What International Women Media Foundation - IWMF does

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1990 that supports women and nonbinary journalists worldwide. Its core offerings span five program pillars: Safety (Hostile Environment and First Aid Training, Emergency Fund for Women Journalists, Online Abuse and Harassment Support, Coalition Against Online Violence, Journalist Trauma Support Network), Opportunity (Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program, Lauren Brown Fellowship), Reporting (Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, ¡Exprésate! LGBTQI+ Reporting Initiative, Fund for Indigenous Journalists, Women on the Ground Ukraine, Round Earth Media, Adelante Latin America, African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative), Recognition (Courage in Journalism Awards — 37th iteration in 2026, Gwen Ifill Award, Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award, Lifetime Achievement Award), and Equity (cross-cutting programming). Beneficiaries are individual women and nonbinary journalists who apply to open programs or are nominated for awards; IWMF does not sell products or services.

The organization operates a community-led, donor-funded revenue model with no commercial sales motion. Income is derived from foundation and institutional grants (e.g., $1.2M from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation in December 2024, $1.5M from Press Forward in July 2025, $200K from the Knight Foundation in October 2025) and from individual and corporate donations, anchored by Bank of America's 20-year consecutive sponsorship of the Courage in Journalism Awards. IWMF distributes resources directly to journalists via open applications, nomination-based awards, and direct outreach. Technology footprint is minimal: a website (iwmf.org), digital programs, and the Reporta smartphone application referenced for safety data collection; no proprietary AI/ML stack or technical product is disclosed.

Operating geographies span the United States (headquarters), Ukraine, France, Germany, India, UAE, Mexico, and the broader global community of women journalists. The organization employs 11-50 staff, has no parent company or subsidiaries, and acquired Round Earth Media in April 2019 to extend cross-border reporting collaboration capabilities.

Name

International Women Media Foundation - IWMF

Legal name

International Women's Media Foundation

Website

https://iwmf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Women's Media Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit founded in 1990 that supports women and nonbinary journalists globally through fellowships, grants, safety training, awards, and mentorship programs. It is funded by foundation grants and corporate/individual donations, including a 20-year Bank of America sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO), Workforce Development & Training Grants (Public Health) (HLAJALAM), Emergency Preparedness & Response Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAL)

Keywords

• Journalist grants and fellowships
• Media safety training
• Journalism awards program
• Press freedom advocacy
• Women journalist support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Institutional Grants: IWMF receives large institutional grants from foundations (e.g., Howard G. Buffett Foundation's $1.2 million grant) to fund specific reporting programs. These grants fund program operations and journalist support.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: IWMF collects individual and corporate donations, including ongoing sponsorship (e.g., Bank of America sponsoring the Courage in Journalism Awards for 20 consecutive years). The organization also maintains a donate page on its website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IWMF provides reporting fellowships, grants, journalism awards, safety training, emergency assistance, mentorship, and trauma support to women and nonbinary journalists worldwide. All programs are provided free of charge to eligible journalists and funded by foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. The organization distributes support through open applications, nomination-based awards, and direct outreach to journalists in dozens of countries.

Product overview

IWMF is a non-profit foundation offering a comprehensive portfolio of fellowships, grants, awards, training programs, and safety initiatives designed to support women and nonbinary journalists. The organization's offerings include reporting fellowships (Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, Lauren Brown Fellowship), grant programs (Kim Wall Memorial Fund, Kari Howard Fund, Fund for Indigenous Journalists, Reporting Grants for Women's Stories), LGBTQI+ support (¡Exprésate! initiative), regional reporting initiatives (Women on the Ground Ukraine, African Great Lakes, Adelante Latin America), journalism awards (Courage in Journalism Award, Gwen Ifill Award, Anja Niedringhaus Photojournalism Award, Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award), safety and training programs (HEFAT hostile environment training, emergency funds, trauma support network), and mentorship opportunities (Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program). The programs work together to provide journalists with financial resources, professional development, safety support, and recognition throughout their careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship Fellowship program providing women journalists with training, mentorship, and reporting opportunities focused on international affairs and conflict reporting.
• Lauren Brown Fellowship Fellowship program supporting women in journalism with training and professional development opportunities.
• Women on the Ground: Reporting from Ukraine's Unseen Frontlines Fellowship supporting women journalists to report on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, covering underreported stories from the region across Ukraine, France, Germany, and the US.
• ¡Exprésate! LGBTQI+ Reporting Initiative Reporting initiative supporting LGBTQI+ journalists in Latin America with grants, training, and resources to amplify LGBTQI+ stories and issues.
• Fund for Indigenous Journalists Grant program providing financial and resource support for Indigenous journalists to pursue reporting projects on issues affecting Indigenous communities.
• Kim Wall Memorial Fund Memorial fund providing grants for journalists to pursue investigative and international reporting projects in memory of journalist Kim Wall.
• Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism Fund supporting narrative journalism projects by women journalists, providing grants for in-depth storytelling.
• Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice in the Americas Reporting fund supporting journalism covering reproductive health, rights, and justice issues across the Americas.
• Reporting Grants for Women's Stories Grant program providing funding for women journalists to pursue important underreported stories.
• Gender Justice Reporting Initiative Initiative supporting journalism that covers gender justice issues and promotes equality.
• Global Health Reporting Initiative Initiative supporting in-depth health reporting focused on global health issues affecting women and marginalized communities.
• Adelante Program supporting Latin American women journalists with reporting grants and professional development.
• African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative Initiative supporting journalists reporting on issues in the African Great Lakes region.
• Round Earth Media Media program connecting journalists with international reporting opportunities and cross-border collaborative coverage.
• Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program Mentorship program connecting emerging women journalists with experienced professionals for career guidance and development.
• Emergency Fund for Women Journalists Emergency financial assistance for women journalists facing crisis situations, including safety threats and urgent needs.
• Alex Duval Smith Memorial Fund Memorial fund providing emergency support to women journalists in crisis situations.
• Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) Safety training program teaching journalists how to work safely in hostile environments, including first aid skills.
• Online Abuse and Harassment Support Resources and support services helping women journalists deal with online harassment and abuse.
• Newsroom Safety Across America Initiative focused on improving safety protocols and support for journalists in newsrooms across the United States.
• Safety Ambassador Fellowship Fellowship program training journalists to become safety ambassadors within their newsrooms and communities.
• Next Gen Safety Trainers Program developing the next generation of safety trainers for journalists.
• Journalist Trauma Support Network Network providing trauma support and mental health resources for journalists covering traumatic events.
• Safeguarding Women's Voices Program focused on protecting and supporting women journalists' ability to report safely.
• Courage in Journalism Award Annual award recognizing women journalists who demonstrate exceptional courage in reporting under dangerous conditions. In its 37th year in 2026 and sponsored by Bank of America for 20 consecutive years.
• Gwen Ifill Award Award honoring the legacy of Gwen Ifill, recognizing excellence in journalism by women of color and outstanding young journalists.
• Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award Annual award recognizing excellence and courage in photojournalism by women, named in honor of Anja Niedringhaus.
• Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award Award recognizing women journalists who have made significant contributions to advancing justice through their reporting, co-sponsored by the Wallis Annenberg Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37th annual Courage in Journalism Awards recognizing journalists from Iran, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the United States in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Committee to Protect Journalists: CPJ is a US-based nonprofit that advocates for press freedom globally and provides emergency assistance to journalists in crisis. It is the most direct peer to IWMF, sharing a journalist safety and crisis-response mission, though IWMF uniquely centers women and nonbinary journalists.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Paris-headquartered RSF defends press freedom worldwide and provides material, legal, and financial support to journalists and media outlets under threat. It is a direct peer through overlapping safety grants, advocacy, and international press freedom programming.
• Women's Media Center: US-based nonprofit co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem that works to make women and girls visible in media. Closely comparable to IWMF in centering women in journalism, though more US-focused and advocacy-leaning versus IWMF's global grantmaking model.
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: US-based nonprofit providing pro bono legal defense and resources to journalists. Comparable to IWMF through journalist support services but focused on First Amendment legal assistance rather than direct funding, training, and international safety programs.
• Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma: Columbia University-based program that trains journalists on trauma reporting and provides resources on mental health. Comparable to IWMF through the Journalist Trauma Support Network and HEFAT training, though narrower in scope (trauma-only) and academic-anchored.
• Rory Peck Trust: UK-based nonprofit providing practical and financial support to freelance journalists worldwide. Direct peer through grantmaking to freelance journalists in crisis, though focused on freelancers globally rather than women/nonbinary journalists specifically.

Broad incumbents

• PEN America: US-based literary and free expression organization that advocates for persecuted writers and journalists globally. Broader incumbent with overlapping press freedom mission but spans literary, artistic, and journalistic expression versus IWMF's narrower journalist focus.
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): Global federation of journalists' trade unions representing over 600,000 journalists in 146 countries. Comparable through international press freedom work and journalist support, but operates as a trade union federation rather than a direct grantmaker.
• Free Press: US-based nonprofit advocating for media reform, press freedom, and racial equity in media. Comparable through press freedom mission but operates more as US policy advocate than direct grantmaker to individual journalists.

Emerging players

• ACOS Alliance: International alliance of news organizations, journalists, and press freedom NGOs focused on journalist safety standards and training. Comparable to IWMF's safety programming (HEFAT, online violence) but functions as an industry standards coalition rather than direct grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IWMF
• Facebookfacebook.com/IWMFpage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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M&A1 record

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Women Media Foundation - IWMF