Olivia Rodrigo's inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival just got twice as impactful. Melinda French Gates joined Rodrigo on stage at Great Park in Irvine, California, on Saturday night (Aug. 29) to announce she’d match of the $10 million raised at the event, bringing the total donation to $20 million split equally among 10 women-focused nonprofits.
"I'm totally floored because, as well as being in attendance here tonight, she's pledged to double every dollar that we made here today, bringing the grand total of funds being donated to $20 million! I'm so grateful," Rodrigo told the crowd.
Rodrigo had already announced the $10 million donation moments earlier, crediting the artists who performed for free. "The fact that they took the time out of their insanely busy schedules to come and do this festival for free is something I'm so grateful for," she said. "Because of that, and because of all of you who came to hang out today, I can stand on the stage and say we are donating $10 million to ten incredible charities supporting all women in the U.S."
French Gates's pledge came through Pivotal, the group of organizations she founded to accelerate social progress for women and young people. In a statement, French Gates called Rodrigo "a force" and said the festival would open up opportunity for women and girls around the world while showing a new generation how much their voices matter.
Addressing the crowd directly, French Gates framed the moment in broader terms. "When women and girls come together to dream and to lead, we change the world," she said. "And so long after the lights go down from this festival, the organizations doing this work will keep doing it because you all are here."
The $20 million is distributed equally among 10 nonprofits: Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women's Law Center, and Planned Parenthood. The organizations span reproductive rights and healthcare, maternal health, gender-based violence support, domestic workers' rights, and gender justice.
Rodrigo said she hoped festivalgoers had taken time during the day to learn about each organization. "Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another," she said in a statement. "I'm so excited about what this means for the incredible organizations we're supporting and the women, girls and communities they show up for every single day."
