Womenstrong International
WomenStrong International is a private foundation based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It supports women-led organizations working to improve the lives of women and girls, using grants alongside organizational strengthening and peer learning.
Key facts about Womenstrong International
In short: Womenstrong International gave $1.1M across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), top state California. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-1707504
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,137,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- Average grant
- $29,154
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (6 of 25, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,114,457
- Primary geography
- California (5% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.1M
+93.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
+67.0% YoY
Grant Count
39
+44.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
+15.6% YoY
Is Womenstrong International open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 25 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $70K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $70K first-time, $40K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
WomenStrong’s mission is to center the work of local feminist leaders and amplify their capacity to drive meaningful change in their communities, toward a world where all women and girls can thrive. It says it supports work on women’s and girls’ health, girls’ education, preventing violence against women and girls, and economic opportunity and security. It also describes climate and environmental justice as an area of work.
WomenStrong says it has supported women-led organizations, including organizations led by nationals in their countries of operation, with women holding the majority of leadership positions. Its stated criteria also include nonprofit registration in the country of operation, more than one donor, a women-led local governing body representative of the communities served, and willingness to participate in peer exchange and WomenStrong learning opportunities. The criteria describe organizations with annual budgets below US$1 million.
Examples of grantees’ work, as described by the grantees, include the Women’s Justice Initiative’s work to improve the lives of Indigenous Guatemalan women and girls through education, legal services, and gender-based violence prevention; Sahar Education’s partnerships with Afghan organizations to build schools and create educational opportunities for girls; and Visionaria Network’s work to activate visions for personal and community development.
Grantmaking
WomenStrong describes its grants as unrestricted, flexible, and trust-based, with an emphasis on strengthening partners’ organizational and technical capacity. Its website says it does not have open grant opportunities at present and has periodically invited women-led organizations to share information about themselves before exploratory conversations with potential partners.
Ready to take the next step with Womenstrong International?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WomenStrong says it has no geographical limits on where it funds. Its 2024 grants included support for work in Uganda, Mexico, India, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Peru, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh, among other locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $681K (2024) to $1.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Amal Foundation ($70K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $662K.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 135 (73%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amal Foundation | To provide funding for amal foundation for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Black Girl Rising | To provide funding for black girl rising for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Climalab | To provide funding for climalab for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Fundacion BARRANQUILLA20 | To provide funding for fundacion barranquilla+20 for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Green Girls Platform | To provide funding for green girls platform for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Power Shift Nepal | To provide funding for power shift nepal for participation in the learning lab and to take advantage of the capacity strengthening support | $50,000 |
| Asociacion Mujeres Transformando | To provide funding for asociacion mujeres transformando for support of women's economic security and opportunity in el salvador. | $40,000 |
| Copper Rose Zambia | To provide funding for copper rose zambia for support of women's and adolescent girls' health | $40,000 |
| Gender and Development Cambodia | To provide funding for gender and development cambodia to prevent violence against women and girls. | $40,000 |
| Girl up Initiative Uganda Goleta, CA | To provide funding for girl up initiative uganda for support of girls' education and empowerment. | $40,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF, a private foundation.
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $681,000 | 27 |
| 2023 | $1,057,265 | 33 |
| 2022 | $971,852 | 18 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,114,457 | $1,612,034 | $1,462,027 |
| Revenue | $5,133,970 | $3,160,282 | $4,189,398 |
| Expenses | $3,713,805 | $3,211,149 | $3,665,698 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,611,433 | $3,003,478 | $3,559,915 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,978 | $719 | $498 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Dr. Susan M. Blaustein is WomenStrong’s founder and executive director. The 2024 filing lists Heather Goldberg Mendelow, Joyce Malombe, Robin Smalley, Catherine Lee, Dr. Geeta Mehta, Pamela Schutz, Peggy Shepard, Stephen Kass, and Dr. Howard C. Mandel as directors.
Womenstrong International is led by Chisina Kapungu, Executive Director on the 2025 filing; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chisina Kapungu
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$245K (2025)
Susan M. Blaustein
Chair & President
Executive Director → Chair & President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Lee
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Geeta Mehta
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Schutz
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Shepard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Kass
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Goldberg Mendelow
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Howard C. Mandel
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robin Smalley
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Nimmo
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Malombe
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andine Sutarjardi
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helen Yang
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Green
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Nicky Leroux (2024) — Director
- Former: Yasmine Ergas (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Beth Horowitz MD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: George C. Biddle (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Howie Mandel (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $245K, to Dr Chisina Kapungu (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 9 East Melrose Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: (301) 907-0227
Website: https://womenstrong.org
Frequently asked questions about Womenstrong International
How much does Womenstrong International give each year?
Womenstrong International gave $1.1M across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $681K across 27 grants.
What is Womenstrong International's typical grant size?
Womenstrong International's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $29,154, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Womenstrong International that year got $70K on average.
Where does Womenstrong International give grants?
Womenstrong International's top state is California, with 5% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was North Carolina (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Goleta, CA (2 grants) and Durham, NC (2 grants).
Does Womenstrong International give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on Womenstrong International's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Strengthening - Partner Support Grants" (14 grants).
Who are Womenstrong International's largest grantees?
Womenstrong International's largest 2025 grantees include Amal Foundation ($70,000 across 2 grants), Black Girl Rising ($70,000 across 2 grants) and Climalab ($70,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Womenstrong International?
Womenstrong International reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $5.1M.
What does Womenstrong International fund?
WomenStrong’s mission is to center the work of local feminist leaders and amplify their capacity to drive meaningful change in their communities, toward a world where all women and girls can thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Womenstrong International?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Womenstrong International's EIN?
Womenstrong International's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1707504. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Womenstrong International accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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