Melinda French Gates pledges another $10 million at Irvine benefit
The Daisy Chain Fields benefit concert raised $20 million for women’s well-being at a Saturday festival in Irvine, California, the Associated Press reported. The event featured a women-led musical lineup supporting causes including women’s health, workplace protections, and legal rights.
Rodrigo announced ahead of the show that the festival had raised $10 million to direct to 10 nonprofit partners. Three of those organizations — Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Law Center, and Black Mamas Matter Alliance — were named in the AP report. The remaining seven partner organizations were not identified.
Philanthropist Melinda French Gates made a surprise appearance at the start of Rodrigo’s set and pledged another $10 million through her Pivotal Ventures organization. She called Rodrigo “a force” and praised her for “showing a new generation how much their voices matter.”
The festival’s lineup featured queer pop star Chappell Roan, breakout rapper Doechii, and riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill. The AP characterized the event as evoking “the same do-it-yourself pop-rock feminism” of Rodrigo’s musical influences and reported that the benefit show “activated her young audience.”