Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841868085
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Phone
7024059647
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,325,561
Expenses
$1,535,214
Assets
$922,094
Liabilities
$34,356

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PHYLLIS A JAMES (PRESIDENT &)

Highest reported compensation

  • PHYLLIS A JAMES (PRESIDENT &): $150,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Fwle is a nonprofit corporation organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986, for the specific objective of advancing the personal and professional growth of women of all backgrounds, including women of color, to achieve their highest potential as leaders of our workplaces, communities, and society in equal partnership with men. The corporation's initiatives, programs and events are primarily aimed at the education and development of women and girls, but are open and inclusive of men as well, and strive to impart leadership lessons to persons of all walks of life. More specifically, as we near completion of the first quarter of the 21st century, concerns are mounting that the elevation of women to leadership positions in america seems to have plateaued at still unequal levels, fwle aims to continue expansion of the pipeline of women leaders and help eliminate the gender/racial leadership disp

What it reported doing in 2024

The women's leadership conference the women's leadership conference ("wlc"). The mission of the foundation for women's leadership & empowerment's ("fwle") is to empower, educate, and develop all leaders - of all profiles and all levels - in the essential competencies of leadership excellence to expand the ranks of leadership to reflect our society, and foster inclusive, equitable, and thriving workplaces and communities. Our mission is rooted in our beliefs that 1) participation in leadership, power, and influence to reflect our society must include women and other diverse talent as well as men; 2) inclusiveness is fundamental to maximizing performance, resilience, and value creation in all of america's workplaces and institutions - regardless of the nature of the organization; and 3) stronger, sustainable organizations are integral to stronger, sustainable communities for the future of america. To promote genuine equal opportunity for all american leaders requires equal access by all to education and development. Our education vehicles are designed to provide empowering professional content grounded in thought leadership, innovative programming, and collaborative engagement to elevate leadership expertise, business acumen and excellence among existing and developing leaders. That is what fwle's signature program - the women's leadership conference (wlc) - aims to accomplish. Fwle assumed the role of owner and producer of the pre-existing annual wlc pursuant to a charitable donation from the mgm resorts foundation effective as of december 31, 2019. At the time of the transfer wlc had already been established as one of the premier, if not the premier, leadership development conferences in the western united states for women. Since then, fwle has solidified wlc's reputation as the 1 ranked women's leadership conference in las vegas nv. Fwle seeks to expand the social and business impact of wlc to a broader platform of developmental programming, beyond wlc and beyond Nevada, for education of women leaders. Since 2019 - against the headwinds of the pandemic, its turbulent aftermath, and greater economic uncertainty - wlc has continued to provide a diverse community of professionals with a singular combination of elements that inspire them to aspirational leadership and higher development, educate them in essential leadership competencies, and facilitate the crucial art of relationship networking. Fwle has continued to fortify wlc's education offerings. Our 2024 wlc - which convened 744 total registrants - presented the 17th annual edition of wlc - featuring the below elements that have become emblematic of the wlc experience: main stage presentations by keynote speakers/panels who are acclaimed cross-industry role models from all levels of leadership. 2024 wlc's main stage speakers addressed the topics of mastering confidence for success (selena rezvani), science-based methods to master change anxiety (dr. Luana marques), and building trust as the foundation of work culture (justin patton). In addition to its keynote speakers, 2024 wlc continued a new program segment featuring a moderated roundtable discussion among four (4) women presidents & ceos from a cross-section of major american corporations. 2024 also held 1) a separate panel discussion among four (4) women entrepreneurs who own and lead business enterprises - since women- owned businesses (wbes) are now recognized as drivers of u.s. Economic growth; and a well-known 2024 wells fargo bank economic study showed that 39% of all u.s. Businesses were wbes employing more than 12 million workers and generating 2 trillion in revenue; and 2) a fireside chat with a dynamic woman who is an artificial intelligence company ceo, entrepreneur, investor, and board member. Multi-faceted education sessions/workshops led by subject matter experts. Our education sessions, which teach leadership competencies and skills and explore real-life leadership challenges, were presented across three

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 25
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90.3%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $34.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -15.8%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.6; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 38.2% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 29.2% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $150K · 9 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $379K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 28/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.