A registered charitable foundation dedicated to advancing women's rights and opportunities worldwide — governed independently, audited annually, and committed to full transparency.
"To advance women's rights and opportunities worldwide through accountable philanthropy, sustained local partnership, and evidence-based programs."
Founded in 2009, the Global Women's Foundation (GWF) is a registered charitable foundation operating across 47 countries. We work through 312 local partner organizations — not parallel structures — because we believe lasting change is built by the communities who live it.
Our model is simple: we listen, we fund, we amplify. Our partners set priorities. We provide multi-year funding, technical support, and a global platform to share their work. We measure success not by programs launched, but by shifts in policy, income, and wellbeing that last beyond our funding cycle.
Our board is comprised of 11 independent trustees serving staggered three-year terms. None receive compensation. All major decisions are documented in public board minutes.
Chair
Former UN Women Africa Director. Public health specialist. Term: 2023–2026.
Audit CommitteeVice Chair
Human rights lawyer. Former IACHR Commissioner. Term: 2022–2025.
GovernanceTreasurer
Development economist. Former World Bank. Term: 2024–2027.
FinanceTrustee
Climate justice organizer, Pakistan. Term: 2023–2026.
ProgramsTrustee
Tech entrepreneur, Nigeria. Term: 2024–2027.
InnovationTrustee
Indigenous rights leader, Guatemala. Term: 2022–2025.
Programs+ 5 additional trustees · View full governance documents
Audited annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Full financial statements available below.
| Source | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Individual donations | $8.2M | 37% |
| Institutional grants | $9.4M | 42% |
| Corporate partnerships | $2.8M | 13% |
| Investment income | $1.4M | 6% |
| Total | $21.8M | 100% |
| Category | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Programs & grants to partners | $18.9M | 87% |
| Operations & admin | $1.7M | 8% |
| Fundraising | $1.1M | 5% |
| Total | $21.7M | 100% |
Charity Navigator rates GWF in the top 5% of charities for program expense ratio. Independently verified by PwC.
Executive Director
Public health leader with 20+ years in global development. Former regional director for UN Women East Africa. PhD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Chief Operating Officer
Operations and finance leader. Former CFO at Amnesty International Korea. MBA, Wharton.
Chief Programs Officer
20+ years designing gender-equality programs across South Asia. Former country director, India, Plan International.
Chief Development Officer
Major-gifts and institutional fundraising. Previously led Latin America development at the Ford Foundation.
Founded with an initial endowment of $5M. Launched first programs in Kenya and Bangladesh with 12 local partners.
Granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Expanded to 18 countries.
Reached $10M annual disbursement. Launched Fellowship Program and first textile heritage exhibition.
Reallocated 30% of budget to emergency response. Distributed PPE to 18,000 women across partner networks.
Reached current scale with 312 active local partners across six regions. Charity Navigator 4-star rating for 8th consecutive year.
Read our complete governance documents, audits, and impact reports.
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