global Good News
In a world often filled with heavy headlines, our Global Good News series celebrates hope, progress, and transformational change, highlighting Rise Up Leaders driving meaningful impact in their communities. In 2025, we featured five extraordinary leaders: Sadia Khan, whose Freedom to Choose campaign has already reached more than 30,000 people—advancing legal protections for survivors, educating lawmakers and advocates, and building momentum to end forced and child marriage in California and beyond; Aisha Cooper Bruce and Rosana Schaack, whose advocacy secured Liberia’s historic Children’s Act guaranteeing rights and protections for over 2 million children; Olanike Timipa-Uge, whose work in Nigeria enabled 40,000 adolescent mothers to return to school; and Joyce Nomagugu Msomi, who opened the KwaMashu Thuthuzela Care Centre, providing critical support for survivors of gender-based violence. Through these stories, Global Good News reminds us that positive change is not only possible – it’s happening every day.
#4: Strengthening Impact Through Shared Learning and Partnership
This year, Rise Up Together hosted a dynamic three-part Learning Event series, reflecting our deep commitment to partnership, shared learning, and collective leadership. From grounding our community in the fundamentals of policy change during Advocacy 101, to exploring community-centered philanthropy with Hali Lee, to hearing from Cummins Inc. executives Jim Schacht and Traci Kraus on courageous corporate leadership, each conversation offered powerful insights that strengthened and inspired our network. Together, these learning experiences reaffirmed the power of coming together across sectors and perspectives to advance a more just, equitable, and hopeful world.
#5: Expanding Our Global Network of Visionary Leaders
In 2025, Rise Up Together welcomed 104 new visionary leaders from India, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya to our Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator, providing intensive training in advocacy, leadership, and policy change. These leaders brought diverse expertise and perspectives to advance gender justice issues, including girls’ education, reproductive health, economic opportunity, ending gender-based violence, and climate resilience and environmental sustainability. We’re thrilled to welcome them into our growing global network of more than 800 Rise Up Leaders working to drive lasting change around the world.
#6: Advancing Impact Through Our Learning Agenda
In 2025, Rise Up Together continued to strengthen our Learning Agenda, using evidence, research, and leader feedback to refine programs and deepen global impact. Analysis of our 2024 Alumni Survey, which captured responses from 230 leaders across cohorts from 2009–2023, showed that 80% of alumni actively shared knowledge with colleagues and communities, 71% reported increased organizational capacity, and training was the most valued program component—underscoring how Rise Up Leaders act as multipliers of knowledge. Insights from our recently released Technical Assistance survey further highlighted the value of targeted, individualized support in helping leaders implement advocacy strategies effectively, ensuring that our training, funding, and coaching remain responsive, evidence-informed, and increasingly effective in advancing systemic gender justice worldwide.
#7: More Than 25 Million Lives Changed in 2024
Earlier this year, we were proud to publish our 2024 Annual Report, highlighting how, in 2024 alone, Rise Up Together’s visionary leaders positively impacted more than 25 million people worldwide through bold advocacy, innovative solutions, and systemic change. The report showcased leaders like Poonam Jonwal, who ensured nearly 10 million girls in India received a quality education; Fernanda Martins, who secured protections for 13 million women against gender-based violence in Brazil; and Franklin Pyokpung Zaure, who equipped 362,000 Nigerian girls with critical digital literacy skills. Their stories demonstrated how investing in local leadership transforms communities and drives measurable, lasting change.
#8: Championing Rights for ALL Women and Girls on #IWD 2025
This year, Rise Up Together celebrated International Women’s Day by highlighting five extraordinary leaders working to advance gender equity and inclusion around the world. Leaders like Esohe Ekunwe in Nigeria, Urenda Queletzú Navarro Sánchez in Mexico, Jennifer Roberson in California, Mary Mogana Mochama in Kenya, and Anshu Jha in India demonstrated how local advocacy drives systemic change—from expanding digital access and protecting students from gender-based violence to creating economic opportunities and mentoring future leaders. Their work exemplified the resilience, courage, and vision of women and girls everywhere, showing that true progress leaves no one behind. On this year’s International Women’s Day, we reflected on their achievements and recommitted to supporting leaders who ensure rights, equity, and empowerment for ALL women and girls.
#9: Celebrating International Day of the Girl
This year, Rise Up Together marked International Day of the Girl by joining thousands of organizations and activists around the world to honor the leadership, potential, and rights of girls everywhere. In our October edition of Global Good News, we highlighted Rise Up Leader Olanike Timipa-Uge, whose advocacy in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, enabled 40,000 adolescent mothers to return to school and access opportunities for education, health, and leadership. As Olanike reminds us, “Every girl who rises becomes a beacon of hope for many others.”
#10: Uplifting Rise Up Leaders Advancing Gender and Climate Justice on Earth Day
This year, we celebrated Earth Day by featuring three remarkable leaders working at the nexus of climate and gender equity. Rise Up Leader Neha Mankani, recently named to TIME100’s 2025 Climate List for her leadership at the intersection of climate and gender justice in Pakistan, provided midwifery care to over 15,000 displaced families during floods. Anastesia Ezeolisa advocated for gender-sensitive flood response policies in Nigeria, and Prem Shankar advanced irrigation policy in India to protect women farmers. Their efforts demonstrated how addressing gender equity and environmental sustainability together drives systemic, community-led solutions that strengthen resilience, protect livelihoods, and empower the most vulnerable.
