We are thrilled to announce that Yamani Yansá Hernandez (she/they) has become our permanent CEO, bringing over 25 years of experience in organizational development, executive leadership, and reproductive justice!
As a former partner at the Management Center, Yamani coached some of the country’s most respected social justice leaders. In 2015, she became the National Network of Abortion Funds’ first Black executive director and led the organization through one of the worst anti-abortion presidencies, a global pandemic, and racial justice uprisings. They grew the member technical assistance and advocacy organization for 100 grassroots organizations from a team of 12 to 60 staff and a budget from $2M to $20M.
Originally hired as the second interim executive director in December 2022, Yamani leads Groundswell with grace, thoughtfulness, and strategic vision. Over the past year, Yamani has focused on building relationships, infrastructure, and capacity aspects of our 2020-2025 Blueprint.
“Yamani’s experience as a former Groundswell grantee to now heading one of the largest funders of reproductive justice, affirms our commitment to cultivating leadership from the movement, for the movement. We look forward to Yamani’s fresh perspective on philanthropy and building on the legacy of Groundswell’s work to resourcing grassroots organizing and centering women and gender-expansive people of color.”
- Kimberly Inez McGuire, Chair of Groundswell Fund’s Board of Directors
As 2024 promises to be a critical year in the fight for reproductive justice and a multiracial democracy, Yamani intends to build on the work of the Reproductive Justice Movement and notes, “It’s not just about abortion. We must ensure that people who give birth can do so and stay alive. This looks like funding places like the South and the Midwest, where I’m from. These areas are the most impacted by the attacks on trans youth, reproductive oppression, and gender-based violence. These communities are the experts on creative radical interventions for liberation.”
Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund Boards are deeply grateful for the leadership Yamani has brought to the Reproductive Justice Movement and all she has accomplished to build the health and sustainability of Groundswell thus far.