The Red Backpack Fund

Empowered Women Empower Women

Since its inception, Spanx and The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation have been dedicated to elevating and supporting women through entrepreneurship. Knowing the ripple effect that empowering women can have to strengthen communities, the foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19 and teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish The Red Backpack Fund. GlobalGiving awarded 1,000 grants of $5,000 each to female entrepreneurs across the United States to help alleviate the impact of the crisis. 

In addition to the financial gift, each recipient also received a “lucky” red backpack. Sara started Spanx with her “lucky” red backpack from college. It was with her every step of the way. The lucky red backpack is a symbol of starting small while dreaming BIG and it has become the official icon of The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation. It is a wonderful reminder that everything you need to succeed is already on your back.