Womens Way

WOMEN'S WAY IS THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION'S LEADING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, GIRLS, AND GENDER EQUITY. ESTABLISHED IN THE MID-70'S, THE ORGANIZATION INSPIRES AND MOBILIZES THE COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS THAT ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, AND ACHIEVE GENDER EQUITY FOR ALL.

PUBLIC EDUCATION:GENDER WEALTH INSTITUTE (GWI):IN SEPTEMBER 2021, WOMEN'S WAY LAUNCHED THE GENDER WEALTH INSTITUTE (GWI) WHOSE MISSION IS TO CLOSE THE GENDER WEALTH GAP IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA REGION BY ADVANCING RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT BUILD WEALTH FOR WOMEN WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY INSECURE. GWI'S FIVE PRIORITY AREAS OF INTERVENTION ARE:. STRENGTHEN THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF WOMEN AND GIRLS THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL COACH TRAINING PROGRAM. CHANGE MENTAL MODELS THROUGH CHANGING NARRATIVES THROUGH OUR NARRATIVE CHANGE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE DRIVERS OF THE GENDER WEALTH GAP THROUGH OUR CLOSING THE GENDER WEALTH GAP VIRTUAL EDUCATION SERIES. BUILD AN EQUITABLE BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM FOR WOMEN OF COLOR ENTREPRENEURS-- PHIRST MARKET VENTURES, AN INVESTMENT FUND FOR WOC ENTREPRENEURS. PIONEER POLICY SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS GENDER WEALTH INEQUITY THROUGH OUR GENDER WEALTH INDEX RESEARCH PROJECT FINANCIAL COACH TRAINING PROGRAM (FCTP): SINCE ITS LAUNCHING IN 2021, 37 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ENGAGED IN THE FCTP, AND 64 SERVICE PROVIDERS AND 37 SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN TRAINED. COLLECTIVELY THEY PROVIDED FINANCIAL COACHING TO MORE THAN 3,000 WOMEN IN OUR REGION. 84% OF WOMEN WHO RECEIVED COACHING EXPERIENCED AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR FINANCIAL CAPABILITY.NARRATIVE CHANGE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM:SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2021, 27 WOMEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM RESULTING IN 27 VIDEOS OF THEIR STORIES. IN ADDITION, 100% OF THE FELLOWS IMPROVED THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS IN USING THEIR STORIES TO AFFECT CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. CLOSING THE GENDER WEALTH GAP EDUCATION SERIES:SIX FORUMS WERE CONDUCTED AND ADDRESSED KEY DRIVERS OF THE GENDER WEALTH GAP SUCH AS THE TAX SYSTEM, RETIREMENT AND GENDER-FOCUSED INVESTING. A TOTAL OF 734 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED AND/OR VIEWED THE RECORDINGS OF THE SESSIONS AND SEVERAL HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS WERE MOBILIZED TO ACT IN PURSUIT OF ADVANCING GENDER AND RACIAL EQUITY. OF THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE POST-SESSION SURVEY, AT LEAST 87% OF RESPONDENTS RATED EACH SESSION "VERY GOOD OR BETTER."BUILD AN EQUITABLE BUSINESS SYSTEM FOR WOMEN OF COLOR ENTREPRENEURS:DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, WE LAUNCHED PHIRST MARKET VENTURES, A FUND TO SUPPORT EARLY-STAGE COMPANIES FOUNDED BY WOMEN OF COLOR. WE RAISED $450,000 AND DISTRIBUTED $225,000 TO TWELVE LOCAL WOMEN OF COLOR ENTREPRENEURS.YOUNG WOMEN'S INITIATIVE (YWI):NOW IN ITS 25TH YEAR, THE WOMEN'S WAY YOUNG WOMEN'S INITIATIVE (YWI) IS A DYNAMIC GROUP OF PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 21 AND 45 WHO IDENTIFY AS WOMEN OR GENDER-EXPANSIVE/GENDER NON-CONFORMING/NON-BINARY. THIS VOLUNTEER-LED YOUNG FRIENDS GROUP IS COMPOSED OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FOCUSED ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEDICATED TO ADVANCING GENDER AND RACIAL EQUITY. YWI WORKS TO DEVELOP ITS MEMBERS AS COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS, ADVOCATES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, AND CIVICALLY-ENGAGED PHILANTHROPISTS RAISING CRITICAL FUNDS FOR WOMEN'S WAY. IT ALSO SERVES AS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH PROGRESSIVE PEERS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

GRANTMAKING THROUGH THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:IMMEDIATE RESPONSE ACTION FUND (IRAF): IRAF ADDRESSES URGENT AND UNANTICIPATED NEEDS OF ORGANIZATIONS OR PROGRAMS THAT PRIMARILY SERVE WOMEN, GIRLS AND THE GENDER-EXPANSIVE COMMUNITY. FROM RECEIVING A COMPLETED APPLICATION TO COMMUNICATING A DECISION, THE IRAF GRANT REVIEW PROCESS IS COMPLETED IN 10 BUSINESS DAYS. IN FY 23, 12 GRANTS TOTALING NEARLY $120,000 WERE GIVEN OUT, IMPACTING OVER 11,500 WOMEN, GIRLS, AND THE GENDER EXPANSIVE COMMUNITY.GENERAL OPERATING FUND:WE LAUNCHED THE SECOND COHORT OF THE GENERAL OPERATING FUND IN 2023 TO PROVIDE 2-YEAR GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS PRIMARILY SERVING WOMEN, GIRLS, AND THE GENDER-EXPANSIVE COMMUNITY, PRIORITIZING ORGANIZATIONS LED BY WOMEN OF COLOR WITH BUDGETS UNDER $500,000 THAT HAD NOT RECEIVED FUNDING FROM WOMEN'S WAY IN 2022. WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A PARTICIPATORY GRANTMAKING FRAMEWORK WITH CURRENT GRANTEES SERVING AS THE GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE. WE DISBURSED $130,000 TO 13 ORGANIZATIONS-ALL WOC LED WITH MOST BUDGETS UNDER $200,000 IMPACTING OVER 59,000 INDIVIDUALS.WE ALSO DISBURSED THE SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING TO THE ELEVEN 2022 GENERAL OPERATING GRANTEES, IMPACTING OVER 33,000 WOMEN, GIRLS AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS.

RESEARCH:DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023 WE COMPLETED YEAR ONE OF THE GENDER WEALTH INDEX RESEARCH PROJECT. A FINAL RESEARCH REPORT WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 2023 AND SHARED DURING THE SECOND ANNUAL GENDER WEALTH SUMMIT. IN ADDITION, THROUGH A COLLABORATION WITH ZS GLOBAL, WE HARNESSED OUR PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP A DATA VISUALIZATION WEBSITE THAT IS DESIGNED TO DEBUNK FIVE PREVALENT MYTHS SURROUNDING WOMEN WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY INSECURE. THE WEBSITE PROVIDES ACTIONABLE STEPS FOR POLICY MAKERS, FUNDERS, AND CITIZENS TO CHALLENGE THESE NARRATIVES, AIMING TO COUNTERACT STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH WOMEN FACING ECONOMIC INSECURITY.WITH RESPECT TO GRANTMAKING, WE EVALUATE THE FINAL REPORTS OF THE IRAF AND GENERAL OPERATING GRANTS TO DETERMINE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF IMPACT. WE ALSO CONTINUALLY CONDUCT PROSPECTIVE DONOR RESEARCH TO EXPAND OUR LIST OF INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATE, AND FOUNDATION FUNDERS. OUR RESEARCH EFFORTS RESULTED IN EXPANDING OUR DONOR LIST BY 35%.