Transforming the world by supporting the development of dreams, however big they may be.

Our areas of focus…

Our Empowering Youth program area provides the tools needed for young people to develop into their best selves through mentorship, education, and guidance during their formative years.

Empowering Youth

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Our Empowering Women program area aims to create pathways that unlock the potential of mentorship, workforce preparation, career guidance, leadership and beyond.

Empowering Women

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Our Empowering Innovation program area works with partners to find, fund, and deliver innovative projects that seek new ways to change the world.

Empowering Innovation

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Stories from our participants – in their own words.

As an equestrian in progress I feel as if meeting horses was the most amazing thing to happen to me. For the last year I have been meeting new people and making connections with all of the horses at the farm. I genuinely like the lessons. I like how the coaches have a different response to each rider. I think that the fun times we had were when we learned how to do backflips. I feel as if all the practice has made me a better person overall.”
Raven
9th Grade Rider | BridgeUP GiddyUP
This space, this moment, these women … they make me feel so seen.

They make me feel like I am enough.
Millie
BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Graduate
The sisterhood of advice, council, and encouragement, fundamentally prepared me for the search process and ability to confidently step into this new role.
Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
Artistic Director, Alliance Theater | BOLD Women’s Leadership Circle

HELEN AND DAVID

Our Origins

The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation was established in 2010 as The Pussycat Foundation, named after Helen’s favorite term of endearment, and thanks to the trust of David and Helen Gurley Brown. Since then, the Foundation has been actively awarding grants to individuals and to fund programs from their inception.

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  • LATEST updates

    LevelUP Licensing, BOLD Milestones, and Magic Grant Winners: April 2026 Updates!

    April has been a busy month! From end-of-year celebrations to major career milestones to the announcement of new grants, our community showed up in a big way to kick off  spring. In our Empowering Youth vertical, BridgeUP GiddyUP, hosted its Spring 2026 LevelUP Licensing Event. It is a celebration of the incredible  personal progression that is accessible and achievable at all levels of equestrian experience. LevelUP Licensing events are a testament to what becomes possible when education with horses is grounded in an equine ethics-first approach: riders at every level truly thrive. This year’s event was judged by a panel…

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    LevelUP Licensing, BOLD Milestones, and Magic Grant Winners: April 2026 Updates!