albanian american women's organization

What albanian american women's organization does

The Albanian American Women's Organization "Motrat Qiriazi" Inc. (AAWO) is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit founded on February 5, 1993, by Shqipe Biba in New York, operating as a volunteer-led (100% no paid staff) community organization serving Albanian-American women and families across the United States. The organization runs four core programs — Mentorship & Leadership, Cultural Preservation, Community Integration, and Education & Youth — plus an annual membership ($100/year) providing access to five circles of support. As of 2026 it has 2,500+ active members across New York and Florida chapters, 12+ annual events, and $120K+ in scholarships awarded. Leadership transitioned in April 2026 with Eva Milo Burnazi elected president, succeeding Beti Beno, Esq. (2016–2026) and Dr. Anna Kohen (1998–2016), who secured 501(3)(c) status and obtained a $1M federal grant from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement in 2001.

The organization is named after Sevasti and Parashqevi Qiriazi, who founded the first Albanian school for girls in Korçë in 1891, and this heritage positioning differentiates it from generic women's organizations. AAWO's revenue model relies on three streams: annual membership fees ($100/year, subscription), tax-deductible donations processed through Stripe (General Fund and Children's Fund), and foundation/corporate grants from supporters including Kosloski Family Foundation, Westchester County, The New York Foundation, and The Sister Fund. Technology infrastructure is standard nonprofit stack — Stripe for payment processing, Supabase for authentication/member area, and HTTPS encryption. Distribution is chapter-based (New York headquarters and Florida Chapter) with website self-serve enrollment and event-driven community engagement.

Customer segments include Albanian-American women seeking mentorship and professional development (primary), Albanian-American students and youth receiving educational support, and Albanian immigrant/newcomer families receiving integration services. Programs have produced measurable outcomes including 100% of scholarship recipients enrolled in higher education, 85% of mentees reporting a career milestone within 12 months, and 200+ families served in Community Integration since launch. The organization holds formal recognitions including the Medal for Special Civil Merits from Albanian President Alfred Moisiu (2004), Recognition of Civil Merits from President Bujar Nishani (2014), the Golden Eagle Award at the first Diaspora Summit in Albania (2016), and a Proclamation from New York City Hall (2010).

Name

albanian american women's organization

Legal name

Albanian American Women's Organization Motrat Qiriazi Inc.

Website

https://aawomq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Albanian American Women's Organization "Motrat Qiriazi" is a 501(3)(c) volunteer-led nonprofit serving 2,500+ Albanian-American women and families across the U.S. through mentorship, cultural preservation, education, and newcomer integration programs in New York and Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Women's mentorship programs
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Immigrant community integration
• Nonprofit educational scholarships
• Community fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership at $100/year providing access to mentorship, cultural programs, career resources, and the member network. Memberships renew annually with optional automatic renewal.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support ongoing operations and specific funds (Children's Fund, General Donation). Processed through Stripe with Zelle as an alternative.
3. Foundation Grants & Corporate Funding: Funding from foundations including Kosloski Family Foundation, Michael Koslosky Foundation, Westchester County, The New York Foundation, and The Sister Fund. In 2001, received $1 million in funding from U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement for 'Helping Sisters in Need' program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AAWO Motrat Qiriazi operates a five-pillar community nonprofit ecosystem for Albanian-American women, delivering mentorship and leadership development, cultural preservation programs (heritage nights, language circles, archive projects), community integration support for newcomer families (welcome kits, navigator hours, language bridges), and education/youth scholarships and tutoring. The organization sells annual memberships at $100/year and accepts tax-deductible donations, with programs delivered through chapters in New York and Florida.

Product overview

AAWO Motrat Qiriazi operates as a five-pillar community nonprofit ecosystem built for Albanian-American women. The core offering consists of four integrated programs — Mentorship & Leadership, Cultural Preservation, Community Integration, and Education & Youth — complemented by an annual membership ($100/year) providing access to five circles of support, and a donations program with General and Children's Fund options. The organization is 100% volunteer-led with 2,500+ members across New York and Florida chapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentorship & Leadership Program Quarterly cohort-based mentorship program pairing women across generations and industries, featuring 1:1 pairings, Leadership Labs workshops on negotiation and public speaking, and Network Nights curated dinners for professional relationship building. Targeted at Albanian-American women seeking professional development.
• Cultural Preservation Program Year-round public program celebrating Albanian heritage through Heritage Nights featuring music and oral histories, Language Circles for conversational Albanian, and an Archive Project documenting diaspora family stories. Open to the Albanian-American community.
• Community Integration Program Free confidential support for newcomer families of Albanian heritage, providing Welcome Kits with essentials and guides, Navigator Hours for assistance with schools, housing, healthcare, and paperwork, and Language Bridges volunteer interpreters. Targeted at Albanian immigrant families new to the U.S.
• Education & Youth Program Scholarships, workshops, and mentorship for Albanian-American students including annual awards for high school and college students, free weekend tutoring and college prep (Study Hall), and Career Mornings industry breakfasts hosted by alumnae. Targeted at Albanian-American youth and families.
• Annual Membership Annual membership at $100/year providing access to five circles of support: Mentorship Network, Cultural Sisterhood, Newcomer Support, Career & Education resources, and Wellness & Care services. Includes member directory with 2,500+ profiles, business directory with 50+ partners, and access to 12+ annual events. Available to individuals who join directly through the website.
• Donation Funds Tax-deductible donation options including General Donation supporting ongoing operations and programs, and Children's Fund supporting educational and enrichment opportunities for children and youth. Processed through Stripe with Zelle as an alternative payment method.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of scholarship recipients enrolled in higher education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Gift of LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring children from Kosovo and Albania for life-saving heart surgeries in America. Dr. Kohen assisted in coordinating these medical missions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Albanian American National Organization (AANO): Major U.S. Albanian-American community organization (AANO NY Chapter explicitly awards AAWO), serving overlapping diaspora audiences with cultural, civic, and advocacy programming. Direct peer in the Albanian-American nonprofit ecosystem.
• Albanian American National Council (AANC): U.S.-based Albanian-American advocacy and community organization that mobilizes the same diaspora population on cultural, civic, and homeland-affairs initiatives, comparable in mission and member base to AAWO.
• Albanian Foundation: Albanian-American foundation supporting cultural preservation, education, and community development projects targeted at the same diaspora demographic AAWO serves, with overlapping funder and beneficiary constituencies.
• Albanian American Business and Economic Association (AABEA): Albanian-American professional association focused on business networking, mentorship, and economic advancement—closely aligned with AAWO's professional development and mentorship pillars for the same diaspora audience.
• Federation of Albanian Americans in America (FAA): Umbrella federation coordinating multiple Albanian-American community organizations across the U.S., engaging the same diaspora population AAWO serves through cultural and civic programs.

Emerging players

• Anatolia Cultural Center: Community-based ethnic cultural organization serving diaspora communities with cultural preservation, language, and youth programs—an analogous ethnic-community model targeting a different (Turkish/Anatolian) diaspora.
• Hellenic Women's Network: Greek-American women's professional network offering mentorship, leadership development, and cultural programming for a diaspora community—structurally similar to AAWO but serving Greek-American women.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: Nationally established women's empowerment organization operating on a membership and chapter model with mentorship, education, and community programs—broadly comparable in mission, though not diaspora-specific.
• Dress for Success Worldwide: Global nonprofit providing career development, mentorship, and professional networking for women—overlapping with AAWO's career and education programming but operating at much greater scale.

Others

• Albanian Relief Foundation: Albanian-American humanitarian relief organization in which AAWO leadership (Hane Selmani) has served on the board—adjacent peer with overlapping Albanian-diaspora mission focus but oriented toward humanitarian relief rather than women's empowerment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albanian-american-womens-organization-motrat-qiriazi-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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