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Womens Business Enterprise National Council

EIN 52-2023392 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair64 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WBENC'S MISSION IS TO FUEL ECONOMIC GROWTH GLOBALLY BY IDENTIFYING, CERTIFYING, AND FACILITATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.

Income
$16.9 million
Spending
$18.0 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
3.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 85%
Employees
49
Volunteers
67
Highest pay
$523,884, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 41% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    67 of 68 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (7)
  1. $6.3 million spent. EVENTS: EVENTS IS COMPRISED OF TWO ANNUAL, IN-PERSON CONFERENCES. THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE, WBENC'S SIGNATURE EVENT, IS THE LARGEST CONFERENCE OF ITS KIND FOR WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS, WELCOMING THOUSANDS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVES READY TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AND DO BUSINESS. THE 2024 CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN DENVER, CO AND INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 4,800 ATTENDEES. THE NOVEMBER EVENT IS A SMALLER, INVITE-ONLY CONFERENCE. IT INCLUDES THREE DAYS OF CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMMING, MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS, AND A LIVE PRESENTATION OF THE WBENCPITCH COMPETITION FINAL ROUND. IN 2024, THE NOVEMBER EVENT WAS HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC. AND INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 500 ATTENDEES.
  2. $3.8 million spent. CERTIFICATION: THE FOUNDATION OF WBENC'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS CERTIFICATION SERVICES TO WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (WBES). CERTIFICATION AUDITS VET WHETHER WBES MEET THE STANDARDS OF BEING AT LEAST 51% OWNED, OPERATED, AND CONTROLLED BY A WOMAN OR WOMEN. IN ADDITION TO THE PERFORMANCE OF CERTIFICATION SERVICES, WBENC PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO CERTIFIED WBES.
  3. $1.5 million spent. ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH: ENCOMPASSES WBENC'S TARGETED OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT AIM TO ENGAGE SPECIFIC POPULATIONS OF ENTREPRENEURS. THE PROGRAMS INCLUDED HERE ARE WOMEN OF COLOR, COLLEGIATE ACCELERATOR, AND FUTUREGEN.
  4. $1.1 million spent. FINANCIAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE: THE WBENC ARM THAT AIMS TO ADDRESS FINANCIAL MATTERS RELEVANT TO WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS. THE FINANCIAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE USES THE LIFT FRAMEWORK (LEARN, INTERCONNECT, FUEL, THRIVE) TO GUIDE ITS PROGRAMMING. LIFT IN THE COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONE OF THE PROGRAM OFFERINGS HOUSED HERE.
  5. $893,659 spent. MEMBERSHIP: WBENC'S CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP BASE CONSISTS OF LARGE COMPANIES THAT SEEK TO DIVERSIFY THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS THROUGH INCLUSION OF CERTIFIED BUSINESSES. CORPORATE MEMBERS RECEIVE ACCESS TO WBENC'S DATABASE OF 21,000+ CERTIFIED BUSINESSES AND THEY MAY USE THIS DATABASE TO SEARCH FOR POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS. IN ADDITION, WBENC FACILITATES NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT CORPORATE MEMBERS TO CERTIFIED WBES AND PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AIMED AT ASSISTING CORPORATE MEMBERS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF THEIR SUPPLIER INITIATIVES.
  6. $824,364 spent. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION: ENCOMPASSES WBENC'S BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND WBENC'S EXECUTIVE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS. WBENC'S BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE WBENC-TUCK EXECUTIVE EDUCATION, WETHRIVE, WEIGNITE, AND ENERGY EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS. WBENC'S EXECUTIVE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS INCLUDE THE DOROTHY B. BROTHERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND THE CHERYL W. SNEAD SCHOLARSHIP FUND. THE PURPOSE OF THESE PROGRAMS AND FUNDS IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO BUSINESS EDUCATION FOR CERTIFIED BUSINESSES TO AID THEM IN BETTER MANAGING THEIR BUSINESSES.
  7. $1.2 million spent. OTHER PROGRAMS: INCLUDE RECOGNITION PROGRAMS, INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING, CERTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAMS FUNDED BY SPECIFIC DONORS, AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE STILL DEVELOPING. THE RECOGNITION PROGRAMS INCLUDE TOP CORPORATIONS AWARDS AND WBE STARS AWARDS. THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE STILL DEVELOPING INCLUDE NEXTGEN, WOMEN + PRIDE, AND WBENCPITCH.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.