Ms. Foundation for Women

What Ms. Foundation for Women does

Ms. Foundation for Women is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic organization founded in 1973 by Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine, Letty Cottin-Pogrebin, and Marlo Thomas, and recognized as the nation's first and oldest women's foundation. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the foundation invests in and strengthens the capacity of women-led grassroots movements to advance social, cultural, and economic change across three focus areas: Economic Justice, Safety, and Women's Health. Since inception it has supported more than 1,600 organizations and currently maintains a network of over 150 active grantee partners, which it funds primarily through invitation-only general operating support grants paired with capacity-building services such as fundraising assistance, strategic communications support, and movement network connections.

The foundation delivers its work through a portfolio of programs including Ms. South (regional strategy in its fourth year), Ms. Midwest (launched 2024 across 12 Midwestern states with a $660,000 pilot), the Birth Justice Initiative (launched 2022), the Girls of Color Initiative, the Safety, Health, and Economic (S.H.E.) integrated strategy, and the Activist Collaboration & Care Fund. Its commercial-style operations rely on third-party platforms — SalsaLabs for donation processing, YourCause/GrantsConnect for grants administration since 2025, and FreeWill for planned giving — and include recurring giving programs (Sojourner Society monthly giving circle starting at $10/month) and signature events such as the annual Women of Vision Awards gala ($270,000 raised in 2026) and Ms. on Martha's Vineyard. Cumulative endowment fundraising exceeds $106 million, anchored by a $50 million bequest in 2023.

Revenue mechanics are typical of a private foundation: individual donations, planned giving and legacy gifts, corporate matching, event-based fundraising, and merchandise sales. The foundation is led by incoming President & CEO Tracy Sturdivant (announced April 2026, the 10th CEO), succeeding Teresa C. Younger who served 13 years. The board includes Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (appointed January 2026). The foundation is governed independently with no parent organization, and operates with 11–50 employees.

Name

Ms. Foundation for Women

Legal name

Ms. Foundation for Women, Inc.

Website

https://forwomen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ms. Foundation for Women, founded in 1973, is the nation's oldest women's foundation, providing invitation-only grantmaking and capacity-building support to over 150 grassroots organizations led by women of color across Economic Justice, Safety, and Women's Health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Philanthropy and Grantmaking Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Feminist grantmaking
• Women's movement building
• Capacity building services
• Philanthropic foundation
• Grassroots women's funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Contributions: The foundation receives donations from individuals through its website, events, and direct mail. The organization has a successful track record of raising funds, having raised over $100 million for its endowment, including the largest gift ever—a $50 million bequest from Lucia Woods Lindley in 2023.
2. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: The foundation offers planned giving options including bequests, securities gifts, life insurance gifts, retirement and IRA gifts. They partner with FreeWill to help donors create wills and legacy gifts. Donors who make planned gifts join Gloria's Legacy Circle for Gender and Racial Equity.
3. Corporate Partnerships: The foundation receives corporate matching gifts, corporate sponsorships, and participates in workplace giving programs. They have a matching gift database for employees to double their contributions.
4. Event Revenue: The foundation hosts signature events including the annual Women of Vision Awards gala, Ms. on Martha's Vineyard event, Comedy Night, and other fundraising events. The 2026 Women of Vision Awards raised over $270,000.
5. Merchandise Sales: The foundation operates a merchandise store (shop.forwomen.org) where purchases are official donations to support the foundation's work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ms. Foundation for Women is a non-profit philanthropic foundation that makes multi-year general operating grants and provides capacity-building services to women-led grassroots organizations across the United States. It concentrates its grantmaking across three focus areas — Economic Justice, Safety, and Women's Health — and accepts applications primarily through an invitation-only process, also operating regional initiatives (Ms. South, Ms. Midwest), topical initiatives (Birth Justice Initiative, Girls of Color Initiative, S.H.E.), and donor-engagement programs (Sojourner Society, Gloria's Legacy Circle).

Product overview

Ms. Foundation for Women is a philanthropic organization offering a portfolio of grantmaking programs, capacity building services, research publications, events, and donor engagement programs. Core offerings include regional grantmaking initiatives (Ms. South, Ms. Midwest, Birth Justice Initiative, Girls of Color Initiative, S.H.E., Activist Collaboration & Care Fund, Building Connections Initiative) that support women-led movements in Economic Justice, Safety, and Women's Health. The foundation conducts and publishes research (Pocket Change, Living With Pocket Change, Generation Spark reports) to inform philanthropy. Signature events include the annual Women of Vision Awards gala and Ms. on Martha's Vineyard gathering. Donor engagement includes the Sojourner Society monthly giving circle and Gloria's Legacy Circle planned giving program. Technical operations use Salsa for donation processing, YourCause/GrantsConnect for grants management, and FreeWill for planned giving tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grantmaking Programs Strategic, invitation-only multi-year general operating grants to U.S. women-led grassroots organizations working in Economic Justice, Safety and Women's Health, including regional strategies (Ms. South, Ms. Midwest), the Birth Justice Initiative, Girls of Color Initiative, S.H.E., the Activist Collaboration & Care Fund and the Building Connections Initiative.
• Capacity Building Services Strategic assistance to grantee partners covering organizational fundraising and financial health, strategic communications research and training, campaign support and cross-movement networking with local, state and national groups — designed to build long-term leadership and organizational capacity beyond grant funding.
• Online Donation Platform Donor-facing online donation service accepting one-time and recurring gifts (credit card, eCheck, PayPal and bank account) and supporting tribute donations and corporate matching-gift processing.
• Online Grants Portal (GrantsConnect) Grantee-facing portal for invited organizations to submit online grant applications, complete progress reporting and administer awards through YourCause/GrantsConnect, with security safeguards including data encryption and penetration testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5.48 per year per woman or girl of color in total philanthropic giving (Pocket Change 2020 report)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• The LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026The League is a social impact collective founded by incoming President & CEO Tracy Sturdivant that harnesses culture and storytelling to activate public engagement around social issues. With Tracy's appointment, The League represents a key strategic connection as the foundation enters a new era focused on deepening its ability to connect culture, communications, and movement building.
• Kuluntu Reproductive Justice CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKRJC is a Birth Justice Initiative grantee partner that helps families build healthy communities, birthworkers hone their craft, and birth-related care providers support patients with culturally competent care to reduce exposure to harm. Services target Black people with multiple marginalized identities including LGBTQIA people, those with disabilities, and people with non-normative family structures.
• SisterSongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational reproductive justice organization on the front lines of combatting the perinatal mortality crisis and doing work to ensure bodily autonomy of all people.
• Black Mamas Matter AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization combatting the perinatal mortality crisis and ensuring bodily autonomy, particularly for Black mothers.
• Black Feminist FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReproductive and birth justice organization on the front lines of combatting the perinatal mortality crisis.
• Family EqualitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization centering the needs of LGBTQ+ people and families in reproductive justice work.
• COLAGEsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization serving LGBTQ+ families and young people, partnering on intersectional family justice work.
• Forward TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeeply intersectional organization working across reproductive justice, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ issues.
• SPARK Reproductive Justice NOWsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerReproductive justice organization advancing bodily autonomy and equity.
• Healthy and Free TennesseeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in family justice and community building work, particularly around family policing and surveillance issues.
• Movement for Family PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization working around family justice, family policing, and community building for families impacted by systems.
• FreeWillsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationFreeWill provides online tools to help donors create wills and establish legacy gifts. Ms. Foundation partners with FreeWill to make planned giving accessible to supporters who want to create feminist legacies.
• National Women's Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrantee partner and national advocacy organization advancing gender justice through litigation, policy, and cultural change. Led by Fatima Goss Graves.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Women's Foundation: Regional women's foundation that funds research, advocacy, and direct services for women and girls in Texas. Directly comparable to Ms. Foundation in mission, model (grantmaking plus capacity building), and focus on gender equity.
• The Women's Foundation of Colorado: Statewide women's foundation funding economic self-sufficiency, health, safety, and leadership for women and girls of color. Closely mirrors Ms. Foundation's three-pillar grantmaking structure and intersectional lens.
• Women's Funding Network: Network of more than 100 women's foundations and funds globally. Directly comparable as Ms. Foundation is a flagship member and provides a blueprint for similar regional women's funds per its own positioning.
• NoVo Foundation: Private foundation focused on advancing girls and women of color and social justice movements. Strongly aligned with Ms. Foundation's intersectional grantmaking and movement-building approach.
• National Women's Law Center: National advocacy organization advancing gender justice through litigation, policy, and cultural change; identified in company data as a grantee partner. Comparable as a peer operating in the same gender-equity ecosystem.
• SisterSong: National reproductive justice organization for women of color, identified as a core grantee partner of Ms. Foundation. Operates in the same intersectional gender-and-race-equity space and shares the foundation's movement-building orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Tides Foundation: Large progressive philanthropy intermediary that funnels resources to social justice, gender equity, and racial justice causes. Comparable as a broader institutional incumbent that channels donor capital to movement-aligned work alongside Ms. Foundation.
• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations with major programs on gender, racial, and economic justice. Comparable as a large incumbent funder active in the same issue space, though operating at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Major U.S. foundation with significant programming on racial equity and community-led change. Comparable incumbent funder operating in adjacent (race-equity) and overlapping (community-driven grantmaking) program areas.
• Open Society Foundations: Large global foundation with active women's rights, racial justice, and democratic participation portfolios. Comparable as a broad incumbent with substantive overlap in movement-building grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MsFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/msfoundationforwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ms-foundation-for-women
• Instagraminstagram.com/msfoundation
• Xx.com/msfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ms. Foundation for Women