Charities focused on women and girls’ issues received 1.9 percent of overall charitable donations in 2022, according to research from the IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. This Giving Tuesday, Lioness aims to move the needle by highlighting nonprofits founded by and for women and girls that you can support.
Knowing which organizations to help with your time and money can be a challenge, so we want to make navigating the nonprofit landscape easier. We used Candid (formerly Guidestar) to review each organization and verified their financial data with the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search and with ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Then, we gathered mission and impact information from each organization’s website.
Here are 10 female-founded and/or female-focused nonprofits to prioritize for your Giving Tuesday donations. Find more nonprofits using The Women and Girls Index at the IUPUI Women’s Philanthropy Institute.
Accessing to education
She’s the First
Founded by Tammy Tibbets and Christen Brandt in 2014.
Mission: She’s the First teams with grassroots leaders to ensure that girls everywhere are educated, respected and heard.
Impact: She’s the First has helped over half a million girls access schools and education through the work of 685 community organizations in 42 countries.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since June 2011 with financials available here. EIN: 65-1321437
Ending poverty
Women for Women International
Founded by Zainab Salbi in 1993 when she was 23.
Mission: In countries affected by conflict and war, Women for Women International supports the most marginalized women to earn and save money, improve health and well-being, influence decisions in their homes and communities and connect to networks for support. By utilizing skills, knowledge and resources, she is able to create sustainable change for herself, her family, and her community.
Impact: Through a yearlong program, each woman works to strengthen herself across four critical areas of social and economic empowerment: influencing decision-making, earning and saving money, improving health and well-being and connecting to networks of support.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since October 1994 with financials available here. EIN: 52-1838756
Breaking the cycle of poverty
Young Women’s Freedom Center
Founded in 1993.
Mission: The Mission of the Young Women’s Freedom Center (dba Freedom Center) is to provide fiscal sponsorship, operational support, coaching and training to projects that center systems-impacted women, girls, and trans people of all genders. The primary purpose is to inspire and empower youth who grew up in poverty, foster care, without homes or who have been involved in the juvenile justice system, criminal justice system and/or the underground street economy to create a positive change in their lives and communities.
Impact: The Young Women’s Freedom Center has assisted over 40,000 young women and trans youth across California. This support includes the creation of safe and dignified housing, economic opportunities, meaningful jobs, holistic and sustainable re-entry support and the overhaul of policies that restrict self-determination.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since August 1995 with financials available here. EIN: 94-3227681
Offering period justice to gyrls in Chicago
Gyrls in the H.O.O.D.
Founded by Chez Smith in 2017.
Mission: Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. seeks to provide Black gyrls with the reproductive resources, social support services and sexual health education they need to make informed and responsible choices.
Impact: In 2022, Gyrls in the H.O.O.D. served over 600 gyrls through its Reproductive Health Services Center and H.O.O.D. Kits, which provide teenage gyrls with the supplies needed to take care of their hygiene, including soaps, feminine hygiene products and more.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since September 2017. The only organization on our list with gross receipts under $50,000, the organization is not required to file financials. EIN: 81-4646922
Preventing suicide for LGBTQ+ youth
The Trevor Project
Founded by Celeste Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone in 1998.
Mission: The Trevor Project works to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young people. Their vision is a world where all LGBTQ young people see a bright future for themselves.
Impact: Since 1998, hundreds of thousands of young people in crisis have reached out to The Trevor Project through its multiple in-person and online lifesaving, life-affirming resources: Trevor Lifeline, TrevorChat, TrevorSpace and Trevor Education Workshops.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since August 1998 with financials available on the site and here. EIN: 95-4681287
Building girls’ leadership skills and self-confidence
Girl Talk
Founded by Haley Kilpatrick in 2002.
Mission: My Girl Talk inspires all girls to be confident leaders through peer-to-peer mentoring programs.
Impact: Girl Talk provides a framework where teenage girls can meet to find strength, learn new skills and create a network of support. High school girls develop leadership skills as they guide weekly meetings for middle school girls, and middle school girls learn vital skills during their most formative years. Each year, Girl Talks serves more than 60,000 individuals throughout North America and beyond.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since September 2005 with financials available on the site and here. EIN: 65-1239316
Making pregnancy and childbirth safer
Every Mother Counts
Founded by Christy Turlington Burns in 2012.
Mission: Every Mother Counts aims to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, equitable and respectful for every mother, everywhere.
Impact: Every Mother Counts has invested more than $24 million through over 100 grants that support proven models of care in 16 countries across the world and have directly impacted over one million people. They support groups led by women and people from the communities where they work, placing mothers at the center. By partnering with local organizations that serve historically marginalized communities, they help deliver high-impact, low-cost solutions to improve maternal health outcomes.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since April 2012 with financials available here. EIN: 45-4102644
Meeting babies and children’s material needs
Cradles to Crayons
Founded by Lynn Margherio in 2002.
Mission: Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. These items are supplied free of charge by engaging and connecting communities.
Impact: Over 3.4 million children have been helped. The organization partners with over 470 schools and social service agencies to identify families in need and distribute packages directly to them. Using a three-step model, Cradles to Crayons provides children with the essentials they need, free of charge.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since June 2002 with financials available here. EIN: 04-3584367
Supporting women who have been incarcerated
A New Way of Life
Founded by Susan Burton in 1998.
Mission: A New Way of Life Reentry Project provides housing, case management, pro bono legal services, advocacy and leadership development for individuals rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
Impact: A New Way of Life has teams dedicated to housing, legal services, workforce and education development and advocacy. The organization has provided housing to over 1,400 formerly incarcerated women, helped reunite more than 400 women with their children and provided pro bono legal services to more than 3,800 community members with conviction histories.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since December 2000 with financials here. EIN: 95-4782503
Advocating for domestic violence prevention
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Founded in 1978.
Mission: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence aims to lead, mobilize and raise our voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence such as patriarchy, privilege, racism, sexism and classism. They are dedicated to supporting survivors, holding offenders accountable and supporting advocates.
Impact: In 2021, NCADV hosted 14 webinars offering 21 hours of training and information on topics related to domestic violence. The organization worked to impact federal policy, educate on social media, and lead multiple advocacy campaigns including Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Remember My Name.
Financial information: Tax-exempt since July 1983 with financials available here. EIN: 91-1081344
You can also find other charities led by women in our nonprofit leadership series.
Add Comment