Women's Opportunity Center

What Women's Opportunity Center does

Women's Opportunity Center (WOC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979, headquartered in Ithaca, New York, that provides free coaching, career services, entrepreneurship support, and basic-needs resources to women and trans individuals aged 18 or older who reside in New York State. The organization originated as part of the statewide Displaced Homemakers Program and was formally established as a centralized community resource hub in 2002 after key milestones in 1995 and 1998.

WOC's core offerings are delivered through a community-based intake process: clients submit an online inquiry, complete paperwork with a Resource Navigator, and then engage in unlimited Strategic Life Coaching sessions. Programmatic surface includes Future Ready (career preparation), Project Amunet (healthy relationships), Ready? Set? Dream! (entrepreneurial support), the Startup Business Mentorship Project, Personal and Professional Development Training, and support groups Comeback Queens and WOC S.T.A.R.S. Basic-needs services are delivered via the WOC Cares Closet (free clothing and essentials) and the Opportunity Boutique, a thrift shop in downtown Ithaca whose proceeds support operations. Services are distributed through two physical offices—in Ithaca (315 N. Tioga Street) and Syracuse (211 West Jefferson Street)—with virtual life coaching available remotely.

The business model is donation-driven rather than transactional. WOC operates under a board-of-directors governance model with 1–10 employees and no parent company, venture capital, or private equity backing. Revenue streams consist of monetary donations from individuals and community foundations (notably the Community Foundation of Tompkins County), in-kind goods redistributed through partner networks (Project Helping, One Warm Coat, Soles4Souls, Toiletries Amnesty, Simply the Basics, Friendship Donation Network), and volunteer labor. All client services are provided at no cost, and the organization serves communities across Northern New York, Central New York, the Finger Lakes Region, and the Southern Tier.

Name

Women's Opportunity Center

Legal name

Women's Opportunity Center

Website

https://womensopportunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Opportunity Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that provides free life coaching, career services, entrepreneurship support, and basic-needs resources to women and trans individuals aged 18+ residing in New York State, operating from offices in Ithaca and Syracuse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAJ

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGADAF

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Women empowerment services
• Life coaching programs
• Career development support
• Community nonprofit services
• Entrepreneurship mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: The organization relies primarily on monetary donations from the community to fund operations, client services, networking events such as Breakfast Mingles, and staff compensation. WOC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Donated Goods: Physical donations including clothing, shoes, accessories, baby items, toiletries, food, and household products are accepted and redistributed to clients through the Opportunity Boutique and WOC Cares Closet.
3. Volunteer Contributions: Volunteers contribute time for transportation of donations between locations, processing and sorting donations, organizing fundraisers and events, marketing, and board membership.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Women's Opportunity Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free life coaching, career development, entrepreneurship support, and basic-needs resources to women and trans individuals aged 18+ residing in New York State. Services are delivered through programs such as Strategic Life Coaching, Future Ready, Project Amunet, Ready? Set? Dream!, the Startup Business Mentorship Project, and support groups like Comeback Queens and WOC S.T.A.R.S. Additional support includes the WOC Cares Closet providing free clothing and items, and the Opportunity Boutique thrift shop.

Product overview

Women's Opportunity Center is a community non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of empowerment programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include Strategic Life Coaching (available without session limits), Project Amunet for healthier relationships, Future Ready for career development, and Ready? Set? Dream! for entrepreneurial support. Additional programs include the Startup Business Mentorship Project, WOC Cares free items and clothing closet, and support groups called Comeback Queens and WOC S.T.A.R.S. Physical services are delivered through the Opportunity Boutique thrift shop in Ithaca and resource center locations in Ithaca and Syracuse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Life Coaching Free professional life coaching services to help women and trans individuals navigate personal and professional challenges, including work-life balance, financial management, emotional stability, and career development. No limit on the number of sessions.
• Future Ready Career and professional development program designed to help women prepare for workforce success through skills training and preparation support.
• WOC Cares: Free Items and Clothing Provides free clothing, shoes, accessories, baby items, toiletries, food, and household products to women in need through the WOC Cares Closet at the Ithaca and Syracuse locations.
• Project Amunet Program focused on healthier relationships, providing support, resources, and guidance for women navigating relationship challenges.
• Ready? Set? Go! Program designed to help women prepare for and transition into new phases of life or career.
• Ready? Set? Dream! Entrepreneurial support program helping women develop and pursue their business dreams.
• Startup Business Mentorship Project Mentorship initiative connecting aspiring women entrepreneurs with experienced guidance and resources for business development.
• Opportunity Boutique Unique thrift shop located in downtown Ithaca selling fashionable items at reasonable prices, with proceeds supporting WOC operations.
• Comeback Queens Support group providing community connection for women returning to the workforce or pursuing personal goals after challenges.
• WOC S.T.A.R.S. Support group offering peer connection and empowerment for women in the WOC community.
• Personal and Professional Development Training Training services to help women develop skills for personal growth and career advancement.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Project HelpingminorOthersWOC is listed on Project Helping's platform where individuals can purchase Kynd Kits (career readiness, women's care products, unhoused comfort bag, senior care bag, etc.) to help women in the WOC community.
• Friendship Donation NetworkminorOthersFood donation partner that rescues fresh, nutritious food from stores and farms and redistributes it to neighbors in need. Provides food donations to WOC to support clients.
• One Warm CoatminorOthersNational nonprofit providing free coats to children and adults in need. WOC receives coat donations through this partnership.
• Soles4SoulsminorOthersOrganization that turns unwanted shoes and clothing into opportunity by keeping them from going to waste and providing relief and creating jobs. WOC receives shoe and clothing donations.
• Toiletries AmnestyminorOthersOrganization that supports homeless shelters, women's refuges, mental health services, and community groups with toiletries donations. WOC is listed as a location receiving toiletries donations.
• Simply the Basics (Hygiene Locator)minorOthersNetwork of hygiene services across the globe connecting people in need with local hygiene services. WOC is listed on their hygiene locator, helping donors find nearby organizations in need of product donations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bottomless Closet: New York City-based nonprofit providing professional clothing and career coaching to low-income women — closely matches WOC's model of pairing a thrift/boutique with workforce-readiness and life-coaching services for women.
• Dress for Success: Global nonprofit providing professional attire, career development tools, and support programs for women — directly comparable to WOC's combination of Opportunity Boutique clothing access and Future Ready career programming for women.
• Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement: New York-based nonprofit offering free education, job-readiness training, and career advancement programs for women — a near analog to WOC's life coaching, career, and professional development offerings.
• YWCA Ithaca & Tompkins County: Local YWCA affiliate serving women in WOC's home Ithaca/Tompkins County market with empowerment programming — directly comparable mission and same primary geography.
• Center for Women & Enterprise: Northeast-based nonprofit providing training, mentoring, and resources for women entrepreneurs — directly comparable to WOC's Ready? Set? Dream! and Startup Business Mentorship Project programs.
• YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County: Local YWCA affiliate serving women in the same Syracuse market as WOC with empowerment, advocacy, and supportive services — directly comparable mission and overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large established nonprofit providing job training, employment placement, and thrift-based revenue — comparable to WOC's career services and Opportunity Boutique thrift model, but at much greater scale and broader population.
• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free business mentoring and education to entrepreneurs — directly comparable to WOC's Startup Business Mentorship Project, though serving all demographics rather than women specifically.

Regional players

• United Way of Tompkins County: Local United Way affiliate operating in WOC's primary Ithaca/Tompkins market and funding community-based human services — comparable geographic focus and a likely donor partner of WOC.
• The New York Women's Foundation: New York-based foundation investing in organizations serving women and girls — both a potential funder of WOC and a peer operating in the same regional women's-empowerment ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/woc.cny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womensopportunitycenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Women's Opportunity Center