What AAUW does

AAUW (American Association of University Women), founded in 1881 and headquartered at 1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, D.C., is a 501(c)(3) public charity advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization serves two primary constituencies: women and girls seeking higher-education and career advancement (with emphasis on STEM, pay equity, and underrepresented groups), and a broader base of members, donors, and advocates supporting its mission. AAUW's "core technology" is non-technical in nature; rather than proprietary platforms, the organization runs a portfolio of programs and content products including Fellowships & Grants (direct funding for women in higher education and tenure-track/leadership faculty), the Work Smart and Start Smart salary-negotiation training programs, Money Smart financial literacy, the Legal Advocacy Fund for gender-discrimination cases, and the annual National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). It also publishes recurring research — notably The Simple Truth / Not So Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap — and operates an online Policy Center.

AAUW's business model is nonprofit and contribution-based. Revenue is generated through individual donations (including matched campaigns such as the Public Policy Fund, up to $250,000 matched) and membership dues from individuals and from 450+ college/university institutional members. Programs and fellowships are provided free of charge to beneficiaries; AAUW does not sell products or services in a commercial sense. Distribution is community-led and multi-channel: 700 local branches, 450+ campus partnerships, aauw.org and Community Hub digital platforms, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), email newsletters, webinars, the annual NCCWSL conference, and advocacy campaigns via AAUW Action Fund. The organization is governed by a board and led by CEO Gloria L. Blackwell, with roughly 51–100 employees operating the national apparatus.

Name

AAUW

Legal name

American Association of University Women

Website

https://aauw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AAUW is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1881 that advances gender equity for women and girls through fellowships, salary-negotiation training, research, and advocacy, supported by 700 local branches and 450+ college/university partners across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Gender Equity Advocacy and Education Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Services (611), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF), LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Gender equity advocacy
• Women's education funding
• Nonprofit advocacy organization
• Salary negotiation training
• Pay equity research

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: AAUW generates revenue through donations from members, supporters, and the public. The organization conducts fundraising campaigns such as the Public Policy Fund matching campaign (up to $250,000 matched).
2. Membership Dues: Revenue is generated through membership fees from individuals joining AAUW's network of members across the nation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AAUW advances gender equity for women and girls through a portfolio of free programs and resources: fellowships and grants for women in higher education (including STEM and underserved communities), Work Smart and Start Smart salary negotiation training, Money Smart financial literacy, the Legal Advocacy Fund for discrimination cases, and the annual National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). The organization also produces research publications such as The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap and operates a Policy Center for advocacy on pay equity, Title IX, and reproductive health. Programs are distributed through 700 local branches, 450+ college/university partners, and digital channels.

Product overview

AAUW (American Association of University Women) is a nonprofit organization advancing gender equity through education and advocacy. Rather than a unified software product, AAUW offers a portfolio of programs and services focused on educational funding, career development, and policy advocacy. The core offerings include Fellowships & Grants for women in higher education, Work Smart and Start Smart salary negotiation training programs, Money Smart financial literacy resources, the Legal Advocacy Fund for discrimination cases, and the annual NCCWSL conference. AAUW also produces research publications including The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap report and maintains a Policy Center for advocacy resources. Membership is supported through 700 local branches and 450+ college/university partners across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AAUW Action Fund: AAUW's advocacy and civic engagement arm focused on policy advocacy and voter education
• Work Smart
• Start Smart
• NCCWSL
• Legal Advocacy Fund

Products and services

• Fellowships & Grants Direct funding programs providing financial support to women pursuing higher education, including international graduate study in the U.S., STEM fields, and underserved communities, as well as women targeting tenure-track and leadership faculty positions.
• Work Smart Salary Negotiation Training
• Start Smart Salary Negotiation Training
• Money Smart Financial Literacy
• Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF)
• National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL)
• The (Not So) Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap Annual research report providing data and analysis on the gender pay gap in the U.S., including state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns.
• Policy Center Online resource center providing policy research, analysis, and advocacy tools on gender equity issues including pay equity, Title IX, and reproductive health.
• AAUW Webinars
• AAUW Membership
• Implicit Bias Test

Quantifiable outcome

• Women working full-time earn 81 cents for every dollar earned by men, with $542,800 in lost wages over a 40-year career
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoca-Cola is mentioned as a partner supporting AAUW's Empower event. This appears to be a corporate sponsorship or marketing partnership for events and programs.
• Colleges and Universities (450+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAUW partners with over 450 colleges and universities as members. These institutional partners support the organization's mission to advance gender equity in higher education.
• AAUW Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAUW Action Fund is an affiliated organization that focuses on voter education and civic engagement around gender equity issues. They jointly released the 2026 Civic Engagement Guide.
• Science CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAUW is part of a coalition of over 140 organizations urging Congress to increase funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to at least $9.9 billion for FY27.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit that works with employers to advance women in the workplace through research and advisory services — comparable to AAUW's Work Smart/Start Smart salary negotiation and pay-equity research.
• National Women's Law Center: NWLC is a U.S. nonprofit that advocates for women's legal and policy rights on pay equity, Title IX, and reproductive health — directly comparable to AAUW's policy and Legal Advocacy Fund activities.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: Ms. Foundation is a U.S. women's equity grantmaker and advocacy organization that funds grassroots gender-equity work — overlapping with AAUW's fellowship/grant programs and advocacy mission.
• League of Women Voters: League of Women Voters is a U.S. civic-engagement organization with a comparable grassroots branch network, member-driven model, and voter-education mission that overlaps AAUW's Action Fund civic engagement work.
• National Organization for Women (NOW): NOW is a U.S. mass-membership feminist advocacy organization pursuing gender equity through litigation, lobbying, and grassroots action — directly comparable to AAUW in mission, constituency, and advocacy model.

Emerging players

• Equal Rights Advocates: Equal Rights Advocates is a U.S. gender-justice legal and policy nonprofit — a smaller, more focused organization that overlaps with AAUW's Legal Advocacy Fund and pay-equity work.
• Lean In Foundation: Lean In is a U.S. nonprofit focused on women's workplace equity, including circles, education, and research — an emerging player with a more digital-first model competing for AAUW's professional women audience.

Broad incumbents

• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Planned Parenthood is a large, established U.S. nonprofit with overlapping advocacy on reproductive health access and gender equity — a broader incumbent with adjacent policy and education programs.
• UN Women: UN Women is a large international organization dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment — operating at a much larger global scale but with the same core mission of advancing women and girls through policy and programs.

Others

• American Association of University Women (educational grantmakers broadly — e.g., Sigma Xi): Sigma Xi and similar scientific/research honorary societies are adjacent because they administer STEM fellowships and grants to women researchers, sharing AAUW's higher-education fellowship and STEM pipeline focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aauw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQRtzIArWu3kzHIL7jfRwcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAUW.National
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aauw
• Instagraminstagram.com/aauwnational/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AAUW