WINGS Women of Discovery

What WINGS Women of Discovery does

WINGS Women of Discovery is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that funds and recognizes women engaged in scientific, cultural, and adventurous exploration. The organization's core products are its Fellowship program, which awards approximately $20,000 per recipient, and its Flag Carrier program, which provides $2,000-$5,000 grants to early-career explorers. It supplements grantmaking with the Emergency Fund for rapid-response support, the Associate Board for next-generation donor cultivation, and the recently launched Voice of Discovery Award, co-promoted with National Geographic. Across its programs, WINGS has supported more than 200 explorers and counts 112 Fellows and 48 Flag Carriers in its cumulative network.

The business model is donor-funded rather than revenue-generating. Income flows from individual donations, patron memberships, annual gala proceeds, and a concentrated set of institutional and philanthropic sponsors, with Rolex, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, and Tawani Enterprises explicitly named as major backers. The organization operates with a lean paid staff of approximately 16 employees supplemented by an active board, an Associate Board, and volunteer networks. There is no commercial product, no software platform, and no fee-for-service revenue stream; every dollar raised is disbursed through grants or absorbed into program and overhead costs.

Strategically, WINGS is transitioning from a pure grantmaker toward a hybrid recognition-and-grantmaking brand, anchored by media co-branding with National Geographic and sustained corporate sponsorship from Rolex. The 2024 CEO transition to Jill Tiefenthaler and the 2026 launch of the Voice of Discovery Award indicate a deliberate push to expand public visibility, grow the donor pipeline through the Associate Board, and diversify fundraising channels beyond traditional gala and major-gift revenue. The organization's competitive position rests on its 23-year operating history, its catalogued explorer network, and its lock-in with luxury and media brand partners, rather than on any proprietary technology or scale-driven cost advantage.

Name

WINGS Women of Discovery

Legal name

WINGS WorldQuest Inc

Website

https://wingswomenofdiscovery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WINGS Women of Discovery is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and recognizes women explorers through $20K Fellowships, $2-5K Flag Carrier grants, an Emergency Fund, and the Voice of Discovery Award, supported by donors and partners including Rolex, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, and National Geographic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Science and Exploration Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Women STEM grants
• Exploration fellowship programs
• Field research funding
• Conservation philanthropy
• Scientific expedition grants

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Giving: WINGS receives tax-deductible donations from individual donors, foundations, and corporations. The organization offers patron levels including Global Impact Society ($10,000), Fellows Circle ($5,000), Expedition Circle ($2,500), Trailblazer ($1,000), and Compass ($500). As a US-registered 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 54-2137595), all donations are tax-deductible.
2. Gala Events and Ticket Sales: Annual Women of Discovery Awards Gala generates revenue through ticket sales. 2025 Gala pricing: Discovery Patron Table (10 guests) at $10,000, Explorer Patron Ticket at $1,000, Field Patron Pair at $3,000, Summit Table (12 guests) at $20,000.
3. Grant Disbursement: WINGS distributes unrestricted grants to women explorers: Fellows receive $20,000 grants annually; Flag Carriers receive grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for expeditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WINGS Women of Discovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards unrestricted grants and fellowships to women scientists and explorers. Its core offerings are the WINGS Fellowship ($20,000 unrestricted annual grant) and the Flag Carrier Program ($2,000–$5,000 expedition grants with numbered flags), supported by an Emergency Fund for field safety, an annual Awards Gala, the Global Explorers Forum, and a digital community of 200+ Explorers.

Product overview

WINGS Women of Discovery is a nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of programs to fund, elevate, and build community around women in science, exploration, and conservation. The core offerings include the WINGS Women of Discovery Fellowship (an unrestricted $20,000 grant program for women explorers), the Flag Carrier Program (grants of $2,000-$5,000 for original field research expeditions), the annual Women of Discovery Awards Gala (established 2003), the Voice of Discovery Award (new science communicator award introduced in 2026), the WINGS Emergency Fund (for field safety incidents), and the Associate Board (young professional mentorship and fundraising group). The organization connects a growing community of 200+ Explorers through digital networks and event programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WINGS Women of Discovery Fellowship An annual unrestricted $20,000 grant awarded to women for achievements in scientific research, environmental conservation, and exploration. Fellows join a global network of 200+ women explorers in STEM and are recognized at the annual Women of Discovery Awards Gala.
• WINGS Flag Carrier Program A grant program that awards numbered WINGS flags and grant funding ($2,000–$5,000 range) to women leading original field research expeditions. Unrestricted grants cover equipment, travel, childcare, and other expedition-related needs; 48 Flag Carriers have carried numbered flags to 80+ countries, all continents, and both poles.
• WINGS Emergency Fund An emergency assistance program established in 2014 to ensure the safety of WINGS Fellows and Flag Carriers who unexpectedly find themselves in danger or injured in the field, providing urgent evacuation and safety support.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• EDsnapsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational media partner collaborating with WINGS on content and outreach initiatives.
• Thomson Reuters FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting WINGS mission and women in science/exploration.
• ShackletonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure/exploration brand partnership supporting WINGS explorers and mission.
• Gossamer GearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor gear partner supporting WINGS explorers with equipment and resources.
• National Geographic SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner supporting WINGS Explorers who are also National Geographic Explorers. Many Fellows and Flag Carriers are National Geographic Explorer Grant recipients. Shared mission of exploration and scientific discovery.
• The Explorers ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization for explorers. WINGS Explorers often hold membership and participate in club activities and programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Geographic Society: National Geographic Society funds and elevates explorers through its Explorer Grants program and has a direct partnership with WINGS, with many WINGS Fellows and Flag Carriers also holding National Geographic Explorer status. Both operate as flagship philanthropic platforms supporting original field research and exploration.
• The Explorers Club: The Explorers Club is a professional membership organization for explorers; WINGS Explorers commonly hold Explorers Club membership and the two organizations co-host events and content. Overlap in mission to support field exploration makes it the closest institutional peer in the exploration community.
• Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Rolex is both a major sponsor of WINGS and operates the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which funds visionary individuals tackling global challenges. The two share a funder-of-individual-explorers model and brand association with adventure and scientific discovery.
• Royal Geographical Society (with IBG): The Royal Geographical Society funds expeditions and recognizes explorers through grants and medals, and is a direct global counterpart to WINGS in providing field-research support to individual explorers. Both operate grant programs for original field research and use recognition awards to elevate recipients.
• National Geographic Explorers Grants: National Geographic's Explorer Grants program is a direct comparable to WINGS' Flag Carrier grants in that it funds early-career field research globally. Many WINGS grantees transition to or already hold National Geographic Explorer status, suggesting the two programs sit on a continuum of support for the same beneficiary base.

Emerging players

• Mission Blue / Sylvia Earle Alliance: Mission Blue is a marine conservation nonprofit founded by Sylvia Earle that funds and elevates ocean explorers and Hope Spots. It overlaps with WINGS' women-led ocean exploration cohort and shares a model of combining grants with a global network of explorers and storytellers.
• Ann Bancroft Foundation: Founded by WINGS Fellow Ann Bancroft, the Ann Bancroft Foundation provides grants and inspiration to girls pursuing outdoor adventures. It directly mirrors WINGS' women-in-exploration mission at a smaller scale and shares a funder/mentor model.
• Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Pulitzer Center funds journalists and storytellers covering under-reported global issues, paralleling WINGS' new 2026 Voice of Discovery Award for science communicators. Both combine grants with a network and editorial platform for individual storytellers.

Broad incumbents

• Acumen: Acumen is a large impact-investment and philanthropy nonprofit with a comparable unrestricted-capital approach to social change. WINGS Board member Margo Alexander served on Acumen's board for two decades, evidencing operational and governance overlap in the philanthropic-funder space.
• Crop Trust: Crop Trust is a global foundation funding crop diversity and conservation, with WINGS Associate Board member Sefra Alexandra as a fellow. While focused on agricultural biodiversity rather than exploration, it shares the model of unrestricted grants supporting field-based, mission-driven individuals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WINGSWorldQuest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5f2xCeIXIlhkhxGXqYuF6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/WINGSWorldQuest
• Instagraminstagram.com/wingsworldquest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WINGS Women of Discovery