Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment

Community Education and Social Serviceswomenofwise.org

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 in Saint Paul, MN, providing culturally-responsive education, mentorship, and gender-based violence prevention programs to immigrant and refugee women, girls, and gender-diverse youth across the Twin Cities.

Company typePrivate
Founded1995
HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment does

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1995 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by multi-cultural immigrant and refugee women. Its mission, refreshed in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, is to support immigrant and refugee women, girls, and those on the feminine gender spectrum in their journey of self-actualization through culturally-responsive education, advocacy, systems change, and resource development. The organization serves Twin Cities beneficiaries through four core programs: Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership (GGAL), an academic support and college preparation program for grades 6-12; WeLEAD, a post-secondary success program; Healthy Relationships, focused on gender-based violence prevention; and the Parent Encouragement Program, which develops multilingual resources for immigrant and refugee families. Programs operate free of charge inside partner schools and community sites during and after school hours, with mentors drawn from the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, and St. Catherine's University.

WISE's delivery model depends on a multi-stakeholder ecosystem of school and community-site partners, university mentors, and international fellowship pipelines (IREX Community Solutions Program, Community Engagement Exchange, Mandela Washington Fellows, Chuck Green Fellowship with Macalester). The organization has produced original educational resources, including a September 2025 Peer Psychological First Aid Toolkit (Resilience Journal and Peer PFA Check Cards) developed with a Chuck Green Fellow, and co-authored research with Macalester students on mentorship outcomes. All programming is free to participants.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: individual donations collected via a NeonCRM online form, planned giving, event sponsorships, and presumed foundation and government grants. WISE is not venture-backed, has no parent entity, and operates from a single Saint Paul headquarters (570 N Asbury Street, Suite 308) with 1-10 staff. In 2021, WISE implemented a 32-hour work week as part of an explicit health-and-wellness and 'self-preservation' policy, signaling an organizational philosophy that prioritizes staff sustainability over aggressive headcount expansion. Technology footprint is limited to standard nonprofit tooling (Wix website, NeonCRM), with no disclosed AI/ML or proprietary technology platform.

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment
Legal name: Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment
Website: https://womenofwise.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1995
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 in Saint Paul, MN, providing culturally-responsive education, mentorship, and gender-based violence prevention programs to immigrant and refugee women, girls, and gender-diverse youth across the Twin Cities.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment industry classification

Industry

Product category: Community Education and Social Services
NAICS: Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (6117)
SIC: Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)
akta.pro secondary industries: Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

Youth education programs
Leadership development services
Gender violence prevention
Immigrant refugee support
Community advocacy services

Where Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Saint Paul
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Donations and Charitable Contributions: WISE accepts donations through its website via a NeonCRM donation form. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID: 41-1791358), indicating reliance on charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors.
Grant Funding: As a nonprofit organization serving immigrant and refugee communities, WISE likely receives grant funding from government agencies, foundations, and institutional donors to support its educational programs and advocacy work.
Event Sponsorships: The organization offers 'Sponsor Our Event' as a way to get involved, indicating revenue generation through corporate and individual event sponsorships.
Planned Giving: WISE offers planned giving options for donors, allowing for legacy donations and estate planning contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment product offering

Product offering

Core offering

WISE delivers four core direct-service programs for immigrant and refugee women, girls, and those on the feminine gender spectrum: the Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership (GGAL) program providing academic support and college preparation for grades 6-12; the WeLEAD program supporting post-secondary success for GGAL alumni; the Healthy Relationships program educating participants about gender-based violence prevention; and the Parent Encouragement Program offering multilingual workshops and resources to immigrant and refugee families. All programs are provided at no cost to participants and are delivered through partnerships with schools and community sites in Saint Paul, MN.

Product overview

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 that provides culturally-responsive education and advocacy programs for immigrant and refugee women, girls, and those on the feminine gender spectrum in Saint Paul, MN. The organization's core programming consists of four interconnected programs: the Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership (GGAL) program providing academic support and college preparation for youth in grades 6-12; the WeLEAD program supporting post-secondary success for GGAL alumni; the Healthy Relationships program addressing gender-based violence prevention; and the Parent Encouragement Program helping families navigate educational systems. WISE also operates international fellowship programs (Community Solutions, Community Engagement Exchange, and Mandela Washington Fellows) and produces educational resources including a Peer Psychological First Aid Toolkit with Resilience Journal and Check Cards. The organization positions its programs as pathways from education through mentorship to empowerment, with complementary resources addressing mental health, entrepreneurship, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership (GGAL) Academic support and college preparation program for immigrant and refugee female-identified youth in grades 6-12. Operates both during school hours and after school at partner sites in Saint Paul, MN, offering academic support, life skills training, and college preparation.
WeLEAD
Healthy Relationships
Parent Encouragement Program
Peer Psychological First Aid Toolkit Mental health resource including a Resilience Journal for youth to build emotional awareness and self-care habits, and Peer PFA Check Cards providing a five-step process for peer psychological support. Available as downloadable PDFs.

Quantifiable outcome

Youth develop academic skills, leadership abilities, and emotional resilience through participation in GGAL, WeLEAD, and Healthy Relationships programs
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment

Customer profile

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Local Schools and Community Sites in Saint Paul, MNcoreOthersWISE operates programs through partnerships with local school and community sites in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership (GGAL) program operates both during school hours and after school at these partner locations, allowing WISE to reach immigrant and refugee youth directly where they learn.
Macalester CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacalester College students engage with WISE through the Chuck Green Fellowship program and community-engaged learning classes. Research collaborations have produced papers on mentorship and youth development, including 'Future Rebels: How Mentorship Promotes Personal and Professional Development in Young Immigrant and Refugee Women' by Amalia Chiapperino and Lilliana Kay.
International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIREX sponsors the Community Solutions Program Fellowship which brings international fellows to work with WISE. Hanin Omran joined WISE as a Community Solutions Fellow through this program in 2018, helping set groundwork for WISE's Healthy Relationships program.
Violence Free MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISE is a member of Violence Free Minnesota, a coalition working towards creating safe, caring communities free of violence. WISE participates in joint advocacy efforts and shares resources with the coalition.
University of MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Minnesota students serve as mentors with WISE programs through school's social work department and community-engaged learning opportunities. Mentors like Kate Sabling (Health and Wellbeing Sciences student) and Jessica Yan (Developmental Psychology student) have contributed to GGAL and Healthy Relationships programs.
St. Catherine's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Catherine's University social work students serve as mentors with WISE programs. Jaleia (Leah) Hempel, a Social Work student from St. Catherine's, mentored with the GGAL and Healthy Relationships programs.
Nahuen, LLCminorOthersWISE Board Member Javi Monardez is a co-founder of Nahuen, LLC, a small business committed to advancing well-being for immigrant families. Connection represents board-level community ties.
Insfires EntertainmentminorOthersWeLEAD Program Coordinator See Lee is a co-founder of Insfires Entertainment, a photo booth business founded by first-generation Hmong American women. Connection represents staff-level community ties.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Violence Free Minnesota: Minnesota coalition on which WISE participates, working on gender-based violence prevention. Directly comparable in the Healthy Relationships program area and advocacy focus.
Refugee Women's Network: Refugee-women-led nonprofit focused on self-empowerment, education, and leadership for refugee women in the U.S. Highly comparable in founder-led identity and target population.
Hmong American Partnership: Saint Paul-based nonprofit serving refugee and immigrant communities with youth education, family, and leadership programs. Closely comparable mission and geographic footprint to WISE.
International Institute of Minnesota: Saint Paul-based nonprofit providing resettlement, education, and youth services to immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities. Directly comparable in geography, target population, and service mix.
Center for Asian Pacific American Women: Nonprofit advancing AAPI women through leadership, mentorship, and education pipelines. Comparable in mentoring-plus-education model serving immigrant-origin women and girls.

Broad incumbents

National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF): National advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls, combining policy advocacy with leadership programs. Comparable in targeting women and girls from immigrant communities.
Women for Women International: International nonprofit supporting women affected by conflict with education, leadership, and economic empowerment programming. Comparable in empowerment framework but at much larger international scale.
Girls Inc. National nonprofit operating girl-serving programming including leadership, academic support, and life-skills curricula across many affiliates. Comparable in GGAL-style programming for adolescent girls but at much larger scale.

Regional players

The Advocates for Human Rights: Minneapolis-based international human rights organization with refugee and immigrant women's programs. Geographically overlapping and adjacent in mission to WISE.

Emerging players

Asian American Pacific Islander Women for Education: Smaller organization focused on education access and mentorship for AAPI women and girls. Comparable niche focus but more education-centric than WISE's multi-domain model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment

What does Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment do?

Is Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment a public or private company?

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment founded?

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment based?

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.

How does Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding, event Sponsorships and planned Giving.

Who are Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Violence Free Minnesota, Refugee Women's Network, Hmong American Partnership, International Institute of Minnesota and Center for Asian Pacific American Women. Broad incumbents are National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), Women for Women International and Girls Inc.. The Advocates for Human Rights is listed as a regional player. Asian American Pacific Islander Women for Education is listed as an emerging player.

Does Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment have an API?

No public API is recorded for Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment.

What industry is Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment in?

Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment's product category is Community Education and Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAI, Refugee & Immigrant Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAJAGAH, Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.