WOMEN’S WAY

What WOMEN’S WAY does

WOMEN'S WAY is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization founded in 1976 (incorporated March 8, 1976) and operating for nearly 50 years as the nation's first umbrella women's funding federation. The organization advances gender equity in the Greater Philadelphia region through four integrated functions: grantmaking (IRAF, GOF, RRGOF, and GEEP programs); research and convening via the Gender Wealth Institute (GWI), which produces the Gender Wealth Framework, Financial Wellness Program, and Gender Wealth Summit; advocacy through community organizing, peer learning networks, and policy work (including the 2003 Human Trafficking Prevention Act); and narrative change through the Change the Narrative Fellowship, Speakers Bureau, Book Prize, and "Beyond the Razor Wire Fence" podcast.

The portfolio serves three primary stakeholder groups: (1) women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in Greater Philadelphia experiencing economic insecurity, leadership underrepresentation, limited reproductive healthcare access, and gender-based violence; (2) nonprofit organizations serving those communities — particularly women-of-color-led groups with budgets under $500,000 — through multi-year grants; and (3) institutional funders and policymakers seeking credible gender-equity partners. Quantitative outcomes include $24M+ deployed to the region over 45 years, 1,457 women receiving financial coaching with 74% showing improved financial capability, and a GEEP goal of reaching 100,000 women through wealth-building programming.

WOMEN'S WAY operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model with no product sales or fees for services. Income is generated through individual donations (general, recurring, Lucretia Mott Society at $1,000-$2,499, major donors $2,500+, planned giving), corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Friends Circle tiers — partners include Ballard Spahr, Comcast NBCUniversal, Morgan Lewis, Vanguard, and Wells Fargo), foundation grants (Vanguard, Lincoln Financial Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, BLBB Charitable, United Way, OceanFirst), and YWI Philanthropic Community membership dues ($10-$40/month sliding scale, 100% directed to grantmaking). Distribution is direct via website donations, in-person signature events (Annual Celebration, Gender Wealth Summit), grantmaking cycles, the YWI giving circle, and virtual forums. Operations are lean with 1-10 employees and a single Philadelphia headquarters at 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite #2043.

Name

WOMEN’S WAY

Legal name

WOMEN'S WAY

Website

https://womensway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WOMEN'S WAY is a Philadelphia-based 501(c) nonprofit founded in 1976 — the nation's first women's funding federation — that advances gender equity through grantmaking, research via the Gender Wealth Institute, advocacy, and community organizing for women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in Greater Philadelphia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equity Nonprofit Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Women's foundation grantmaking
• Gender equity advocacy
• Community philanthropy programs
• Social impact research
• Nonprofit funding federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: WOMEN'S WAY raises funds from individual donors through various giving programs including general donations, recurring monthly gifts, major donor contributions, planned giving/bequests, and the Lucretia Mott Society for donors giving $1,000-$2,499.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support WOMEN'S WAY events and programs at various levels (Platinum, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Friends Circle), providing financial support for the organization's operations and mission-aligned activities.
3. Foundation Grants: WOMEN'S WAY receives grants from foundations including Vanguard, Lincoln Financial Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, BLBB Charitable, OceanFirst Foundation, United Way, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund specific programs and initiatives.
4. Membership Programs: The YWI Philanthropic Community operates as a giving circle with sliding scale membership fees ($10-$40/month) where 100% of contributions go directly to grantmaking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

WOMEN'S WAY is a nonprofit organization that advances gender equity in Greater Philadelphia through grantmaking, research, advocacy, and educational programming. It distributes multi-year and rapid-response grants to community-based organizations serving women, girls, and gender-expansive populations, and operates the Gender Wealth Institute to research and address the gender wealth gap through frameworks, summits, financial coaching, and fellowships.

Product overview

WOMEN'S WAY is a nonprofit organization operating as a unified grantmaking and advocacy platform rather than a software product. The organization's portfolio centers on the Gender Wealth Institute (GWI) as its core research and program division, which houses the Gender Wealth Framework, Gender Wealth Gap Learning Module, Financial Wellness Program, and the annual Gender Wealth Summit and Closing the Gender Wealth Gap Forum Series. Complementary programs include the Gender Economic Equity Program (GEEP), Immediate Response Action Fund (IRAF), Rapid Response General Operating Fund (RRGOF), and General Operating Fund (GOF) for grants; the Change the Narrative Fellowship, Speakers Bureau, and Beyond the Razor Wire Fence Podcast for education and advocacy; the YWI Philanthropic Community and Advocacy Community for engagement; the Book Prize and Annual Celebration for recognition and fundraising; and the 50th Anniversary Fund for legacy investment. All programs collectively advance the organization's mission of achieving gender equity through grantmaking, research, narrative change, and collective action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gender Wealth Institute (GWI): An institute formed to close the gender wealth gap in the Greater Philadelphia region by advancing research and practical solutions that build wealth for women who are economically insecure.
• Women's Economic Security Initiative (WESI)
• Young Women's Initiative (YWI)
• YWI Philanthropic Community
• Gender Economic Equity Program (GEEP)

Products and services

• Gender Wealth Framework A research-based guide designed for practitioners, funders, and policymakers to design and evaluate programs that advance gender equity, expanding how wealth is defined and measured.
• Gender Wealth Institute (GWI) The research and program arm of WOMEN'S WAY focused on closing the gender wealth gap through research, financial coaching, and community convenings.
• Financial Wellness Program (FWP) A program delivering group financial literacy sessions and one-on-one financial coaching with International Coaching Federation Certified Coaches to improve financial health of women and gender-expansive employees at nonprofits.
• Gender Economic Equity Program (GEEP) Multi-year initiative providing $235,000 grants over three years to care sector organizations, including general operating support, staff wellness initiatives, and pilot gender equity initiatives.
• General Operating Fund (GOF) Two-year grants up to $10,000/year for organizations primarily serving women, girls, and gender-expansive communities, with priority for women-of-color-led organizations with budgets under $500,000.
• Immediate Response Action Fund (IRAF) Rapid-response grant program designed to quickly distribute funds to organizations addressing urgent needs of women, girls, and gender-marginalized people, with funding available in as little as 10 business days.
• Rapid Response General Operating Fund (RRGOF)

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% of financial coaching clients showed increased Financial Capability Scale Score
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 core.

• The Forum of Executive WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected WOMEN'S WAY as their 2022-2024 Forum Ally, building mutually beneficial relationship providing talent and support for gender equity initiatives.
• Stratus Rooftop LoungecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for WOMEN'S WAY Wednesdays, a weekly pop-up celebrating women-owned culinary and beverage businesses with proceeds benefiting WOMEN'S WAY.
• Sisterly Love CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of women in Philadelphia's food and hospitality space partnering with WOMEN'S WAY for WOMEN'S WAY Wednesdays events.
• Dragonfly PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting firm that collaborated with WOMEN'S WAY to develop the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan.
• University of PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner; collaborated on the 1997 report 'A Change of Pace: Accelerating Women's Progress' assessing women's socioeconomic standing in Philadelphia.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Foundation for Women: Regional women's foundation funding economic security, freedom from violence, and leadership programs across the Chicago region. Comparable in mission, structure, grantmaking approach, and advocacy.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: One of the largest U.S. women's foundations, funding gender equity and racial justice organizations through grants, research, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a women's funding federation and grantmaker targeting economic security, leadership, and reproductive justice.
• Global Fund for Women: International women's fund that pools donations to make grants to women's rights organizations globally. Comparable in mission (gender equity through grantmaking), funding model (giving circles, donor-advised giving), and multi-program structure (research, advocacy, grantmaking).
• Women's Foundation of Colorado: Regional women's foundation focused on economic security of women and girls in Colorado through research, advocacy, and grantmaking. Closely mirrors WOMEN'S WAY's regional model with similar grant programs and policy/research orientation.
• New York Women's Foundation: New York-based women's foundation funding grassroots organizations led by women and girls of color. Comparable grantmaking + advocacy + research portfolio, though larger scale and metropolitan focus.
• Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights: Women's fund providing rapid-response grants to women human rights defenders. Directly comparable in funding model for rapid-response grants akin to WOMEN'S WAY's IRAF program.

Regional players

• Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley: Smaller regional women's fund serving the Genesee Valley region of New York. Comparable regional women's-funding model focused on local grantmaking and advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• National Women's Law Center: National advocacy organization advancing gender equity through policy, litigation, and public education. Overlaps with WOMEN'S WAY's advocacy arm and policy engagement with local/regional governments.
• Equal Rights Advocates: National gender-equity advocacy organization using legal advocacy and coalition building. Comparable in pursuit of systems-level change for gender equity, particularly economic justice.

Others

• Philadelphia Foundation: Greater Philadelphia's community foundation; listed as a Bronze corporate sponsor and community partner of WOMEN'S WAY. Comparable as a Greater Philadelphia grantmaker and as a fellow infrastructure provider in the regional gender-equity funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@womenswayphilly
• Facebookfacebook.com/womensway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womensway
• Instagraminstagram.com/womenswayphilly
• Xx.com/WomensWay

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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’S WAY