By Gloria Ogbonna
Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival has turned its first year into a major philanthropic success, with the event ultimately raising $20 million for nonprofit organizations working to support women and girls in the United States and around the world.
The fundraising total doubled after philanthropist Melinda French Gates and her organization, Pivotal, announced a commitment to match the $10 million raised by the festival.
French Gates revealed the matching contribution Saturday during the festival in Irvine, California, joining Rodrigo onstage to celebrate the event’s mission and the people who helped make the fundraising effort possible.
Rodrigo said the festival was created around the idea that collective action can create meaningful change and expressed gratitude to French Gates for helping expand the impact of the inaugural event.
“Daisy Chain Fields is about what can happen when we come together and use our collective power to support one another,” Rodrigo said. “I’m incredibly grateful to Melinda and Pivotal for believing in this mission and making the impact of our first festival twice as powerful.”
French Gates praised Rodrigo for using her platform to draw attention to issues affecting women and girls and said the festival’s influence could extend well beyond the concert itself.
“Olivia Rodrigo is a force,” French Gates said. “What Daisy Chain Fields sets in motion will last far beyond a single night, by opening up opportunity for women and girls around the world and showing a new generation how much their voices matter. I’m so proud to support Olivia’s vision.”
Money to Benefit 10 Nonprofit Organizations
The $20 million raised through the festival will be divided equally among 10 nonprofit organizations, with each group receiving funding to continue its work supporting women, girls, families and communities.
The organizations benefiting from the proceeds are:
- 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
- Planned Parenthood
Rodrigo said the organizations were selected because of the important work they carry out both in the United States and internationally.
She thanked everyone who contributed to reaching the original $10 million goal, including fans who purchased tickets, performers who waived their fees, sponsors who supported the first-year festival and individuals who made donations.
“I’m so grateful to every person who bought a ticket, every artist who waived their fee, every sponsor for signing onto a brand new festival and every donation that helped get to $10 million to support women and girls,” Rodrigo said.
With French Gates matching the amount, the festival’s initial fundraising goal effectively became twice as impactful.
Festival Combined Music and Activism
Daisy Chain Fields was designed not only as a music festival but also as a platform for highlighting organizations working on issues affecting women and girls.
Throughout the event, attendees were given opportunities to learn more about the festival’s nonprofit partners and the causes they support through an initiative called Daisy Chain Reaction.
The program allowed concertgoers to connect the entertainment they were experiencing with the broader social issues the festival was created to address.
For Rodrigo, the combination of music, community and activism was central to the festival’s purpose.
The singer announced the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Festival in June, describing it as a new event centered on bringing people together while supporting organizations dedicated to creating opportunities and improving the lives of women and girls.
Star-Studded Lineup
The first Daisy Chain Fields Festival also featured a high-profile lineup of performers from across multiple generations and genres.
Rodrigo headlined the event alongside artists including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, the Breeders, Garbage and Rachel Chinouriri, among others.
The festival also featured several surprise and special appearances that gave the night an even bigger moment.
Stevie Nicks, Alanis Morissette and Lilith Fair founder Sarah McLachlan appeared as special guests and joined Rodrigo for performances.
The combination of established music legends and some of today’s most prominent younger artists helped make the inaugural event a major attraction for fans.
At the conclusion of Saturday night’s performance, Rodrigo appeared to confirm that Daisy Chain Fields will return next year.
Turning to the crowd, she told fans, “See you next year!”
The announcement suggests the festival could become an annual event, potentially expanding its fundraising efforts and continuing to use music as a vehicle for supporting organizations focused on women and girls.
With its first event raising $10 million before French Gates’ matching contribution, Daisy Chain Fields has already established a significant charitable footprint in its debut year—and the $20 million total gives the festival an even stronger foundation heading into its next chapter.
Source ABC7
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