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WNY WOMEN'S FOUNDATION INC

BUFFALO, NY · EIN 274154672 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P20 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · wnywomensfoundation.org
revenue
$1.3M
expenses
$706K
net assets
$4.5M
employees
7
volunteers
120
program ratio
64%
mission · from form 990

TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN WNY THROUGH ADVOCACY, LEADERSHIP AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

The WNY Women's Foundation advances gender equity in Western New York through advocacy, leadership development, and economic empowerment. It runs data-driven initiatives to support women and gender minorities in the workplace, including mentorship programs, employer engagement, and policy advocacy. The organization also amplifies women's voices through research and public education, focusing on systemic change in areas like child care, pay equity, and leadership representation.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $54K
    ALL IN COLLABORATES WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN PURPOSEFUL EFFORTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE AND ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS TO BUILD STRONGER LEADERS, SUPPORTS EQUITY & CULTURE FOR WOMEN TO LEAD LEADING TO BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. A DATA-DRIVEN, INTERSECTIONAL INITIATIVE, ALL IN ADVANCES GENDER EQUITY IN WESTERN NEW YORK THROUGH FOUR PATHWAYS: EMPLOYER PATHWAY, WHICH ENGAGES EMPLOYERS TO MOVE WOMEN AND GENDER MINORITIES INTO LEADERSHIP AND FOSTER INCLUSIVE COMPANY CULTURES; ASPIRING LEADER PATHWAY (READY, SET, LEAD!), WHICH CULTIVATES ASPIRING LEADERS THROUGH MENTORSHIP, EDUCATION, AND NETWORKING IN A BROAD CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY; ENTREPRENEUR PATHWAY, WHICH ELEVATES WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES THROUGH PROMOTION, ENDORSEMENT, PARTNERSHIP, AND COLLABORATION; SHE-SUITE (LAUNCHED IN 2024), WHICH SUPPORTS WOMEN CEOS AND SENIOR WOMEN LEADERS TO CONNECT, GROW, AND LEAD BOLDLY AND LEADERSHIP ALLIES ENGAGING ALL GENDERS TO SUPPORT WORKPLACE SUCCESS.
  2. #2 $2K
    WNYWF AMPLIFIES WOMEN'S VOICES TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUITY THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS. IN 2024, WE RELEASED SEVEN WHITE PAPERS TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY AND GUIDE DECISION-MAKERS. AS A TRUSTED, CREDIBLE SOURCE OF DATA, WE CENTER WOMEN'S VOICES THROUGH AN INTERSECTIONAL GENDER LENS AND, THROUGH DEEP COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, RAISE AWARENESS OF COMMUNITY NEEDS WITH DATA THAT TELLS A STORY AND ELEVATES WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES. WNYWF IS THE GO-TO SOURCE FOR DATA AND INFORMATION ON ISSUES IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING GENDER EQUITY, ECONOMIC MOBILITY, AND CHILD CARE AS AN ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE SUPPORT. OUR RESEARCH INFORMS POLICYMAKERS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS, AND OUR MEDIA PRESENCE HELPS SHIFT PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND DRIVE SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT WOMEN AND THUS OUR COMMUNITY.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy Agenda
Policy platform focused on issues like child care access, pay equity, and paid family leave, used to guide advocacy efforts at local, state, and national levels.
Leadership Allies
Engages men as allies to support balanced representation and advance women into leadership positions in the workplace.
P.O.W.E.R.
An 18-month employer engagement program that helps organizations improve gender equity through measurable actions, data tracking, and learning collaboratives, culminating in a P.O.W.E.R. Seal for certified employers.
Ready, Set, Lead!
A mentorship and leadership development program for women and gender minorities in the first five years of their careers, including personalized mentor matching, educational sessions, and leadership coaching.
She-Suite
Peer network for senior women leaders and CEOs to connect, grow, and lead boldly within their organizations.
Women in Action
Grassroots activism group that mobilizes community members to advocate for gender equity and policy change.
Women-Owned Business Directory
Initiative to promote, endorse, and collaborate with women-owned businesses in Western New York to elevate female entrepreneurship.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Women's Leadership & Career Advancement Networks 3 activities
    • Advancing gender equity through the ALL IN initiative
      Operates the ALL IN initiative to advance gender equity in Western New York via four pathways: engaging employers to promote inclusive leadership, cultivating aspiring women leaders through mentorship and education, supporting women entrepreneurs through promotion and collaboration, and supporting senior women leaders through the SHE-SUITE program launched in 2024.
    • Providing mentorship and leadership development for early-career women and gender minorities
      Implements a data-driven mentorship program for women and gender minorities in the first five years of their careers, including personalized mentor matching, six months of mentorship with established leaders, six educational sessions on leadership topics, and one private session with an accredited leadership coach per participant.
    • Supporting senior women leaders through peer networks
      Facilitates a peer network for top executive women to support leadership and professional advancement, including through the SHE-SUITE program launched in 2024.
  • Gender Equity Research and Advocacy 2 activities
    • Conducting data-driven research to advance gender equity
      Produces annual reports and released seven white papers in 2024 to inform the community and guide decision-makers, using data-driven research to advance gender equity and elevate women's experiences through an intersectional gender lens.
    • Engaging decision-makers and male allies to advance balanced representation
      Engages decision-makers to advance policies and funding for issues affecting women, and mobilizes a network of male allies committed to advancing women into leadership roles, using data-driven approaches to promote balanced representation as both an ethical and strategic imperative.
  • Child Care and Early Childhood Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Advocating for child care access and public investment
      Partners with organizations like 211 WNY and the NYS Workforce Development Initiative to increase awareness and access to child care subsidies among eligible parents, and leads coalitions to secure public investments in child care and other areas affecting women.
  • Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
    • Building organizational capacity for leadership equity
      Implements an 18-month program for employers that includes a customized pathway with 30 measurable actions, progress tracking, quarterly learning sessions, and one-on-one support to improve leadership equity and workplace culture, and has certified multiple businesses as P.O.W.E.R. employers after completion of the ALL IN program.
  • Women's Educational Advancement 1 activity
    • Funding after-school programs for young women
      Awards impact grants to after-school programs serving over 240 young women aged 10 to 18, supporting self-esteem, skill development, and interpersonal relationships, with additional value-added experiences and connections for grant partners.
  • Women's Empowerment and Leadership Development 1 activity
    • Providing targeted education and workforce development for women’s economic mobility
      Provides targeted support in education and workforce development to help women achieve economic mobility, including through leadership training and employer engagement.
  • Business Member Promotion Services 1 activity
    • Supporting women entrepreneurs through promotion and collaboration
      Runs a Women-Owned Business Directory to promote, endorse, and collaborate with women-owned businesses in Western New York, and supports women entrepreneurs through promotion and collaboration as part of the ALL IN initiative.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Influencing policy through high-level engagement and media advocacy
      Presented to the White House Gender Policy Council, US Department of Labor Women's Bureau, Western New York businesses, and the New York State Legislative Women's Caucus in 2022 to influence policy on gender equity and economic mobility, and participated in over 100 media interviews at local and national levels since March 2020 to advocate for gender equity and women's economic mobility.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.33M
Contributions & grants$1.36M102%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$29K2%
Other revenue$-59K
expenses
Total expenses$706K
Program expenses64%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising24%
Salaries & benefits$485K
Grants paid out$46K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$4.66M
Cash$1.51M
Investments$0
Liabilities$130K
Net assets$4.53M
Liquid reserves25.7 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +89.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
SHERI L SCAVONE CEO 70 $149K
board members · 24
  • ALANNA POKORSKI — DIRECTOR
  • ANNE E JOYNT ESQ — VICE CHAIR
  • ARLENE KAUKUS — DIRECTOR
  • BREAUNA CRUMPLER — DIRECTOR
  • CANDACE DARBY — DIRECTOR
  • CARMEN SNELL — DIRECTOR
  • CAROLYN HUMAN — DIRECTOR
  • CATHERINE EARLE — SECRETARY
  • CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ-DABNEY — DIRECTOR
  • DR ALLISON BRASHEAR MD MBA — DIRECTOR
  • EMILY BURNS PERRYMAN — DIRECTOR
  • HON LENORA FOOTE-BEAVERS ESQ — CHAIR
  • JAMIE BATT — DIRECTOR
  • JESSICA BAKER — DIRECTOR
  • JODY BRIANDI — DIRECTOR
  • JOLEIGH WYLUCKI — DIRECTOR
  • LINDA ANGERT KAHN — DIRECTOR
  • MARTA ROGERS — DIRECTOR
  • NANCY COX — DIRECTOR
  • NATALIE FISCHER — TREASURER
  • NICKOLE GARRISON — DIRECTOR
  • ODIE BRANT PORTER — DIRECTOR
  • PATRICIA FARRELL — DIRECTOR
  • SIOBHAN SMITH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • 211 WNY Partner — Collaborated to increase awareness and access to child care subsidies among eligible parents.
  • ALL IN team Partner — Provides one-on-one support to employers participating in the P.O.W.E.R. program.
  • Candid Government — Awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency by Candid for organizational transparency.
  • Charity Navigator Government — Rated by Charity Navigator with a four-star rating, indicating high performance and accountability.
  • Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Partner — Co-founded the WNY Women's Fund in 1999 with the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County and a group of diverse women.
  • Grassroots Organizations in Western New York Partner — Collaborates with local grassroots organizations to advance women's empowerment and systems change.
  • Leadership Ally Partner — Focus group of men committed to advancing women into leadership positions
  • NYS Legislative Women's Caucus Partner — Provided testimony and data to inform state-level legislative action on gender equity.
  • NYS Workforce Development Initiative Partner — Collaborated to increase awareness and access to child care subsidies among eligible parents.
  • P.O.W.E.R. Partner — Strategic framework program to help companies build stronger leaders and improve organizational culture
  • Ready Set Lead Partner — Mentorship and leadership development program for early-career women under the ALL IN initiative
  • She Suite Partner — Peer network supporting top executive women in organizations
  • US Department of Labor Women's Bureau Partner — Engaged in policy discussions and presentations to inform federal initiatives on women's workforce issues.
  • United Way of Buffalo and Erie County Partner — Co-founded the WNY Women's Fund in 1999 with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and a group of diverse women.
  • WNY Women's Foundation Network — Member of a broader network advancing women's equity, implied by participation in collective impact framing.
  • White House Gender Policy Council Partner — Presented research and policy recommendations to influence national gender policy.
  • Women Who Lead Partner — Partners with Women Who Lead to facilitate female mentorships across the region as part of the ALL IN WNY initiative.
  • Women in Action Coalition — Grassroots activism group affiliated with WNY Women's Foundation focused on gender equity.
  • Women-Owned Business Directory Partner — Program to promote and collaborate with women-owned businesses in WNY
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.

  • Collaborative Systems Change Through Humility-Driven Engagement
    methodology: systems_change_through_collaboration
    By facilitating partnerships among funders, community organizations, and employers using intentional listening and collaborative processes, the organization advances gender equity because sustainable systems change requires shared ownership and humility across stakeholders.
  • Data-Driven Advocacy with Intersectional Lens
    methodology: data_driven_advocacy_with_intersectional_lens
    By combining quantitative research with lived experiences and an intersectional framework, the organization produces more effective advocacy and systems-change solutions because data alone cannot capture the full scope of gender, race, and economic inequities affecting women.
  • Intersectional Economic Empowerment Pathways
    methodology: intersectional_economic_empowerment
    By addressing systemic barriers and delivering tailored workforce development and entrepreneurial support within an intersectional justice framework, the organization increases economic mobility for women because sustainable empowerment requires dismantling interconnected structural inequities.
  • Male Allyship as a Lever for Cultural Transformation
    methodology: male_allyship
    By actively engaging men as participants in gender equity initiatives, the organization drives cultural change because lasting transformation requires shifting norms within dominant power groups, not just supporting marginalized individuals.
  • Structural Leadership Development to Shift Workplace Culture
    methodology: multi_level_leadership_development
    By providing data-informed mentorship, employer education, and public recognition of women leaders, the organization advances gender equity because systemic underrepresentation in leadership is best addressed through multi-level interventions that change both individual capacity and organizational norms.