Women and Girls Foundation

What Women and Girls Foundation does

Women and Girls Foundation (WGF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose mission is to achieve equity for self-identified women and girls through programming and state-wide policy work. The organization delivers a diversified portfolio of civic-engagement, policy-advocacy, and grantmaking programs rather than a unified product. Its signature initiative, GirlGov, has trained nearly 700 middle- and high-school girls in civic leadership since 2009, with the current cohort drawing 100 participants from 46 schools across 5 Southwest PA counties. Other programs include the Family Care Act Campaign (chaired by WGF through a 90-organization coalition), Pay Equity/Level Up, Femisphere (a multimillion-dollar economic-justice initiative), WGF WingMen (male allyship program), Just Films, an In the Movement interview series, grantmaking to regional non-profits, and the Immigrant Leadership Cohort partnered with All for All and Carlow University.

WGF has no technology products, proprietary software, or AI/ML components. Its core operating infrastructure consists of marketing and distribution channels — YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, email newsletters, community events, and direct school-based outreach — combined with advocacy channels (Earned Media in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tribune-Review, Harrisburg advocacy trips) and coalition-based lobbying. WGF has no parent company, subsidiaries, institutional investors, or venture backing; it operates as an independent foundation governed by a Board of Directors (Co-Chairs Janis Burley-Wilson and Len Caric as of 2018) under CEO Camila Rivera-Tinsley (since 2022, succeeding Heather Arnet who led WGF since 2004). The organization has no publicly disclosed revenue; funding flows via donations, grants, and corporate support, with WGF WingMen alone contributing over $100,000 and Femisphere framed as a multimillion-dollar initiative.

Name

Women and Girls Foundation

Legal name

Women and Girls Foundation

Website

https://wgfpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women and Girls Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs civic-engagement programs for teen girls and leads state-wide policy advocacy for gender equity — including paid family leave, pay equity, and grantmaking — across Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equity Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Gender equity advocacy
• Civic engagement programs
• Policy advocacy campaigns
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Youth leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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. Donations and Grants: WGF operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations, corporate support, and grants. The WGF WingMen initiative alone raised over $100,000 from local male leaders to support female leadership programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Women and Girls Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that provides civic engagement, policy advocacy, and grantmaking programs targeting gender equity for women and girls in Southwestern Pennsylvania and across the state. Its core offerings include the GirlGov civic engagement program for middle and high school girls, the Family Care Act Campaign for paid family and medical leave, the Pay Equity/Level Up campaign, regional grantmaking, and the Femisphere economic equity initiative, all delivered as free or grant-funded services.

Product overview

Women and Girls Foundation (WGF) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of advocacy programs and initiatives rather than a unified technology product. Its core offerings include GirlGov (civic engagement for youth), the Family Care Act Campaign (paid family leave advocacy), Pay Equity/Level Up initiatives, Grantmaking programs, and the Femisphere strategic initiative. Supporting programs include the Just Films series, In the Movement podcast, WGF WingMen male allyship program, and the Immigrant Leadership Cohort training. These programs collectively work toward achieving equity for self-identified women and girls through policy advocacy, youth empowerment, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GirlGov: Signature civic engagement program for girls providing opportunities to learn about civics, government, philanthropy, community building, social justice, and leadership through an intersectional feminist lens
• Femisphere
• WGF WingMen
• Paid Leave for PA
• Level Up

Products and services

• GirlGov A signature civic engagement program for middle school and high school students in Allegheny County that teaches civics, government, philanthropy, community building, social justice, and leadership through an intersectional feminist lens. The program is tuition-free with all costs covered for participants.
• Family Care Act Campaign Statewide advocacy campaign chaired by WGF, ROC United, and PEACOCK to make Paid Family and Medical Leave available and accessible to all Pennsylvanians and all employers.
• Pay Equity / Level Up Campaign addressing the pay gap between Black women and white men in Pittsburgh, which exceeds the national average, advocating for pay equity with a special focus on women of color.
• Grantmaking WGF's grantmaking program that supports policies and programmatic interventions advancing gender equity, funding regional nonprofit organizations working on gender equity and economic justice issues.
• Femisphere Multimillion-dollar strategic initiative to reimagine Pittsburgh as a place that puts women at the center of economic growth and poverty reduction efforts.
• Just Films Social justice film series that educates and inspires audiences to act, addressing gender through intersectional perspectives, co-presented with Chatham University's Women's Institute and Women's Law Project.
• In the Movement WGF's online civic learning interview series featuring conversations with community leaders working at the intersection of equity, policy, and public life.
• WGF WingMen Strategic effort to engage men as allies and champions for women and girls' leadership, with members having raised over $100,000 to support WGF programs.
• Sarah's Bill Legislation initiative to allow those who do not meet the relationship nexus for a Protection from Abuse Order to obtain a restraining order.
• Immigrant Leadership Cohort Partnership program with All for All and Carlow University providing advocacy training, coalition building, and communications skills to emerging immigrant community leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 700 girls trained in civic engagement and leadership since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• All for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2018Partnered with WGF and Carlow University to create the Immigrant Leadership Cohort, providing advocacy and leadership training to emerging immigrant community leaders.
• Carlow UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2018Host venue and educational partner for the Immigrant Leadership Cohort program, providing space for three evening sessions of leadership training.
• Chatham University's Women's InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2017Partner in Just Films series, co-presenting social justice films with WGF and Women's Law Project.
• Women's Law ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2017Long-time advocacy partner in legislative efforts including Equity in Athletics bill and Just Films series co-presentation.
• Gwen's GirlsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2017Partner organization in Just Films Season 2 series expansion.
• YWCA Greater PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2017Partner organization in Just Films Season 2 series expansion.
• Restaurant Opportunity Centers United (ROC United)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROC United co-chairs the Family Care Act Campaign with WGF to make Paid Family and Medical Leave available and accessible to all Pennsylvanians.
• Professionals Empowering Advocating for Change, Opportunity, Change and Knowledge (PEACOCK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEACOCK co-chairs the Family Care Act Campaign alongside WGF and ROC United for paid family leave advocacy in Pennsylvania.
• PathWays PAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-chairs Paid Leave for PA coalition with WGF, advocating for statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program.
• Paid Leave for PA Coalition Members (90 organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 90 organizations across Pennsylvania working together to advocate for state-level paid family and medical leave program.
• SisterFriendminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit partner that puts together kits of feminine hygiene products for Pittsburgh area homeless and women shelters. GirlGov coordinated with SisterFriend on menstrual health advocacy.
• Pittsburgh Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnered with GirlGov and SisterFriend to offer free menstrual hygiene products to students.
• Women's Law ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with WGF to advocate for and achieve passage of HB 1901 - Equity in Interscholastic Athletics Disclosure Bill requiring PA schools to report athletic opportunities by gender.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EMILY's List: A political organization dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women — overlaps with WGF's civic-engagement and gender-equity political work, particularly the political-leadership development arc of GirlGov.
• Feminist Majority Foundation: A national gender-equity advocacy organization advancing women's rights through research, policy, and programs — directly comparable to WGF's intersectional-feminist policy advocacy approach.
• New York Women's Foundation: A regional women's foundation that combines grantmaking, leadership development, and advocacy for women and girls of color — a close structural and mission-level peer to WGF.
• National Women's Law Center: A national gender-equity legal advocacy organization pursuing systemic policy change on issues including pay equity and family leave — directly comparable to WGF's policy/legislative advocacy work.
• Equal Rights Advocates: A gender-equity legal advocacy organization focused on pay equity and workplace justice — directly comparable to WGF's Level Up/Pay Equity campaign focus.
• Women's Foundation of Colorado: A regional gender-equity foundation combining grantmaking, policy advocacy, and leadership programs for women and girls in Colorado — the closest structural analog to WGF's hybrid programming/advocacy/grantmaking model.
• YWCA Greater Pittsburgh: A local women's empowerment organization that is an active WGF partner; shares overlapping mission of women's leadership, advocacy, and direct services in the same Pittsburgh geography.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: A national gender-equity foundation that funds grassroots women's and girls' organizing and policy advocacy — directly comparable in mission, grantmaking approach, and gender-equity framing.

Regional players

• Pittsburgh Foundation: The largest community foundation in the Pittsburgh region — a peer in geography and community-foundation model, with overlapping grantmaking priorities and donor base.

Broad incumbents

• National Organization for Women (NOW): The largest U.S. feminist advocacy organization, operating across a much broader national footprint than WGF — a broad incumbent in the same gender-equity advocacy category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WomenandGirlsFdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-and-girls-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wgfpa
• Xx.com/wgfpa
• Facebookfacebook.com/wgfpa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Women and Girls Foundation