Women of the World

What Women of the World does

Women of the World is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, founded in 2008 by Samira Harnish to deliver trauma-informed support services to forcibly displaced women, including refugees, asylum seekers, and women fleeing war, poverty, abuse, or famine. The organization operates a three-pronged service model comprising Customized Service (one-on-one case management for issues including eviction, immigration, healthcare, and legal navigation), Community Development (mentorship, English language instruction ranging from intensive to conversational, and workshops covering financial literacy, health, technology, and citizenship), and Economic Empowerment (career services, resume building, and job placement via an Employer Partnership Initiative). A Scholarships program extends the model to fund education and technical certification for both displaced women and, since its expansion, American-born daughters of displaced women aged 25 and under.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its service delivery is human-led, place-based, and dependent on trained case managers, volunteer mentors, and contracted English teachers. Operating from a single office at 415 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, with 1–10 employees, the organization runs programs out of that location and refers clients via partnerships with refugee resettlement agencies and the Salt Lake County Health Department. The only commercial digital surface is an e-commerce shop selling WoW-branded merchandise and a separate WoW Online Bazaar featuring artwork by displaced women artists (Entisar collection), with prints priced $25–$150 and merchandise $10–$25.

The revenue model is grant- and donation-driven: the organization explicitly receives no federal funding and instead relies on individual monthly giving, one-time donations, in-kind contributions, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships. A tiered sponsor/foundation roster spans six core-tier partners (Miller Family Foundation, Boeing, Bruce & Cecilia Petersen Foundation Trust, Thornton Family Charitable Trust, Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake County Health Department), seven major-tier partners (Key Bank Foundation, Adobe Foundation, Sorenson Legacy, Ally Bank, Maxfield Family Foundation, Hemingway Foundation, Andrus Family Foundation), and additional supporting and minor partners. The annual Fashion Show & Cultural Gala functions as the flagship fundraising event, generating revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations. The organization reports a $3.50 social return per dollar contributed and 2024 impact metrics of 56 jobs started, 300+ practical English hours, 14 mentorships, 18 workshops, 2,533 volunteer hours, $949K in customized service expense savings, and $1.9M in client earnings increase and educational benefit.

Name

Women of the World

Legal name

Women of the World

Website

https://womenofworld.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women of the World is a Salt Lake City–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing trauma-informed case management, English instruction, mentorship, and job placement to forcibly displaced women, funded by foundations, individual donors, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigrant Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Diaspora, Family Reunification & Case Management Services (BPADAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAJ), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Refugee support services
• Trauma-informed case management
• Economic empowerment services
• Women's mentorship programs
• Nonprofit community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Foundation Donations: Women of the World receives no federal funding and relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. The organization offers monthly giving programs and accepts one-time donations online or via check. In-kind donations of products and services are also accepted.
2. Merchandise and Art Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce shop selling merchandise (t-shirts, water bottles, tote bags) and artwork created by clients. Products range from $10 to $150.
3. Event-based Fundraising: The annual Fashion Show & Cultural Gala serves as the organization's biggest fundraising event, providing revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Women of the World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing trauma-informed case management, advocacy, and community support services to forcibly displaced women in Salt Lake City, Utah. Through a three-pronged model — Customized Service (one-on-one case management), Community Development (mentorship, English classes, workshops), and Economic Empowerment (career services, job placement) — the organization delivers free, individualized support including scholarships for education and technical training. Program services are supplemented by an e-commerce shop selling WoW-branded merchandise and original artwork created by displaced women clients.

Product overview

Women of the World operates as a multi-program nonprofit organization serving forcibly displaced women through a three-pronged service model: Customized Service (one-on-one case management), Community Development (mentorship, English classes, workshops), and Economic Empowerment (career services, job placement). The organization complements its core programs with a Scholarships program for education funding, an annual Fashion Show & Cultural Gala as its primary fundraiser, and merchandise/art marketplaces (WoW Merchandise and WoW Online Bazaar) that support both the mission and displaced women artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customized Service

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.5 return for every dollar donated
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Holy Cross MinistriessupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Grandeur Peak Global AdvisorscoreGTM or Marketing Partner
• Kendra Scott JewelrysupportingOthers
• YouniquesupportingOthers
• doTerrasupportingOthers

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): One of the largest global refugee resettlement and humanitarian organizations, providing case management, employment, and women's empowerment programs across the U.S. including Utah. WoW operates at the same intersection of refugee services but at a much smaller, locally focused scale.
• HIAS: Jewish-founded refugee resettlement agency providing case management, legal services, and economic empowerment programs for refugees and displaced persons in the U.S. Overlaps with WoW in core refugee case management and women's economic empowerment offerings.
• US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI): National refugee resettlement and advocacy organization providing case management, employment, and integration services. Comparable mission and refugee-women focus, but operates at national scale and is federally funded.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): Faith-based national refugee resettlement agency providing case management, employment, and integration services. Comparable in service model and refugee focus but operates at larger national scale with federal funding.

Direct peers

• Catholic Community Services of Utah: Operates refugee resettlement and case management services in Utah, including Salt Lake City. Most directly comparable to WoW in terms of geography, client population (refugees and displaced persons), and service model (case management, employment support).
• Asian Association of Utah: Salt Lake City-based refugee and immigrant services organization providing case management, English classes, and employment support. Strong regional peer to WoW serving overlapping refugee populations in the same geography.

Others

• Women's Foundation of Utah: Regional funder and advocate for gender equity and women's economic empowerment in Utah. Comparable mission focus on women's self-sufficiency in the same geography, though operates as a grantmaker rather than direct service provider.

Regional players

• Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC): Operates the African Women's Alliance and refugee resettlement programs for African newcomers in the U.S. Comparable in serving displaced women with case management and economic empowerment but primarily East Africa-focused.

Emerging players

• Refugee Women's Network: Community-based nonprofit serving refugee and immigrant women in the U.S. with leadership development and economic empowerment programs. Most directly comparable to WoW on the women-and-displacement intersection, though geographically different.
• Women's Refugee Commission: Advocacy and research organization focused on displaced women, girls, and youth. Comparable to WoW in mission (women affected by displacement) but operates primarily through policy and advocacy rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/womenworldut
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WomenOfTheWorldUT/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/womenofworld.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenofworldut/?hl=en

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 Women of the World