Circle of Women

What Circle of Women does

Circle of Women is a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by three Harvard College students, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The organization provides access to secondary education for girls in developing countries by funding and building education infrastructure, including schools, dormitories, sanitation facilities, computer labs, and digital learning tools. As of the data, Circle operates 12 active projects spanning approximately 11 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Niger), South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India), and Latin America (Guatemala, Peru, Haiti), implemented through partnerships with local NGOs and schools such as WISER, MAIA Impact School, Daraja Academy, Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Sacred Valley Project, and Rain for the Sahel and Sahara.

The organization's core operations center on grassroots fundraising driven by a decentralized network of more than 10 college chapters and multiple high school chapters at US institutions including Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia/Barnard, UNC Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Florida. Student chapters organize fundraising events including 5K runs, bake sales, bracelet sales, poker nights, gallery openings, yoga events, and volunteer summits that generate capital deployed to local implementing partners. The technology footprint is narrow: the most recent technology initiative was a 2019 deployment of Amazon Fire Tablets as a digital library at MAIA Impact School in Guatemala. No APIs, SDKs, proprietary software platforms, or AI/ML capabilities are present in the data.

Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible donations (individual, corporate, and alumni), chapter fundraising events, and corporate sponsorship grants. As a 501(c)(3) public charity, the organization sells no products or services. It is governed by an undergraduate management team (Executive Director, plus directors of Fundraising, Project Development, Public Relations, Finance, Project Management, and Circumference/Chapters) and a seven-member alumni Board of Directors. Quantifiable outcomes reported by implementing partners include a 100% graduation rate and 93% college enrollment at WISER (versus a 7% regional rate), education of over 6,600 women across 600+ villages at BDIRW, and an increase from 20% to 80% in secondary school attendance among pastoralist girls served through Daraja Academy.

Name

Circle of Women

Legal name

Circle of Women

Website

https://circleofwomen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circle of Women is a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that funds girls' secondary education infrastructure across 11+ countries through 12 active projects, supported by 10+ college chapters in the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Girls education access
• Education infrastructure projects
• Student-led nonprofit
• Secondary school programs
• Global education fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and alumni. Circle of Women is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
2. Chapter Fundraising Events: Student chapters organize events including 5K runs, bake sales, bracelet sales, poker events, gallery openings, yoga events, and volunteer summits to raise funds.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnerships with corporate sponsors and philanthropic firms that support Circle's mission through grants and funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Circle of Women funds and delivers education infrastructure and program projects that increase girls' access to secondary school in developing countries, including school and dormitory construction, sanitation facilities, computer labs, and digital learning tools. The organization is run entirely by student volunteers through university and high school chapters who organize fundraising events and manage projects.

Product overview

Circle of Women is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides access to education for girls worldwide. The organization operates 12 active education infrastructure and program projects across the globe, including dormitory construction, school building, sanitation facilities, digital learning technology (e-readers, computer labs), and scholarship programs. Projects span Kenya (Lenana, WISER, Wema, Daraja), Uganda (Seseme, Ibaako), Haiti (Jou Nouvo), Guatemala (MAIA), Pakistan, Peru, Malawi, India, Tanzania, and Niger. The organization is run entirely by student volunteers through chapters at universities (Yale, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Columbia/Barnard, University of Florida, Brown, UNC Chapel Hill) and high schools, providing hands-on opportunities in leadership, fundraising, and project management while cultivating a new generation of global citizens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAIA Project: Innovative giving initiative providing e-readers and digital technology to MAIA Impact School in Guatemala
• Seseme Project
• Orkeeswa Project

Products and services

• MAIA Impact School E-Reader Program Provision of Amazon Fire Tablets to create a digital library for students at MAIA Impact School in Sololá, Guatemala, providing access to literature at home and school for 189 girls.
• Lenana Girls High School Dormitory Project Completion and equipping of a dormitory at Lenana Girls High School in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya to safely accommodate up to 200 students with secure rooms, adequate water and sanitation facilities, and adult supervision.
• RAIN Agadez Learning Center Dormitory Project Construction of a new female dormitory at the Agadez Learning Center in Niger to expand enrollment capacity from less than 25 to over 50 female students, serving nomadic communities.
• WISER Girls' Secondary School Infrastructure Project Construction of new foundational infrastructure including a septic tank at WISER's campus in Muhuru Bay, Kenya to support the school's expansion and serve 240 students.
• Jou Nouvo Girls' Scholars Program Preparation program for girls for secondary school entrance exams and construction of a student center with multipurpose classroom and computer lab in Bon-Repos, Haiti, serving 45 girls.
• Seseme Girls' Secondary School Sanitation Project Construction of four blocks of flushing toilets (18 total) at Seseme Girls' Secondary School in Kisoro, Uganda to improve sanitation facilities for 437 girls.
• Pakistan 2018 Higher Secondary School Construction of a higher secondary school in Pakistan with two classrooms and a science laboratory, serving 60 students, including teacher salaries for one year.
• Sacred Valley Project Building a computer lab in Ollantaytambo and Calca, Peru, plus a dormitory in Calca, supporting 50 students through The Sacred Valley Project.
• Wema Dormitory Project Construction of new dormitories for approximately 160 female students at Wema Children Incorporated and Highway Academy in Bukembe, Kenya, serving 230 students total.
• Afghanistan Secondary School Construction of a secondary school in Afghanistan enabling local leaders to petition the government for teachers and books, serving 700 girls.
• APU Fourth Classroom Block Construction of a fourth classroom block at Atsikana Pa Ulendo (APU) girls' secondary school in Nsaru, Malawi to expand student capacity from 360 to 480 students.
• Pakistan 2010 School Reconstruction Rebuilding of girls' school in Pakistan after earthquake damage, including bathrooms, computer lab, library, and water tanks, serving 475 girls.
• Rhema Boarding House Construction of a boarding house adjacent to Rhema primary school in Cumbum, India to provide safe housing for 60 girls, addressing secondary school access.
• Daraja Academy Dormitory Construction of an extra dormitory at Daraja Academy in Kenya to accommodate 52 additional girls and 4 staff members, addressing overcrowding from the 5th year transition program.
• Indore Barli Development Institute Expansion Construction of additional classroom, computer room, and dormitory at Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in Indore, India to accommodate 50 more students, raising total class size to 130.
• Orkeeswa A-Level Classroom Construction Construction and furnishing of A-Level classrooms at Orkeeswa School in Tanzania to provide female students with two more years of secondary level curriculum, serving 25 additional female students annually.
• Ibaako Primary School Sanitation Project Construction of new toilet facility at Ibaako Primary School in Busoga Region, Uganda to support 652 students and 20 female staff members, creating a safer, more hygienic learning environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate at WISER school vs. 7% regional average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rain for the Sahel and Sahara (RAIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with RAIN to support the Agadez Learning Center in Niger. Following the 2023 coup, Circle redirected funds to provide room, board, and education for vulnerable girls from remote communities. RAIN supports over 75% of students in 28 partner communities through education and mentoring programs.
• Carr Educational FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Carr Educational Foundation ensures adequate funds are available to sustain the Daraja Academy program. The foundation's broad donor base supports the free boarding school for girls.
• Malawi Education Foundation (MEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Malawi Education Foundation to support Atsikana Pa Ulendo (APU), a girls' secondary school 19 miles west of Lilongwe. Memory Mdyetseni and Christie Johnson of MEF lead local operations.
• Barli Development Institute for Rural Women (BDIRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with BDIRW in Indore, India to educate rural, village, and tribal women. BDIRW has educated over 6,600 women from 600+ villages. Circle helped fund additional classrooms, computer room, and dormitory.
• Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFTZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEFTZ runs Orkeeswa School in Monduli, Tanzania. Circle helped fund A-Level classrooms and technology for female students to continue secondary education beyond O-Level.
• Sacred Valley Project (SVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with SVP to support girls in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Projects include computer labs and dormitories in Ollantaytambo and Calca for 50 students.
• Wema Children IncorporatedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Wema Children Incorporated to build dormitories for approximately 160 female students at Highway Academy in Bukembe, Kenya.
• Jou NouvocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Jou Nouvo in Bon-Repos, Haiti to support the Girls' Scholars Program, providing tutoring and a student center with computer lab for 45 girls preparing for secondary school entrance exams.
• Friends Welfare Association PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Friends Welfare Association Pakistan to construct a higher secondary school for girls, including classrooms and a science laboratory.
• The Hoshyar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hoshyar Foundation has been involved in the region for 10 years with massive success, working with Circle to support girls' education in Pakistan.
• Nathiagali Residence CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partnered with the Nathiagali Residence Committee to rebuild a girls' school in Pakistan after earthquake damage in 2005, including bathrooms, computer lab, library, and water tanks.
• Rhema PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Rhema to build a boarding house adjacent to a primary school in Cumbum, India, providing safe housing for 60 girls who cannot commute to secondary school.
• Daraja AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaraja Academy is one of the only completely free boarding secondary schools for girls in East Africa. Circle built an extra dormitory to accommodate 52 additional girls and 4 staff members.
• MAIA Impact SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with MAIA Impact School in Sololá, Guatemala, providing e-readers and tablets to create a digital library for 189 girls. MAIA has 95% indigenous staff and has impacted over 2,500 family members.
• Seseme Girls' Secondary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Seseme Girls' Secondary School in Kisoro, Uganda to build sanitation facilities (four blocks with 18 toilets) to support 437-600 girls.
• Common Grounds for AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Common Grounds for Africa to complete and equip the Lenana Girls High School dormitory in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya to safely house up to 200 students.
• Village Concern UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircle partners with Village Concern Uganda to construct new toilet facilities at Ibaako Primary School in Busoga Region, supporting 652 students and 20 female staff members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Global Fund for Women: Grantmaking foundation supporting women's rights and education organizations globally, including girls' secondary education initiatives. Comparable donor-funded model with similar geographic scope across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Room to Read: International nonprofit that builds schools, funds scholarships, and publishes local-language books for girls' education across Asia and Africa. Highly comparable model: donor-funded, infrastructure and education programs for underserved girls, with documented literacy and graduation outcomes.
• CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): Pan-African nonprofit supporting girls' secondary and tertiary education through scholarships, school infrastructure, and mentorship in rural communities across Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Direct geographic overlap with Circle's Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania projects.
• Malala Fund: Global nonprofit championing 12 years of free, safe, quality education for girls, with active programs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other countries where Circle operates. Comparable mission, donor-funded model, and focus on secondary-school access.
• Educate Girls: India-based nonprofit working with government schools to enroll and retain out-of-school girls and improve learning outcomes. Comparable donor-funded model targeting girls' secondary education access, with strong outcome reporting.

Broad incumbents

• CARE International: Major humanitarian organization with significant girls' education and women's empowerment programming across more than 100 countries. Overlaps in mission and beneficiary populations but at much greater scale with broader portfolio.
• Plan International USA: Large established international development organization with substantial girls' education programming across 80+ countries. Overlapping mission on girls' secondary education but operates at significantly larger scale with broader thematic scope (health, protection, economic empowerment).

Emerging players

• Girl Rising: Nonprofit using storytelling, media, and education programs to drive awareness and action for girls' education globally. Smaller, narrative-driven organization with overlapping beneficiary focus but lighter direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circle-of-women

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Circle of Women