Women Employed
To improve the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity.
Women Employed at a glance
In short: Women Employed gave $176K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $175,600
- +71.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 7
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,086
- +71.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,175
- Total assets
- $1,776,611
- -20.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Women Employed
- Next open deadline
- March 31, 2027 (The Pattis Family Foundation Summer Leadership Program)
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Women Employed
Who Women Employed funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rush University Medical Center ($54K). Together the top 7 received $176K.
Grant Size Distribution
14 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 13 grants of 14 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $103K (2024) to $176K (2025). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $176K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $54,375 |
| Instituto Del Progreso Latino Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $40,775 |
| Esperanza Health Centers Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $27,175 |
| Health and Medicine Policy Research Group Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $27,175 |
| Erie Neighborhood House Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $10,000 |
| Center for Changing Lives Chicago, IL | Various Program Stipends | $8,100 |
| Kan-Win Park Ridge, IL | Various Program Stipends | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Women Employed?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,776,611 | $1,797,220 | $3,318,453 | $175,600 | 7 | $13,842 |
| 2024 | $2,238,893 | $3,945,101 | $3,409,429 | $102,550 | 7 | $95,943 |
| 2023 | $2,033,113 | $3,487,962 | $3,361,329 | — | — | $43,359 |
| 2022 | $1,660,440 | $2,007,738 | $2,626,301 | — | — | $38,189 |
| 2021 | $2,526,948 | $2,797,395 | $2,314,443 | — | — | $44,894 |
| 2020 | $1,946,641 | $1,795,723 | $2,073,144 | — | — | $-724 |
| 2019 | $1,974,461 | $2,135,238 | $2,176,582 | — | — | $43,895 |
About Women Employed
Based on IRS filings
Women Employed is a public charity focused on Employment, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 7 grants totaling $176K. Net investment income was $14K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Women Employed is led by Ellens Cherita, President & CEO since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 27 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellens Cherita
President & CEO
CEO → President & CEO, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$156K (2020) → $211K (2025)
Watkins-Asiyanbi Lynn
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Warden Christina
Director of Policy
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$106K (2025)
Loeb Marjorie
Director
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mason Jennifer
Director
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mentor-Truppa Ambar
Director
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alfaro Cynthia
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Attea Kate
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Badower Sepora
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Becvar Teresa
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dodds Shawna
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Garcia Palmer Carrie
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Garcia-Goyette Ausannette
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greenberg Caroline
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Haney Pamela
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kiselyk Kate
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mathis Nia C.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Panagopoulos Katina E.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharpe Diana
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Smith Lauren
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trotter Joanna
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Majmudar Sharmili
Executive Vice President O
Interim CEO → Executive Vice President of Policy & Organizatio, 2020
Executive Vice President of Policy & Organizatio → Executive Vice President O, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$125K (2019) → $134K (2025)
Cunneen Elizabeth
Chief Financial Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$114K (2025)
Bartecki Holly
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Burrell Nakita
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shehorn Meghan
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Everson Kate
Board Fellow
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (58)
- Former: Ambar Mentor-Truppa (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Cherita Ellens (2021–2024) — President & CEO
- Former: Diana Sharpe (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Holly Bartecki (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Jennifer Mason (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Katina E. Panagopoulos (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Lynn Watkins-Asiyanbi (2021–2024) — Chair
- Former: Marjorie Loeb (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Meghan Shehorn (2021–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Nakita Burrell (2021–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Sharmili Majmudar (2021–2024) — Executive Vice President O
- Former: Carrie Garcia Palmer (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Christina Warden (2022–2024) — Director of Policy
- Former: Elizabeth Cunneen (2022–2024) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Kate Attea (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Ausannette Garcia-Goyette (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Caroline Greenberg (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Alfaro (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Joanna Trotter (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Kate Kiselyk (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Lauren Smith (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Nia C. Mathis (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Pamela Haney (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Shawna Dodds (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Teresa Bevcar (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Mary Kay Devine (2024) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Sepora Badower (2024) — Director
- Former: Barbara Barreno-Paschall (2023) — Director
- Former: Sepora Makabeh (2023) — Director
- Former: Anjali Reddy (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Beata Kirr (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Elena Robinson (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Johanna Danz (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Leslie Darling (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Lisa Battisfore (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Lydia Bueschel (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Lisa Pattis (2021) — Director
- Former: Manjari G. Malkani MD (2021) — Director
- Former: Rachelle Whitacre (2021) — Director
- Former: Bueschel Lydia (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Danz Johanna (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Golden Deb (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Hannon Nancy (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kenefick Elizabeth (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kirr Beata (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Reddy Anjali (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Robinson Elena (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Snow Lisa (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Darling Leslie (2020) — Director
- Former: Panagopoulos Katina (2020) — Director
- Former: Pattis Lisa (2020) — Chair
- Former: Thorne Deborah (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Boege Kate (2019) — Director
- Former: Bridges-Mansfield Tameshia (2019) — Director
- Former: McMahon Jennifer (2019) — Director
- Former: Mendelsohn Susan (2019) — Director
- Former: Pattis Lisa J. (2019) — Chair
- Former: Thorne Deborah L. (2019) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $211K, to Ellens Cherita (President & CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Women Employed
How much does Women Employed give each year?
Women Employed gave $176K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $103K across 7 grants.
What is Women Employed's typical grant size?
Women Employed's median grant in 2025 was $27,175, and its average grant was $25,086, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Women Employed give grants?
Women Employed gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants).
Does Women Employed give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 7 grants with a stated purpose on Women Employed's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Various Program Stipends" (7 grants).
Who are Women Employed's largest grantees?
Women Employed's largest 2025 grantees include Rush University Medical Center ($54,375), Instituto Del Progreso Latino ($40,775) and Esperanza Health Centers ($27,175), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Women Employed?
Women Employed reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What is Women Employed?
Women Employed is a public charity focused on Employment, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $1.8M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Women Employed's EIN?
Women Employed's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2969526. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 9, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Women Employed funds
Employment Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Women Employed's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Women Employed funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/women-employed-morg_6dad66870acb43b0a3dac745826e3360
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362969526_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Women Employed funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/women-employed-morg_6dad66870acb43b0a3dac745826e3360},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Women Employed's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Women Employed down — hundreds of funders to go?