Chicago Foundation for Women

What Chicago Foundation for Women does

Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW) is an independent 501(c)(3) public foundation incorporated in 1984 and operational since 1985 in Chicago, Illinois. It operates as both a fundraiser and a grantmaker, pooling contributions from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and institutional funders and deploying them as grants to grassroots nonprofit organizations serving women, girls, and gender-expansive people across the Chicago metropolitan region. CFW concentrates grantmaking in four impact areas: economic security and mobility, reproductive justice, freedom from violence, and access to health and wellness, with cumulative investment exceeding $54M through more than 5,000 grants since inception.

CFW's core product surface consists of a grantmaking program across the four impact areas, a Rapid Response Fund for emergency community needs, a Women's Leadership Development Initiative (including Board Boot Camp, Core Concepts Coaching, and the CULTIVATE Women of Color Leadership Initiative), and the Missing & Murdered Women Cohorts and Reproductive Justice Champions cohort programs. Distribution runs through a flagship Annual Luncheon (drawing close to 2,000 attendees with sponsorship tiers from $3K to $100K), six Giving Councils and Circles that pool member contributions for collective grantmaking (LBTQ, Young Women's, North Chicagoland, South Side, West Side, Western Suburbs), a legacy giving program anchored by The Sophia Society, and an employer matching-gift channel. Technology infrastructure is standard nonprofit SaaS: Blackbaud for donation processing and event registration, Double the Donation for matching-gift search, Google Forms for intake, and email/website marketing.

The business model is donation-driven, with revenue streams spanning individual donations, Annual Luncheon sponsorships, Giving Council/Circle memberships (annual contributions $100–$2,500), legacy/planned giving, and employer matching gifts. CFW's stated annual giving goal is $4M, requiring incremental fundraising of approximately $1.4M per year. The organization operates with a professional staff of 20–25 under President and CEO Keenya Lambert, with strategic guidance from a Board of Directors, and holds a Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating and a GuideStar/Candid Platinum Transparency Seal.

Name

Chicago Foundation for Women

Legal name

Chicago Foundation for Women

Website

https://cfw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Foundation for Women is a 501(c)(3) public foundation that raises and grants funds to grassroots nonprofit organizations advancing gender equity for women, girls, and gender-expansive people across the Chicago metropolitan region through grantmaking, Giving Councils/Circles, and leadership development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Women's Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Women's foundation grantmaking
• Nonprofit community philanthropy
• Gender equity funding
• Collective giving programs
• Leadership development nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct contributions from individual donors supporting gender equity causes in Chicago. Includes one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, and major leadership gifts.
2. Annual Luncheon Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for the flagship annual fundraising event, ranging from $3,000 (Friend Sponsor) to $100,000 (Presenter Sponsor).
3. Giving Councils and Circles Memberships: Annual membership contributions to Giving Councils (LBTQ, Young Women's) and Giving Circles (North Chicagoland, South Side, West Side, Western Suburbs) with members pooling resources for collective grantmaking.
4. Legacy/Planned Giving: Bequests, donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, IRA beneficiaries, and life insurance policies. The Sophia Society recognizes members who include CFW in estate plans.
5. Matching Gifts: Employer matching gift programs where donations are matched by corporate sponsors, doubling donor impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chicago Foundation for Women raises and deploys philanthropic capital through a portfolio of grant programs, collective giving structures, and leadership development initiatives to advance gender equity for women, girls, and gender-expansive people in the Chicago metropolitan area. As both fundraiser and grantmaker, CFW channels individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and membership contributions into grants issued to grassroots non-profit organizations across four impact areas: economic security and mobility, reproductive justice, freedom from violence, and access to health and wellness. Supplemented by the Women's Leadership Development Initiative, the Rapid Response Fund for emergencies, and the Annual Luncheon flagship event, the Foundation has invested over $54 million through more than 5,000 grants since 1985.

Product overview

Chicago Foundation for Women operates as a philanthropic foundation offering a portfolio of grantmaking programs and leadership development initiatives rather than a technology product company. The core offering consists of grant programs across four impact areas (economic security, reproductive justice, freedom from violence, and health access), supplemented by Giving Councils & Circles for collective philanthropy, the Women's Leadership Development Initiative for nonprofit capacity building, and the Rapid Response Fund for emergency support. The organization recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a campaign to scale annual giving to $4 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lavender Fund: The Lavender Fund is the grantmaking arm of the LBTQ Giving Council, established in 2004 as the first grantmaking entity in Chicago to provide grants exclusively to lesbian communities. Nearly $300,000 awarded to LGBTQ organizations since inception.
• Willie's Warriors Leadership Initiative
• The Willie Taplin Barrow Fund for Black Women's Leadership
• Young Women's Giving Council
• North Chicagoland Giving Circle
• South Side Giving Circle
• West Side Giving Circle
• Western Suburbs Giving Circle
• Women's Leadership Development Initiative
• Epidemic of Violence: Missing and Murdered Women of Color
• Reproductive Justice Champions
• The Sophia Society
• Jessica Eve Patt Memorial Fund
• Sondra Berman Epstein Legacy Fund
• Lueavery Partee Fund
• Rapid Response Fund

Products and services

• Grants Program CFW's primary grantmaking program investing in grassroots non-profit organizations across four impact areas: economic security and mobility, reproductive justice, freedom from violence, and access to health and wellness. The program is targeted at organizations serving women, girls, and gender-expansive people across the Chicago region.
• Rapid Response Fund Emergency grant fund providing quick-deployment resources to support community-led strategies during periods of heightened risk and opportunity, including unbudgeted costs associated with advocacy and civic participation needs for grassroots organizations.
• Women's Leadership Development Initiative Comprehensive leadership development program for nonprofit leaders, including Board Member Boot Camp, Core Concepts Coaching, CULTIVATE Women of Color Leadership Initiative, and The Breathing Room. Targeted at nonprofit executive directors, leaders, and emerging leaders in the Chicago gender-equity ecosystem.
• Giving Councils & Giving Circles Collective giving programs including the LBTQ Giving Council, Young Women's Giving Council, North Chicagoland Giving Circle, South Side Giving Circle, West Side Giving Circle, and Western Suburbs Giving Circle. Members pool annual contributions ranging from $100 to $2,500 to collectively identify, review, and grant funds to community organizations in Chicago.
• Missing & Murdered Women Cohorts Grant program supporting community solutions to gender-based violence against women, girls, and transgender/gender non-binary people of color. Provides grantmaking support to 10 community-based organizations addressing the epidemic of violence.
• Reproductive Justice Champions Cohort program supporting BIPOC and ALANA non-profits and leaders working at the intersections of reproductive and sexual justice with other social justice movements. Provides grantmaking, training, convening, and capacity-building support for Illinois-based organizations.
• Board Boot Camp Three-day interactive training program for individuals interested in nonprofit board service, covering board roles and responsibilities, nonprofit financials, fundraising basics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in board development. Delivered in partnership with William Blair.
• Willie's Warriors Leadership Initiative Leadership development cohort for Black women and gender-expansive leaders in the Chicago region, honoring the legacy of Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow. Has supported 127 leaders across 7 cohorts with $1.1 million invested in leadership development programming.
• Annual Luncheon CFW's flagship annual fundraising event held at the Hilton Chicago, drawing close to 2,000 attendees. Features speakers, sponsor recognition, and fundraising appeals with corporate sponsorship tiers ranging from $3,000 (Friend) to $100,000 (Presenter).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $54 million invested through more than 5,000 grants since 1985
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• William BlairminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWilliam Blair partners with CFW to educate and prepare professionals to become effective board members for nonprofits through the Board Boot Camp program.
• Crossroads FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in CULTIVATE: Women of Color Leadership Initiative, working with Woods Fund of Chicago and Chicago Community Trust to strengthen women-of-color-led organizations.
• Woods Fund of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in CULTIVATE: Women of Color Leadership Initiative, working with Crossroads Fund and Chicago Community Trust to encourage new models of leadership development and community organizing.
• Chicago Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in CULTIVATE: Women of Color Leadership Initiative, working with Crossroads Fund and Woods Fund of Chicago to build and sustain women of color leaders.
• Willie Taplin Barrow Leadership Institute and MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creator of the Willie Taplin Barrow Fund for Black Women's Leadership, supporting the Willie’s Warriors Leadership Initiative named in honor of Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Chicago Community Trust: Chicago's largest community foundation serving as a regional incumbent. While much broader than CFW, the Trust is a co-development partner on CULTIVATE and Willie's Warriors and competes/collaborates with CFW for the same Chicago donor base — a key regional relationship and competitive benchmark.
• Polk Bros. Foundation: Major Chicago-area private foundation funding education, economic opportunity, and neighborhood development. Direct funding partner of CFW's Women's Leadership Development Initiative and a regional incumbent whose grantmaking portfolio and staffing model offer comparable benchmarks on Chicago foundation scale.

Direct peers

• New York Women's Foundation: Regional women's foundation supporting grassroots gender-equity and economic-justice organizations in the New York City metro area. Almost exactly the same operating template as CFW: Giving Circles, leadership development, multi-issue grantmaking, signature annual event — but in NYC. Strong benchmark on tier, headcount, and grant throughput.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: National women's foundation making grants to women-led and gender-equity organizations across the U.S. Same core model as CFW (fund + fundraise), but operating at national scope. Closest direct comparable in mission and structure, providing a scaling benchmark.
• California Women's Foundation: California-focused women's foundation investing in economic security, reproductive justice, and freedom from violence via grassroots groups. Same four-pillar impact model as CFW and a strong direct peer for benchmarking funder scale and grantmaking reach.
• Women's Foundation of Colorado: Colorado-focused women's foundation funding economic self-sufficiency, girls' success, and leadership pathways for women and girls. Operates an analogous model of regional giving circles, research/advocacy, and donor engagement — directly comparable in fund-and-fundraise approach.
• Women's Foundation of Minnesota: Minnesota-focused women's foundation operating Giving Circles, leadership programs, and grants across gender-equity, economic justice, and safety. Structurally and operationally similar to CFW with comparable revenue scale and donor-engagement model.
• Woods Fund of Chicago: Chicago-based foundation funding community organizing and racial-equity work. Direct co-development partner on CFW's CULTIVATE initiative and a meaningful Chicago peer in overlapping gender/justice funding.
• Women's Fund of Central Indiana: Indianapolis-based women's fund running a Giving Circle/Hero Circle model funding women and girls in central Indiana. Highly analogous to CFW's Giving Circles program — useful direct peer for collective-giving economics and donor engagement.

Emerging players

• Black Women's Blueprint: National Black women-led organization advancing gender and reproductive justice, healing, and leadership development — overlapping programmatically with CFW's Missing & Murdered Women cohort and Willie's Warriors alumni, but operating nationally rather than regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/chicagofdn4women
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicagoFoundationforWomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicagofoundationforwomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/chifdn4women
• Xx.com/ChiFdn4Women

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chicago Foundation for Women