Daughters Of Penelope

What Daughters Of Penelope does

Daughters of Penelope is an international nonprofit fraternal organization founded on November 16, 1929 in San Francisco, California by Alexandra Apostolides. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and operating under the AHEPA Family umbrella, the organization serves women of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes (non-Greek supporters of Hellenic culture) across more than 300 chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Europe, and Australia. Its mission centers on promoting Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, and family and individual excellence.

The organization operates through a hierarchical chapter-district-national structure with 26 districts coordinating local chapter activity. Core operational technology consists of an online membership management system (IMIS) hosted at members.dophq.org for member records, dues processing, and chapter operations. Programmatic offerings include scholarship programs administered through the DOP Foundation, Inc., recognition programs (Salute to Women, Penelope of the Year, Zoe Cavalaris Athletic Award), Greek language summer camps, and permanent national charitable obligations including Penelope House (domestic violence shelter in Mobile, AL), Penelope's Place (Brockton, MA), and Penelopean Day Care Center (Athens, Greece). Communications are distributed through a multi-channel mix spanning Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, the company website, the Penelope's Scroll newsletter, and annual conventions.

Revenue is generated through recurring annual membership dues, individual and corporate donations (with preset tiers of $50, $75, $100, and custom amounts), event sponsorships for the Supreme Convention and regional leadership conferences reaching approximately 10,000 members and friends, and merchandise sales via Penelope's Emporium on CafePress. The organization maintains a lean staff of approximately 8 employees overseen by an Executive Director (Elena Skardis Saviolakis, in role since 2007) and is governed by an annually elected Grand President; Antoinette Marousis-Zachariades assumed the role in July 2025.

Name

Daughters Of Penelope

Legal name

Daughters of Penelope

Website

https://daughtersofpenelope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Daughters of Penelope is a nonprofit fraternal organization founded in 1929 that serves approximately 10,000 women of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes across 300+ chapters in the U.S., Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Europe, and Australia, promoting Hellenism, education, philanthropy, and civic engagement through membership dues, donations, and charitable programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Membership Organization

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (813910), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Greek Life (Fraternities & Sororities) (EDALAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Fraternal organization
• Greek heritage society
• Women's membership
• Nonprofit association
• Cultural advocacy

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from individual chapter members through local chapters and districts. National Obligations form required for members.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization receives donations through its donation platform (members.dophq.org) and encourages sponsorships for events like the Supreme Convention and Salute to Women. Sponsors gain brand visibility with the organization's 10,000+ member reach.
3. Penelope's Emporium Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including DOP-logoed items, jewelry (rings in gold or sterling silver), and Cafe Press online store products. Merchandise sales through catalogue and order forms.
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for Supreme Convention, leadership conferences, and award events. Sponsors receive brand exposure through social media, website, and email outreach to 10,000+ members and friends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Daughters of Penelope is a nonprofit fraternal membership organization founded in 1929 for women of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes. It delivers community service programs, educational scholarships, charitable initiatives (including domestic violence shelter operations and senior housing referral services), cultural preservation activities, recognition awards, athletic programs, and merchandise sales through its Penelope's Emporium. The organization operates through a global network of more than 300 chapters serving over 10,000 members and functions under the AHEPA Family umbrella of Greek-American organizations.

Product overview

The Daughters of Penelope is an international women's fraternal organization offering a portfolio of membership-based programs and services. The core offerings include the membership system for managing 250+ chapters worldwide, scholarship programs through the DOP Foundation, Inc., and national charitable projects (Penelope House, Penelope's Place, Penelopean Day Care Center). The organization conducts annual Supreme Conventions and regional leadership conferences, manages publications (Penelope's Scroll, Grand President's Bulletin), and operates award programs including the Salute to Women, Penelope of the Year, and Zoe Cavalaris Athletic Award. Additional offerings include Greek language heritage programs, the Maids of Athena youth auxiliary, civic responsibility advocacy campaigns, and merchandise through Penelope's Emporium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daughters of Penelope Membership Core membership service for women of Hellenic heritage and Philhellenes, providing access to local chapter participation, community service opportunities, cultural programs, and the global Daughters of Penelope network.
• Daughters of Penelope Foundation Scholarships Educational financial aid scholarships awarded to members and their families through the Daughters of Penelope Foundation.
• Penelope's Emporium Official merchandise store selling Daughters of Penelope branded apparel, accessories, and commemorative items to members and supporters.
• Bridges Incentive Grant Program Grant program providing funding to local Daughters of Penelope chapters for community service and charitable initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Donated $10,000 to Meals on Wheels America in 2024 and 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Meals on Wheels AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2024Daughters of Penelope has maintained an ongoing partnership with Meals on Wheels America, donating $10,000 annually to support senior nutrition and wellness programs. The partnership addresses senior isolation and hunger through corporate sponsorship and member donations. Multiple donation presentations documented in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• Health ImperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Health Imperatives to operate Penelope's Place, a 24/7 emergency domestic violence shelter in Brockton, MA. The partnership provides shelter, counseling, housing, legal and medical advocacy, life skills, parenting skills, and job coaching for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Can accommodate up to five families at any time.
• Water by Women (aka Water with Blessings)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMandatory national project partnership to equip and empower mothers as Water Women who serve families and neighbors by filtering water through Sawyer PointONE bucket filters. In the U.S., filters are distributed to Native Americans, Appalachian communities, and natural disaster survivors. Sent 6,500 water filters to Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee after Hurricane Helene.
• Community House Damaris (CHD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian organization operating a safe house in Athens, Greece offering a long-term recovery program (3-7 years) for women age 18 to 35 and their children who have been or are at high risk of sexual exploitation or trafficking. Mandatory national project supporting survivors into full rehabilitation and reintegration.
• Penelope HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent national obligation to Penelope House Family Violence Center in Mobile, AL - the first shelter for battered women and children in Alabama, founded under DOP direction in 1978. Provides 24-hour crisis lines, shelter, counseling, advocacy, and referral services for domestic violence victims.
• Penelopean Day Care CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent national obligation to Nursing and Day Care Center in Nea Ionia, Athens, Greece for children eight months to preschool age of underprivileged families with low or no income.
• Open Door (Cerebral Palsy Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary national project supporting Cerebral Palsy Greece/Open Door which provides diverse services, programs and activities for people with cerebral palsy in Greece. Over 4,000 families served; 240+ people attend programs daily at the Model Education and Rehabilitation Center.
• Greeks for GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary national project partnership with Greeks for Good non-profit providing essential goods like food, money, and toys to families in need with emphasis on Greek culture. Started in aftermath of Hurricane Helene which devastated Western North Carolina communities.
• AHEPA Senior LivingminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 sponsor of the Daughters of Penelope. AHEPA Senior Living provides senior housing options and is part of the broader AHEPA Family organization.
• Jane Conte LawyersminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 sponsor of the Daughters of Penelope. Jane Conte Lawyers provides legal services.
• Academy of AthensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated for Greece and Cyprus Leadership Conference in April 2025 to honor trailblazing women in public and volunteer service.
• AHEPA Housing CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivic responsibility partnership providing affordable housing to senior citizens. AHEPA Housing Corporation has been awarded over $400 million from HUD and operates 91 senior housing complexes with 4,753 units.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR): A much larger lineage-based women's patriotic/heritage organization with chapters, scholarships, and national philanthropy. Comparable in chapter-based membership structure and women's civic engagement mission.
• General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC): Large U.S. women's volunteer service organization with state federations, local clubs, community service programs, and civic engagement—comparable to DOP's chapter/district structure and women's philanthropy focus.

Direct peers

• National Hellenic Society: U.S. Greek-American heritage and education organization running scholarships, heritage programs (e.g., Heritage Greece), and leadership development—directly overlapping DOP's programming.
• Pan-Macedonian Association: U.S.-based Hellenic heritage association with chapters, conventions, and educational/philanthropic programs targeting the Greek-American diaspora.
• Sons of Pericles: Male youth auxiliary of the AHEPA Family. Parallel structure to DOP for young men, sharing districts, conventions, and Hellenic heritage mission.
• American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) Housing Corporation: Direct partner and affiliated entity operating 91 senior housing complexes with $400M+ in HUD awards. Operationally intertwined with DOP's civic responsibility mission.
• Maids of Athena: Youth auxiliary directly under the AHEPA Family umbrella. Operates with its own constitution and serves young women under 21 within the same chapter/district infrastructure as DOP.
• Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society: The largest Greek Orthodox women's philanthropic organization in the U.S. Closest mission-aligned peer with comparable chapters, philanthropy, scholarships, and domestic violence/senior support programs.
• Order of AHEPA: The parent/men's counterpart organization in the AHEPA Family. Direct structural peer with overlapping chapters, districts, conventions, and shared national programs (e.g., AHEPA Housing).

Others

• AHEPA District Governors Conference: Governance and event layer within the AHEPA Family that DOP's Grand Lodge participates in. Operates the AHEPA Supreme Convention and leadership conferences that DOP co-hosts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DOPHeadquarters
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtx9xETabHJ49AMfTaZRdpw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DaughtersofPenelope
• Instagraminstagram.com/daughtersofpenelope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daughters-of-penelope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Daughters Of Penelope