WANDA launches Give 8/28 campaign

The campaign seeks to grow a new crop of healthy eaters, readers and leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. | August 3, 2026 -- Somewhere, a little girl is learning what food means. She is learning from the meals served at home, the characters she sees on a screen, the packages lining store shelves, and the stories adults tell her about what is “good,” what is “healthy,” and what belongs on her plate.

At the same time, somewhere else, a young woman is imagining a future in nutrition, agriculture, food science, culinary arts, public health, or research. She has the talent. She has the vision. What she may not have is the scholarship, mentor, professional network, or simple vote of confidence that helps her keep going.

What if one gift could nourish them both?

Today, Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA) launches its Give 8/28 campaign, “Help WANDA Nourish the Next Generation of Healthy Eaters, Readers, and Leaders.” As WANDA celebrates its 10th anniversary, we are inviting you to become a Founding Gardener and help women and girls bloom where they belong.

A story in her hands. A scholarship in her future.

Give 8/28 is the national day of giving for Black-led nonprofits during Black Philanthropy Month. WANDA’s goal is to raise $28,000 by August 28 to support two connected generations.

The first is the child discovering the power of food. Through WANDA’s World, Little WANDA will lead children and their families through a digital well-being and nutrition edutainment experience filled with stories, animation, music, food adventures, cultural learning, and practical tools.

Little WANDA is more than a character. She is the positive role model many children deserve to see: curious, joyful, culturally grounded, and eager to understand where food comes from, what it does in her body, and how it connects her to family, heritage, science, and community.

The second generation is the emerging woman leader preparing to shape the future of food. Through WANDA Scholars, women and students pursuing careers across nutrition, agriculture, dietetics, food science, public health, culinary arts, research, and related fields can receive scholarship assistance, mentorship, professional development, and leadership opportunities.

WANDA has already supported more than 34 women in the United States and Nigeria through education and leadership pathways. Your gift can help the next Food Shero remain in school, meet a mentor, build her confidence, enter a professional network, and recognize that her knowledge and lived experience belong in the field.

The child reading with Little WANDA today could become the nutritionist, farmer, chef, researcher, entrepreneur, or policymaker who nourishes communities tomorrow. These are not two separate investments. They are two seasons of the same garden.

Why we are asking you to grow with us

For 10 years, WANDA has educated, advocated, innovated, and celebrated so that women and girls of African descent can lead from farm to health. We have supported scholars, gathered women around Sisterhood Supper tables, advanced maternal nutrition education, elevated cultural foodways, created children’s learning experiences, and helped women recognize themselves as Food Sheroes.

But our next decade requires deeper investment.

“WANDA believes every child deserves to have positive role models like Little WANDA to become healthy eaters, readers, and leaders. Every mother deserves the nourishment, knowledge, and community support to help her family flourish,” said Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder and CEO of WANDA. “Give 8/28 is an opportunity to invest in Black women-led solutions that feed more than bodies. We nourish futures.”

With the funding raised through this campaign, WANDA intends to:

• support young learners through a culturally grounded child nutrition edutainment platform;

• provide college scholarships for students pursuing food, nutrition, and agriculture careers;

• offer mentorship and leadership development for emerging Food Sheroes;

• create stories and educational tools that help families learn about food together;

• strengthen the pipeline of women prepared to lead across food and health systems.

  
  

You can help something bloom

Every contribution matters.

Your gift can help place a nourishing story in a child’s hands. It can help a student remain on the path toward her degree. It can help a young woman meet the mentor who changes what she believes is possible. It can help WANDA build healthier communities by investing in the women and girls already carrying the wisdom, creativity, and leadership our food systems need.

You can support the campaign in several ways:

• Donate. Make a gift of any amount.

• Share. Send the campaign to your family, friends, sorority, church, professional network, or community.

• Start a fundraiser. Create a personal Give 8/28 page in honor of someone who nourished you.

• Request a match. Ask your employer to match your contribution and double its impact.

Every donor is a gardener. Every gift nourishes two generations. And every child deserves the opportunity to bloom where she belongs.

Help us reach $28,000 by August 28

Donate, share, or create a peer fundraiser at: https://www.give828.org/story/iamwanda

Together, we can put a story in her hands, a scholarship in her future, and a healthier world within her power. Come grow with us.

About WANDA

Founded on International Women’s Day in 2016, Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. WANDA educates, advocates, innovates, and celebrates so women and girls of African descent can become Food Sheroes leading from farm to health. Its programs connect maternal nutrition, children’s nutrition and literacy, scholarships, leadership development, and cultural foodways. Learn more at iamwanda.org. For media interviews, partnerships, or additional information, contact hello @ iamwanda.org.