Our Vision
Every woman has a clear path to achieve her full potential.
Our Mission
WWIN provides scholarships and supports to help Washington women facing barriers to opportunity succeed in college and careers so they, their families and our communities can thrive.
Our Values
Respect
We recognize the inherent worth of each person and foster a culture where diverse experiences and points of view are honored.
Self-Determination
We trust each woman as the best expert in her own experience and support the educational path she chooses to fulfill her life’s goals.
Equity
We recognize that higher education is not equally accessible to all women and commit to using our resources to remove barriers to opportunity.
Community
We believe a supportive network of women has the power to lift each other and make generational change.
Initiative
We regularly evaluate the environment and our programs to respond effectively to changing needs.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We focus our efforts to assist Washington women facing barriers to opportunity to have equitable
access to higher education. We celebrate the different experiences, backgrounds and qualities that contribute to each person’s unique identity. We strive to create an inclusive WWIN community – of scholars and alumnae, board and staff, volunteers and supporters – that reflects the diversity of Washington state. We believe our community is stronger when each person is empowered to bring their authentic self to it.
Always give back.
Never give up.
WWIN has positively impacted the lives of thousands of women across our state. These women share a common trait: the determination to move forward for themselves, their families and their communities. With the support of WWIN, their stories of struggle have evolved into stories of hope, courage, gratitude and dreams fulfilled.
History of WWIN
In 1992, Julia founded Washington Women in Need to help low-income women transform their lives with grants for education and health care. In the years following the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, there was a reduced need for health care grants and WWIN shifted its focus to providing more grants for education. These eventually expanded into renewable scholarship grants.
During rigorous research and assessments in 2018, we gathered insights that guided us to an updated mission statement and a strategic plan to introduce new grant programs, continuing to build on the success of our existing programs and ensuring that the women we serve can achieve their goals.
In July 2019, we launched new programs including our Resiliency Fund and Career Coaching grants, which were designed to help our scholars overcome the challenges they face throughout their journey from higher education to career.
WWIN has awarded over $21 million in grants to women in Washington over our 30-year history. We will continue to respond to the evolving needs of women in our community and to honor each woman’s individual path to success.
WWIN has changed the trajectory of thousands of lives.
Starting WWIN has been the most rewarding experience of my life, because I know the women we help will get the education they need in order to support themselves and their families.”
- Julia Pritt, WWIN Founder
2023 Annual Report
See what we have accomplished together for women, families and our communities.