Women Employed,

What Women Employed, does

Women Employed is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1973 that mobilizes people and institutions to expand educational and employment opportunities for working women, with a particular focus on those in low or unpaid work and on Black and Latina/x women in Illinois. The organization pursues economic equity through a portfolio of programs spanning policy advocacy, coalition organizing, research, direct services, and employer consulting, including Career Pathways programs, Financial Aid and Student Debt resources, the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub), Equal Pay and Sexual Harassment toolkits, and WE Consulting services for employers. Its core product surface consists of free public resources (fact sheets, toolkits, toolkits for equal pay advocacy, salary transparency awareness, downloadable guides), research reports (the Women's Economic Power Agenda / WEPA and Intersecting Barriers), the signature annual Working Lunch fundraiser launched in 1987, a Summer Leadership internship program, and an Advocacy Council volunteer network.

The business model is donation-funded: Women Employed raises revenue through individual donations (online portal, monthly giving, year-end campaigns), foundation grants (e.g., JP Morgan Chase for the WEPA Summit, Michael Reese Health Trust for the Intersecting Barriers report), and ticket/table sales from The Working Lunch. It does not sell products or services at scale, although WE Consulting offers fee-based guidance to employers on pay equity and policy compliance. The organization is led by President and CEO Cherita Ellens, with a small staff (11-50 employees) supplemented by an active Advocacy Council, partner coalitions of nearly 300 national organizations and 49+ Illinois WEPA participants, and formal partnerships into the Illinois Department of Labor and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Geographically, Women Employed operates primarily within Illinois, with selected federal-level policy and litigation engagements.

Name

Women Employed,

Legal name

Women Employed

Website

https://womenemployed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women Employed is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that advocates for working women's economic equity in Illinois through policy advocacy, coalition organizing, research reports, direct service programs, and employer consulting, funded by donations, grants, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Workforce policy advocacy
• Womens economic empowerment
• Pay equity advocacy
• Nonprofit policy research
• Workplace rights education

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization raises funds from individual donors through its website donation portal, monthly giving program, and year-end giving campaigns. Donations are tax-deductible as Women Employed is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Event Revenue: The Working Lunch is an annual fundraising event that generates revenue through ticket sales and table purchases. This signature event brings together Chicagoland activists, community leaders, and supporters.
3. Foundation Grants: Women Employed receives grant funding from foundations including JP Morgan Chase (WEPA Summit sponsor) and Michael Reese Health Trust (Intersecting Barriers report funder).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women Employed is a nonprofit advocacy organization that mobilizes people and organizations to expand educational and employment opportunities for working women in Illinois. Its core work is policy advocacy, coalition organizing, and grassroots mobilization to advance economic equity laws (paid leave, pay equity, fair scheduling, anti-harassment), supplemented by direct programs such as bridge/career pathways, the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub, WE Consulting for employers, research reports (WEPA, Intersecting Barriers), and the Working Lunch annual fundraising event.

Product overview

Women Employed operates as a single unified advocacy platform offering a portfolio of programs and resources rather than a traditional product architecture. The organization provides policy advocacy services, educational resources, research reports, and community programs including Career Pathways, Financial Aid resources, Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub), WE Consulting services for employers, Equal Pay toolkits and fact sheets, Sexual Harassment resources, The Working Lunch annual event, Summer Leadership Program internship, Advocacy Council volunteer network, Women's Economic Power Agenda (WEPA) policy report, and Intersecting Barriers research report. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of improving economic status for women and removing barriers to economic equity through direct services, employer guidance, policy advocacy, and community empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub): An innovative approach to empowering Black and Latina/x women to find resources to start and grow businesses, gathering resources from trusted partners throughout Illinois into one central place.
• Women's Economic Power Agenda (WEPA)

Products and services

• WE Consulting Fee-based consulting services for employers to advance gender equity in the workplace, including guidance on pay equity, No Salary History compliance, and workplace policies. Targeted at HR leaders and compliance managers at Illinois-based employers.
• The Working Lunch Annual signature fundraising event bringing together Chicagoland activists, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate and advance advocacy for working women. Revenue generated through ticket sales and table purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won $300 million in additional MAP funding over 4 years, ensuring all eligible Illinois students receive grants
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Chicago Jobs Council (CJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Planning Partner and WEPA Participating Organization. Co-developed the single definition of career pathways with Women Employed and Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition in 2018.
• SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana Missouri & KansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Planning Partner and WEPA Participating Organization. Active partner in coalition advocacy for working women's rights including paid leave and minimum wage increases.
• Shriver Center on Poverty LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Planning Partner and WEPA Participating Organization. FARE Grant partner. Collaborates on policy advocacy for economic justice and poverty law issues affecting women.
• YWCA Metropolitan ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Planning Partner and WEPA Participating Organization. FARE Grant partner. Partners on advocacy for women's economic empowerment and racial justice.
• City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. Partner on bridge programs ensuring students earn industry-recognized credentials while completing programs, leading to immediate workforce attachment.
• National Women's Law Center (NWLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on salary transparency campaign. Co-led amicus brief on sexual harassment protections. Collaborated on federal forced arbitration advocacy.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. Co-led amicus brief with National Women's Law Center and DLA Piper on sexual harassment protections. Active partner on civil rights advocacy.
• Apna GharsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. Partner organization for Intersecting Barriers research report on domestic violence survivors. Contributed insights through surveys and focus groups.
• KAN-WINsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. Partner organization for Intersecting Barriers research report. Contributed to research on economic barriers facing domestic violence survivors.
• Life SpansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. Partner for Intersecting Barriers research. Contributed workforce development professional and survivor insights to the report.
• Arise ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEPA Participating Organization. FARE Grant partner. Worker center partner advocating for workplace justice and fair scheduling.
• Man-Tra-ConsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFARE Grant partner. Collaborates on raising awareness of pay equity and employment rights among women workers.
• Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Illinois FARE Grant project which raises awareness of pay equity and pay transparency standards among women workers, particularly low-wage women of color. Strengthens Illinois' capacity to enforce employment protections.
• Soar StrategiessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered in 2021 as part of Women Employed's ongoing effort to evaluate racial equity and inclusion at the organization. Conducted listening sessions and salary audits.
• Salary Transparent StreetsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner on salary transparency awareness campaign. Visited Chicago to ask workers about Illinois' new salary transparency law and collaborated on social media promotion.
• Illinois Legislative Black CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to pass an Education Omnibus Bill and advance racial equity in higher education. Collaboration focused on closing equity gaps in Illinois education.
• Chicago Mayor's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Chicago Mayor's office to win sexual harassment prevention ordinance requiring employers to provide additional training and increasing protections for workers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Apna Ghar: Chicago-based nonprofit serving domestic violence survivors with economic empowerment and housing services, listed as a WEPA partner and Intersecting Barriers research contributor. Comparable in serving overlapping beneficiary populations with an economic-justice lens.
• National Partnership for Women & Families: National policy advocacy organization promoting fairness in the workplace, reproductive rights, and health care equity. Comparable as a long-tenured nonprofit policy advocate with a similar issue portfolio covering pay equity, paid leave, and workplace fairness.
• National Women's Law Center: National policy advocacy organization advancing gender equity through litigation, policy, and public education. Directly comparable as an existing WE partner on salary transparency, sexual harassment, and federal forced arbitration advocacy, with a similar mission and tactical playbook.
• Chicago Jobs Council: Illinois workforce development intermediary and advocacy organization, co-developed the single definition of career pathways with WE. Directly comparable as a partner on bridge programs, career pathways, and workforce policy advocacy.
• Arise Chicago: Chicago worker center focused on workplace justice, fair scheduling, and low-wage worker advocacy. Listed as a WEPA Participating Organization and FARE Grant partner, with overlapping goals on fair scheduling and wage-theft protection.
• YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Chicago-based women's economic empowerment and racial justice organization, listed as a WEPA Planning Partner and FARE Grant partner. Operates in the same regional ecosystem on overlapping issues including economic empowerment, advocacy, and direct services.
• Equal Rights Advocates: National gender justice legal advocacy organization advancing equal pay, workplace fairness, and anti-harassment protections. Comparable in focusing on similar legislative and litigation outcomes that align with WE's Illinois pay equity and harassment wins.
• A Better Balance: National nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization focused on workplace fairness for working families, including paid leave, fair pay, and pregnancy fairness. Directly comparable in advocacy tactics and policy portfolio, particularly on paid leave legislation that overlaps WE's wins.
• Shriver Center on Poverty Law: Illinois-focused poverty law and policy advocacy organization, identified as a WEPA Planning Partner and FARE Grant partner. Comparable as a coalition-driven policy advocate working on economic justice issues affecting low-income women and families in Illinois.

Regional players

• Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Statewide coalition advancing policy and services for domestic violence survivors in Illinois. Comparable as an Illinois-based advocacy organization serving overlapping survivor populations and partnering on economic-empowerment initiatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WomenEmployed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/womenemployed
• Facebookfacebook.com/WomenEmployed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/109838
• Instagraminstagram.com/WomenEmployed

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Employed,