National Foundation for Women Legislators

National Foundation for Women Legislators
Name	National Foundation for Women Legislators
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1938
Headquarters	United States
Key people	Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton

Contents

National Foundation for Women Legislators is an American nonprofit organization that supports women state legislators through professional development, networking, and legislative resources. The foundation interacts with numerous public figures and institutions such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Dolores Huerta, Martha Griffiths, Betty Ford, and Shirley Chisholm while engaging policymakers linked to United States Congress, State of California, State of New York, State of Texas, and State of Illinois. It collaborates with civic groups and educational institutions including League of Women Voters, National Conference of State Legislatures, American Association of University Women, Harvard Kennedy School, and Georgetown University.

History

The organization originated during the late 1930s alongside civic movements led by figures like Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, Mary McLeod Bethune, Margaret Chase Smith, and Hattie Caraway, responding to changing political roles for women in New Deal era America and state assemblies such as Massachusetts General Court, New York State Assembly, California State Legislature, Texas Legislature, and Illinois General Assembly. Throughout mid‑20th century decades it intersected with national initiatives involving Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Rights Amendment, Women’s Suffrage movement, National Organization for Women, and leaders like Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and Shirley Chisholm. In later periods the foundation engaged with bipartisan policy discussions alongside entities such as National Governors Association, United States Senate, House of Representatives, Carter administration, Clinton administration, and international actors including United Nations forums, contributing to programmatic expansion and partnerships with universities like Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and think tanks like Brookings Institution.

The foundation’s mission centers on professional development and leadership training, drawing on curricula used at institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, Yale University, Princeton University, and policy organizations like RAND Corporation and American Enterprise Institute. Program topics reference legislative practice in bodies such as New Jersey Legislature, Ohio General Assembly, Michigan Legislature, Florida Legislature, and policy arenas linked to laws like the Affordable Care Act, Voting Rights Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and No Child Left Behind Act. Educational offerings have involved collaborations with advocacy groups including League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, National Education Association, and AARP and with foreign delegations tied to institutions such as European Parliament and Parliament of Canada.

Membership comprises women legislators from statehouses including California State Senate, New York State Senate, Texas State Senate, Florida Senate, and Ohio Senate and often overlaps with leaders affiliated with parties such as Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), and local caucuses including Black Caucus (United States Congress), Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Women’s Legislative Caucus variants in many states. Chapters and regional affiliates coordinate activities across regions involving states like Oregon, Washington (state), Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico while maintaining relationships with municipal and county bodies such as New York City Council, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Annual meetings and conferences mirror formats used by organizations like National Conference of State Legislatures, American Legislative Exchange Council, Clinton Global Initiative, Aspen Institute, and World Economic Forum regional events. Programming commonly features keynote speakers drawn from public figures including Michelle Obama, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Angela Merkel, Jacinda Ardern, and Madeleine Albright and workshops tied to policy themes familiar to attendees of TED Conference, SXSW, CPAC, Democratic National Convention, and Republican National Convention.

Funding sources resemble revenue models of U.S. nonprofits that accept grants and contributions from foundations and corporations such as Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Walmart Foundation, and Kaiser Family Foundation as well as support from academic partners like Johns Hopkins University and Brown University. Financial oversight aligns with nonprofit reporting norms referenced by the Internal Revenue Service, audit standards from American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and philanthropic transparency discussions involving Sunlight Foundation, OpenSecrets, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States