irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $1.57MADVOCACY: WSF HAS BEEN SERVING AS THE COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN SINCE ITS INCEPTION. PROTECTING TITLE IX, PROMOTING GENDER EQUITY, FIGHTING FOR EQUAL PAY, INCREASED MEDIA COVERAGE AND INVESTMENT IN WOMEN'S SPORTS, AND EMPOWERING OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION ARE THE CORNERSTONES OF OUR WORK. WE COLLABORATE WITH PARTNERS TO ADVOCATE AT THE NATIONAL, STATE, AND GRASSROOTS LEVELS.
- #2 $907KRESEARCH: SERVES AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR OUR WORK. WSF HAS A COMPREHENSIVE PORTFOLIO OF CLOSE TO 100 SIGNATURE RESEARCH PROJECTS. OUR EVIDENCE-BASED PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH ON GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ANCHORS ALL OF OUR POLICY OUTREACH AND FUELS OUR IMPACT INITIATIVES. IT FOSTERS PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF SPORT PARTICIPATION FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF GIRLS, LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, AND DEIB IN SPORTS. DATA COMBINED WITH EXPERIENCES ON THE GROUND HELP TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES AND INFORM OUR PROGRAMMING. WSF CONDUCTS RIGOROUS EVALUATIONS TO ASSESS IMPACT AGAINST CLEARLY DEFINED BENCHMARKS.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
GoGirlGo!
National campaign providing curriculum, training, and grants to organizations that promote sports participation among girls aged 5–13; has reached over 1 million girls and awarded more than $6.3 million in grants.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD)
Annual celebration since 1987 honoring achievements of girls and women in sports and promoting continued advocacy for equity and access.
Research Initiatives
Produces evidence-based public interest research on girls and women in sports, including landmark studies like "Her Life Depends On It" and "Progress Without Equity," informing policy and programming.
Sports 4 Life
Initiative co-founded with espnW to increase participation and retention of African-American and Hispanic girls in youth sports; has funded 267 grants across 34 states and territories, benefiting 60,000 girls.
Travel & Training Fund
Provides financial support to aspiring champion female athletes; has awarded over $1.8 million to athletes nationwide, including Olympians like Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Akers.
WSF Athlete Ambassador Program
Formerly the Athlete’s Speaker Service, engages hundreds of elite female athletes to educate and inspire youth, coaches, and communities nationwide.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Gender Equity Research and Advocacy 2 activities
- Advocacy for gender equity in sportsConducts national, state, and grassroots advocacy to protect Title IX, promote gender equity, fight for equal pay, increase media coverage and investment in women's sports, and empower communities to take action. Focuses on advancing equity, inclusion, safety, and access for girls in underserved communities, including BIPOC girls, LGBTQ+ youth, girls with disabilities, and those in low-socioeconomic communities.
- Conducting research on girls' and women's sports participationConducts evidence-based public interest research through a portfolio of nearly 100 signature research projects focused on girls and women in sports and physical activity. Publishes reports such as "Chasing Equity," the Gender Equity Report Card (assessing over 700 NCAA universities), The Wilson Report: Moms, Dads, Daughters and Sports, and studies linking sport participation to reduced teen pregnancy and health risks. Research informs policy, programming, and best practices.
-
-
Girls' Physical and Emotional Development Programs 1 activity
- Delivering direct service programs to support girls in sportsImplements programs such as GoGirlGo!, which provides an award-winning curriculum and sports education to over 15,000 girl-serving organizations, reaching over 1 million girls. Offers educational materials and services totaling $42 million since 1977 and distributes a monthly e-newsletter to over 60,000 members.
-
-
Women's Educational Advancement 1 activity
- Funding grants and scholarships for female athletes and organizationsAwards grants and scholarships to support female athletes and girl-serving organizations, including over $1.8 million in Travel & Training Fund grants to female athletes nationwide, more than $1 million in college scholarships through the High School All-Star program, and over $6.3 million in grants via the GoGirlGo! campaign. Since inception through 2022, has invested over $100 million to expand access and opportunities for girls and women in sports.
-
-
Nonprofit Internship Programs 1 activity
- Operating internship and community engagement programsRuns an internship program to support young professionals in gaining skills and contributing to foundation initiatives. Also operates the Community Awards and Grants Program, engaging leaders from schools, businesses, and over 100 grassroots organizations to promote girls' and women's sports.
-
-
Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Presenting awards to honor leadership and achievement in women's sportsHosts the Annual Salute to Women in Sports gala and presents multiple annual awards, including the Billie Jean King Leadership Award, Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, Champion for Equality Award, and Sportswoman of the Year Award, to recognize individuals and teams who have advanced women's sports or demonstrated exceptional resilience and leadership.
-
-
Uncategorized 2 activities
- Organizing National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD)Co-founded and supports National Girls & Women in Sports Day, celebrated annually for over 35 years, organizing nationwide events—including virtual and non-date-specific activities—to honor achievements of girls and women in sports.
- Providing digital tools and resources for coaches and program leadersOffers We Play Interactive, a free digital platform with professional development training, theme-based activity modules, a video library featuring elite female athletes, and other resources designed to help coaches and program leaders create inclusive environments where girls can thrive through sports.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$15.00M
Contributions & grants$15.07M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$322K2%
Other revenue$-389K
expenses
Total expenses$7.46M
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$3.71M
Grants paid out$1.01M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$17.60M
Cash$1.43M
Investments$10.22M
Liabilities$1.10M
Net assets$16.50M
Liquid reserves18.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +96.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 9
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DANETTE LEIGHTON | CEO | 50 | $573K |
| OLGA HARVEY | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $243K |
| KAREN ISSOKSON-SILVER | VP, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION | 40 | $215K |
| JEAN TATGE | CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER | 40 | $209K |
| PATRICIA BIFULCO | VP, COMMUNICATION | 40 | $178K |
| ERIN CASEY | VP, COMMUNITY IMPACT | 40 | $163K |
| NATOYA CURD | SR. DIRECTOR OF OPS & ADMIN | 40 | $149K |
| SARAH FAULTLESS-AXELSON | VP, ADVOCACY | 40 | $148K |
| SCOUT BASSETT | PRESIDENT | 10 | $18K |
board members · 16
- ANDREA BRIMMER — TRUSTEE
- ARIELLE CHAMBERS — TRUSTEE
- ASHLYN HARRIS — TRUSTEE
- BERNARD MUIR — TRUSTEE
- BILLIE JEAN KING — FOUNDER AND HONORARY CHAIR
- BRENDA VILLA — TRUSTEE
- BRETT GOODMAN — TRUSTEE
- CAROL STIFF — TRUSTEE
- DARCIE GLAZER KASSEWITZ — TRUSTEE
- ELANA MEYERS TAYLOR — TRUSTEE
- ILANA KLOSS — PAST CHAIR
- JILL NASH — TRUSTEE
- JIM WILKINSON — CO-CHAIR - DEVELOPMENT
- JOAN HAFFENREFFER — VICE CHAIR - DEVELOPMENT
- KATE JOHNSON — TRUSTEE
- KATHLEEN KUNKLER — CHAIR - AUDIT
relationships · 18
Who they work with
- Angel City FC Partner — Ownership role in Angel City FC to promote women's professional soccer.
- Clara Wu Tsai Partner — Honoree and recipient of the 2026 Billie Jean King Leadership Award for her contributions to women's sports.
- GoGirlGo! Partner — Creator of We Play Interactive; a prior initiative under the Women's Sports Foundation
- Institute for Research on Women and Gender Partner — Co-founded the SHARP Center for Women and Girls
- Los Angeles Dodgers Partner — Ownership role in the Los Angeles Dodgers to influence major league sports leadership.
- National Federation of State High School Associations Partner — Source of data on high school sport participation disparities between boys and girls.
- National Girls & Women in Sports Day Partner — Co-founded and supported by Women's Sports Foundation to celebrate achievements of girls and women in sports.
- Partners Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to advocate for gender equity in sports at national, state, and grassroots levels.
- Positive Coaching Alliance Partner — Employer of a Women's Sports Foundation contributor advocating for sports equity
- Professional Women’s Hockey League Partner — Serves on the Advisory Board of the PWHL to support the growth of professional women's hockey.
- Tara VanDerveer Partner — Honored with a special tribute in 2017 for achieving 1,000 NCAA coaching victories.
- Title IX Government — References Title IX's 50th anniversary as a milestone in advancing sports equity for girls and women.
- U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Partner — Honored with the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award in 2024 and recognized with a special tribute in 2019 for World Cup victory.
- University of Michigan School of Kinesiology Partner — Co-founded the SHARP Center for Women and Girls
- WNBA Partner — Recognized with the Billie Jean King Leadership Award in 2013 and honored with a special tribute in 2024 for influence on women's sports.
- Washington Spirit Partner — Hosts a Community Relations Intern from the Women's Sports Foundation
- Women’s Tennis Association Partner — Founded and led the formation of the WTA to advance professional women's tennis.
- partner-logos2025r-scaled.png Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to advance girls' and women's sports.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Capacity-Building Through Resource Disseminationmethodology: capacity_building_through_digital_resource_deliveryBy providing free digital tools and resources to coaches, program leaders, and mentors, the organization amplifies local impact, because empowering intermediaries multiplies reach and improves program quality for girls in sports.
- Collective and Multi-Level Advocacymethodology: collective_advocacy_for_systemic_equityBy uniting stakeholders across national, state, and grassroots levels and leveraging public commitments, the organization advances systemic equity, because broad-based coalitions increase political and cultural leverage for lasting change.
- Evidence-Based Advocacy for Systems Changemethodology: evidence_based_advocacyBy conducting and publishing rigorous research on disparities in sports, the organization informs policy and advocacy efforts to drive systemic change, because data-grounded arguments are more effective in shifting institutional practices and public understanding.
- Institutional and Cultural Transformation via Role Models and Recognitionmethodology: role_model_recognitionBy celebrating women athletes and leaders as role models and using their platforms to challenge inequality, the organization inspires participation and shifts culture, because visible leadership creates aspirational pathways and legitimizes demands for equity.
- Structural Institution-Building for Gender Equitymethodology: institution_building_for_gender_equityBy creating and supporting national and local institutions that center gender equity in sport, the organization ensures durable access and opportunity, because structural solutions outlast temporary programs and embed inclusion in governance.