Women make up nearly 75 percent of the nonprofit workforce — yet fewer than 42 percent of nonprofit boards are chaired by women, and only 22 percent of the sector’s largest organizations are led by women. This persistent gender gap, often fueled by entrenched biases and a “glass escalator” effect that propels men faster into leadership, makes the work of women’s boards especially vital.
Across the country, these boards quietly shape the future of some of the most powerful cultural, educational, and healthcare institutions. They raise millions annually, open doors for women leaders, and model the collaborative, community-centered leadership that the sector needs to thrive. The following 21 women’s boards stand out as some of the most prestigious and influential women’s boards in the nation.
The Arts
The Woman’s Board, Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago)
Formed in 1952, the Woman’s Board for the Art Institute of Chicago helps to provide support to the museum as well as underwrite educational programming for families, students, educators, and the general public. The Lecture + Luncheon is the Woman’s Board’s principal fundraising effort.
Friends of the Cleveland Orchestra (Cleveland)
The Women’s Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra was founded in 1921 under the guidance of Adella Prentiss Hughes to support the Children’s Concerts series and the Music Memory Contests. Today, the Committee is called the Friends of the Cleveland Orchestra, and with an expanded volunteer base of music lovers, continues its support through educational activities, fundraising, and service. The Friends are integral to raising the Orchestra’s total support of $17.5 million.
Women’s Board of the Joffrey Ballet (Chicago)
The Joffrey Ballet Women’s Board has been promoting the activities of the Joffrey Ballet since 2001. The board plays an instrumental role in the development of the community engagement program, providing Chicago’s youth with access to arts and dance education. Each year, the Women’s Board raises a total of $2 million and $50,000 for its signature program, the En Pointe Initiative.
Lyric Opera of Chicago Women’s Board (Chicago)
The Women’s Board is one of the six boards supporting the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 63 women serving on the invite-only board are not only passionate about opera, but they also play an essential role in sustaining the institution. Through events like the Season Opening Gala and Wine Auction, the Women’s Board raises more than $3 million annually to support the Opera’s outreach and programming.
San Francisco Symphony Junior Committee League (San Francisco)
The San Francisco Symphony is supported by six regional volunteer leagues, including the Junior Committee League, which was founded in 1980. Each group supports the symphony through fundraising, audience development, and community engagement activities. The signature event for the Junior Committee League is the Deck the Hall holiday concert, featuring two family concerts in Davies Symphony Hall and a post-concert reception complete with children’s activities and entertainment. More than 4000 children attend the free event annually.
Education
Northwestern University Women’s Board (Chicago)
The Women’s Board of Northwestern University was established in 1978 by the wives of five members of the Board of Trustees. Their goal was to bring the university and the community together by fostering interest in educational, cultural, and research activities at Northwestern. The board hosts five lectures/luncheons per year featuring distinguished faculty from University departments and speakers affiliated with Northwestern.
Princeton University Women’s Network (Princeton)
The Princeton Women’s Network has chapters of alumnae worldwide. With an Advisory Council of nine women to support, strengthen, advance, and expand the PWN chapters globally, the group continues to grow. PWN members are connecting to one another and to the University in new and relevant ways, furnishing representation for thought leadership and providing an external perspective from alumnae to Princeton.
Stanford University Women on Boards (Palo Alto)
Stanford Women on Boards is committed to increasing the representation, readiness, and influence of Stanford-affiliated leaders on public, private, and nonprofit boards. As an organization, Stanford Women on Boards helps companies and nonprofits find the best Stanford leaders to build high-performing boards through networking events and educational opportunities.
University of Chicago Women’s Board (Chicago)
In 1960, the University of Chicago Women’s Board was established to give women the opportunity to engage with members of the University’s research, programs, and faculty to serve as advocates to the community and raise funds. In the past 15 years, the Women’s Board has raised $10 million. Each spring, the Women’s Board awards grants of $10,000 to $100,000 to members of the University community for faculty research and support, arts and cultural institutions, quality of student life, and community outreach.
Town & Gown of USC (Los Angeles)
Town & Gown of the University of Southern California is a nonprofit philanthropic organization supporting USC through student scholarships, building and campus enhancements, and cultural programs. First organized in 1904 as the Women’s Club of the University of Southern California, it was renamed Town & Gown in 1922. The organization awards 200 merit-based scholarships to incoming freshmen, current undergraduates, and graduate students annually, which totals $70 million distributed since its founding.
Health and Wellness
Children’s National Hospital Founders Auxiliary Board (Washington, D.C.)
For more than 150 years, the Founders Auxiliary Board has supported Children’s National Hospital through fundraising initiatives and volunteerism. Their support propels innovative research, champions best practices in pediatric community health, and funds critical programs. The Board has awarded $22 million in grants and major gifts, which have supported initiatives to develop and sustain cutting-edge research and innovative treatments, purchase critical medical equipment, improve patient hospital experience, and support the professional development of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.
Abington Health Foundation Women’s Board and Auxiliaries (Philadelphia)
The Women’s Board was founded in 1912 to fulfill a community vision for a local hospital. Today, the organization continues to build on the strong vision of its founders and is dedicated to volunteer service and fundraising for Jefferson Abington and Jefferson Lansdale Hospitals. The 200+ members of the Auxiliaries support the efforts of the 50 active members of the Women’s Board. The board hosts 10 fundraising events each year, raising more than $24 million since its inception.
Main Line Health Auxiliaries & Women’s Boards (Philadelphia)
Main Line Health operates four acute care hospitals in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Each has its own Women’s Board and Auxiliaries, dedicated groups of volunteers who support the hospital’s mission through philanthropy, community engagement, and service. Strategic fundraising events, volunteer initiatives, and local partnerships help raise millions to provide advanced medical equipment and patient-centered amenities at each facility.
Massachusetts General Hospital LVC (Boston)
Founded in 1869, the LVC at Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the oldest hospital volunteer auxiliaries in the country. To reflect its growing impact on the hospital community, the LVC has renamed itself for the pillars of legacy, vision, and commitment. Their mission is to enhance the comfort and well-being of MGH patients, families, and staff. They oversee MGH’s five retail shops and raise funds for grants to benefit patients and families throughout the hospital system.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – Society of MSK (New York)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is ranked the best cancer center in the northeast and the second-best in the nation. Since 1946, the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has been dedicated to promoting the well-being of patients, supporting cancer research, and providing public education on the prevention, early detection, and treatment. The Society has raised more than $100 million since its founding. The MSK also created the Associates Committee to introduce younger generations to the power of fundraising and volunteering.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Women’s Auxiliary Council (Columbus)
The Women’s Auxiliary has been supporting the Nationwide Children’s Hospital since it opened in 1892. Volunteers in the four auxiliaries are among the most enthusiastic, successful, and dedicated women in the region. Each auxiliary – Kinder Key, Butterfly Guild, TWIG, and the Women’s Board – supports a different initiative within the hospital system with millions of dollars of support.
Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago)
The Passavant Woman’s Aid Society, the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is one of Chicago’s oldest charitable organizations. They are dedicated to supporting the programs and services provided by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, including those related to women’s health issues. Since its founding in 1897, the board has donated more than $65 million to the hospital. In 2022, the board committed a pledge of more than $4.5 million to address women’s reproductive health throughout their lives.
Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center (Chicago)
The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center works in partnership with the medical center to support patient care, research, and community outreach. The Woman’s Board was initially established as two distinct boards, one for the Presbyterian Hospital in 1884 and one for St. Luke’s Hospital in 1892. They merged in 1959 shortly after the two hospitals united. Currently, 234 women serve on the board. In addition to operating two in-hospital gift shops, the board hosts two major fundraising events annually. In the past 20 years, the board has raised more than $10 million.
Summa Health Women’s Board (Akron)
Since its initiation in 1892 as the “Ladies Auxiliary,” the Women’s Board and its predecessors have contributed more than $8.1 million to the Summa Health hospital system. Members have volunteered more than 350,000 hours of service. Current ongoing areas of financial support include annual scholarships for nurses, camisoles and robes for breast cancer patients, and medical research programs.
Museums, Zoos, and Botanical Societies
Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society (Chicago)
The Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society was established in 1951 as an integral part of the founding and development of the Chicago Botanic Garden. Their mission is to cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. The board hosts an annual fall bulb sale and a winter orchid show sale, and a preview of Lightscape before the event is open to the public, bringing in at least $325,000 annually.
Lincoln Park Zoo Women’s Board (Chicago)
The Lincoln Park Zoo is free to the public, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Women’s Board. The Women’s Board, which was founded in 1976, also supports the institution’s capital, conservation, and education efforts through the annual Zoo Ball, which this year raised a record-breaking $1.8 million. Each fall, the board hosts the Women Supporting Wildlife luncheon with honored guests such as Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace.
