International Women's Forum of Washington DC (IWF-DC)

What International Women's Forum of Washington DC (IWF-DC) does

International Women's Forum of Washington DC (IWF-DC) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership organization founded in 1982 and headquartered (via PO Box) in Arlington, Virginia, serving the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area. The organization operates as an invitation-only professional network for more than 250 accomplished women leaders spanning politics, business, law, government, medicine, industry, technology, and the arts and sciences. IWF-DC is the local DC chapter of the International Women's Forum (IWF) global network, which comprises 8,500+ preeminent women leaders across 36 countries and 77 local Forums.

The organization's core product is programming for its members, delivered through Dine Arounds, book clubs, panel discussions, member recognition events, and access to semi-annual IWF global conferences. Technology infrastructure consists of a digital member management and event registration platform, a member portal, and native iOS and Android applications (the mobile apps are built on the BRYNK Growth Platform). IWF-DC does not offer a software product or SaaS; its value proposition is relational and community-based rather than technology-based.

IWF-DC generates revenue through three streams: recurring membership dues from individual members, a four-tier corporate sponsorship program (Leadership Circle $10,000, Strategic Circle $5,000, Circle of Purpose $2,500, Friends of IWF-DC $1,000), and event/program fees. Go-to-market is exclusively invitation-based with peer endorsement as the qualifying mechanism. Distribution leverages the global IWF Forum network as a channel partner for cross-Forum member benefits. The organization operates with six employees and is governed by an elected board serving two-year terms; the 2026-2027 leadership team has been announced.

Name

International Women's Forum of Washington DC (IWF-DC)

Legal name

International Women's Forum of Washington D.C.

Website

https://iwfdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IWF-DC is a 501(c)(6) non-profit, invitation-only professional membership organization serving 250+ accomplished women leaders in the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area across politics, business, law, government, and other sectors, operating since 1982 as the DC chapter of the International Women's Forum global network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated from membership fees paid by accomplished women leaders across various professional sectors.
2. Sponsorship Programs: Corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers (Leadership Circle $10,000, Strategic Circle $5,000, Circle of Purpose $2,500, Friends of IWF-DC $1,000) supporting programs to advance women's leadership.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from member events, conferences, and programs including Dine Arounds, book clubs, and educational programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IWF-DC is an invitation-only, non-partisan 501(c)(6) membership organization that brings together more than 250 accomplished women leaders from politics, business, law, government, medicine, industry, technology, and the arts and sciences in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The organization provides networking events, educational programs, Dine Arounds, book clubs, and access to a global network of 8,500+ women leaders across 36 countries and 77 local Forums.

Product overview

IWF-DC is a professional membership organization (501(c)(6) non-profit) that provides networking events, programs, and member services for accomplished women leaders. The organization does not offer a technology product, software platform, or SaaS offering—it functions as a membership-based forum focused on advancing women's leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invitation-Only Membership

Named customers4 records

Segments5 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 strategic circle sponsor, core and minor.

• HUB Internationalstrategic circle sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUB International serves as a Strategic Circle Sponsor, providing support for IWF-DC programs and events. Their logo appears on the organization's sponsor recognition page.
• IWF GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWF-DC is part of the International Women's Forum global network comprising 8,500+ preeminent women leaders in 36 countries and 77 local Forums. This partnership provides members access to global conferences, cross-forum networking, and international leadership programming.
• Visiting IWF MembersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIWF members visiting the Washington DC area can connect with local IWF-DC members through a formal visiting member program, facilitating cross-forum networking and local recommendations.
• Wrestle Like A GirlminorOthersSally Roberts, IWF-DC member, founded Wrestle Like A Girl, a nonprofit empowering girls through wrestling. The organization is featured in member news but is not an official partner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Watermark: A women's leadership organization headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area that runs invitation-based events, conferences, and recognition programs for accomplished women leaders and executives. Highly comparable to IWF-DC in mission and programming format but serves the Bay Area rather than the DC metro, making it a regional peer rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: A global nonprofit working to advance women in the workplace through research, advisory services, and recognition programs. Comparable to IWF-DC in mission (advancing women into leadership) but operates at a much broader scale and as a research-and-advisory institution rather than a local peer-network membership organization.
• Lean In (Lean In Circles / LeanIn.org): A widely recognized women-leadership community founded by Sheryl Sandberg that organizes peer Circles, educational content, and corporate partnerships. Shares the women's-leadership mission with IWF-DC but is open to all women rather than invitation-only senior leaders and is a national/global brand rather than a DMV-local chapter.

Direct peers

• Ellevate Network: A professional networking community for women (formerly 85 Broads) that combines in-person meetups, mentorship circles, and online community features. Comparable to IWF-DC in serving accomplished professional women through peer networking and programming, though Ellevate operates at larger scale and a more self-serve membership model rather than IWF-DC's invitation-only approach.
• Women's Forum of New York: An IWF-affiliated local Forum serving accomplished women leaders in the New York metropolitan area. Same organizational model, member profile, and programming structure as IWF-DC; the most directly comparable peer because both are local Forums under the IWF global umbrella serving the same member archetype in different metros.
• Chief: A private membership network for women executives (typically VP and above) offering peer groups, leadership programming, and curated events. Closely comparable to IWF-DC in that it is an exclusive, dues-funded community for senior women leaders focused on peer connection and leadership development, though Chief operates nationally rather than regionally.
• International Women's Forum (IWF) Global: The global parent organization of which IWF-DC is a local Forum. Operates the same invitation-only membership model for preeminent women leaders and coordinates the semi-annual global conferences that IWF-DC members attend. Directly comparable in mission, member profile, and programming structure.

Emerging players

• Forte Foundation: A nonprofit consortium of leading business schools and companies focused on advancing women in business through education, scholarships, and a professional community. Comparable to IWF-DC in its women-leadership mission and corporate sponsor base, but addresses an earlier career stage (MBAs and early-career women) rather than senior executives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iwfdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iwf-dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Women's Forum of Washington DC (IWF-DC)