Geography: United States
Founded: 1938
Address:910 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
NFWL is a non-partisan 501c-3, educational foundation. Its membership consists of members of the National Order of Women Legislators (all current and former women elected officials) corporate leadership and association members.
The National Order of Women Legislators was founded in 1938 and is a non-partisan organization whose membership is made up of women serving as current state legislators and former state legislators. Today, there are over 1600 women state legislators nationwide.
What is the mission of the Order?
The mission of the Order is to encourage greater participation of women in establishing public policy and to encourage election and/or appointment of women in public office.
How is the mission carried out?
- by providing opportunities for women to prepare for running and winning elections to state legislatures
- by equipping women for leadership by providing timely and extensive legislative information, which will enable them to make informed decisions
- by providing opportunities to network with women legislators nationwide
- by helping prepare women legislators to move up the political ladder
- by fostering relationships with congressional members as well as women leaders in other areas.
How is the Order funded?
Membership dues support the National Order of Women Legislators. The Foundation is supported through corporate underwriting of programs which include the Annual Conference, Women Lawmaker's Day, Campaign College and other programming.
The NFWL Annual Conference is a national forum designed to encourage the building of alliances among elected women, industry leaders, and issue experts. The Conference fosters a safe environment for sharing ideas, discussing current events, and learning about new initiatives and programs through plenary sessions, workshops, roundtables and policy committees. The goal of the Annual Conference is to intellectually equip elected women to mold public opinion and prepare for legislative debate. Presentations throughout the Conference offer elected women new perspectives and innovative ideas that may inevitably lead to policy resolutions and legislation in their respective states. As a non-partisan organization, NFWL does not take ideological positions on any current issue, but rather exists to assist women leaders in the process of issue education, networking, re-elections, and leadership.
NFWL's Annual Conference is unique because a majority of the elected women who attend the Conference are given scholarships to support their presence. As a result, NFWL garners high attendance rates at all Conference events. This allows NFWL's supporters to have direct access to elected women from across the country in a variety of settings.
NFWL is committed to helping women legislators become effective lawmakers. Through the meetings, legislators and private sector members are provided with important opportunities to debate current issues facing women legislators today. NFWL facilitates ten full committees through out the year with the purpose of drafting model resolutions and legislation.