Step Up Today to Invest in the Future of IWF

In 1974, Elinor Guggenheimer, a philanthropist and civic leader in New York City, decided that professional women who were breaking into the executive ranks across all professions in the seventies needed what men had always had – a network to support, inspire, and help them climb the ladder. And the Women’s Forum was born.

Elinor GuggenheimerElly’s idea was powerful enough to travel the world, and today the International Women’s Forum is a global organization of nearly 8,000 women in 33 countries worldwide. As we approach our 50th Anniversary in 2024, we are proud to be the only global women’s leadership organization with consecutive year-over-year growth.

The relevance of IWF is just as strong today as it was in 1974 – in profession after profession, the glass ceiling is still there. It’s just higher, and the value of peer-to-peer support from a global community of outstanding women leaders is simply unmeasurable. Women inspiring women never gets old.

Today, we need to invest in IWF for the next 50 years to increase our mission and member services – including new digital and communications resources to extend our community to new generations. And we need to raise funds to do so.

That’s why we are launching Elly’s Ladder – a five-year committed giving society to give us reliable support to make the necessary investments.

How Does Elly’s Ladder Work?

Members to pledge support for five successive years at one of three levels: 

Support Level Amounts:


Bronze Ladder

$1,000-$4,999 per year for a total pledge of $5,000-$24,995


Silver Ladder

$5,000-$9,999 per year for a total pledge of $25,000-$49,995


Gold Ladder

$10,000+ per year for a total pledge of $50,000+


How Will My Support Be Recognized?

Elly’s Ladder donors will receive special recognition in several ways, including:

  • Acknowledgment on the IWF member portal, IWF Connect, at conferences, and in printed materials.
  • Invitations to exclusive events and programs, including the Visionary Leaders Celebration, and
  • Access to priority registration for IWF Conferences.

Make a Donation

  • Simply select “Annually.”
  • Choose an amount.
  • Choose “Elly’s Ladder” from the designation dropdown.

Step Up to Elly’s Ladder and Help IWF Ascend into the Future

We are excited to announce the founding members of Elly’s Ladder and are grateful for their leadership and commitment to IWF and its mission.
If you have questions about Elly’s Ladder, please contact Rachel Yost at ryost@iwforum.org.

Reem Abu Hassan
Jandel Allen-Davis
Dolores Fernandez Alonso
Kathleen Shea Andersen
Lauren Anderson
Dominique Anglade
Terry Axelrod
Rebecca Barfknecht
Emily Berlin
Kathy Bremer
Adriane M. Brown
Molly Burke
Esther L. Bush
Holly Cannon
Karen Caplan
Magdalena Carral
Kathleen Carroll
Carolyn Carter
Carolyn Cassin
Barrie Gibb Christman

Patra De Silva
Priscilla H. Douglas
Cathy Doyle
Ann M. Drake
Cynthia Eisenberg
Julie Spicer England
Debra Facktor
Linda McFarland Farthing
Sandra C. Finn
Sarah Flanagan
Judith D. Fryer
Carolina Gallo
Allyson Maynard Gibson
Jane Blain Gilbertson
Pamela Gleichman
Julie Goldstein
Sandy Gooch
Barbara Grogan
Nicole Grogan

Michele Hagans
Christine A. Hansen
Nerina Harley
Karen Hayes
Susan Hodkinson
Jodi Delahunt Hubbell
Kimberly Cooper Jaqua
Cheryl Jennings
Kathryn Johnson
Ruveni Kelleher
Lou C. Kerr
Joyce Landry
Nancy Laughton
LeeAnne B. Linderman
Elizabeth Lowrey
Susan Lubar
Francoise Lyon
Sheryl R. Marshall
Diane Medley
Anne Minto

Rosel Moxey
Susan Mucciarone
Ana Munoz
Lisa Nassardeen-Buckley
Shirley Nelson
Kathy O’Driscoll
Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow
Elisabeth Ourliac
Nancy Philippart
Becky Phillips
Barbara Pierce
Ellen Pikitch
Carrie Schwab Pomerantz
Sylvia Pozarnsky
Brenda Pope
Leslie Quinton
Beryl Raff
Pamela Rauch
Anne Marie Reidy

Drina Rendic
Alison Taunton Rigby
Esther Silver-Parker
Carol Bolton Sisco
Andrea Roane Skehan
Sandy Stash
Christine Steinberg
Belinda Stubblefield
Gayle Tauber
Deborah Trudeau
Susana Vallarino
Gertrude Van Horn
Karilyn Van Oosten
Carol Cox Wait
Teresa V-F Weintraub
Peri Widener
Marty Wikstrom
Doris Carson Williams
Tracey Wills
Kathleen Duffy Ybarra