FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How the IWEC Foundation Works
Below are answers to some of the most common questions pertaining to the IWEC Foundation’s mission, work, and structure.
The IWEC Foundation is not a membership organization. It is a 501c(3) educational organization comprised of a global network of chambers of commerce, women’s business groups and successful women business owners. You can follow IWEC through our social media and register to be on our mailing list to keep up with IWEC’s programs, educational postings, etc.
You may attend as long as your company fits the basic criteria for all our network which is noted above. You can also consider sponsorship opportunities, which gives your company additional visibility within our IWEC network during the conference and year-round. Each year, the conference is held in a different city from around the globe. Click here to see the full conference calendar for the past several years.
Every year, awardees are nominated by our partner chambers of commerce, women business organizations and past awardees. The women they nominate fit the following criteria: the company must have been in existence at least 3 years; the nominee must be the majority shareholder of the company; the nominee must be running the company (CEO or President); the company must have at least $1.5 million in annual revenue; and the nominee must demonstrate a strong corporate socially responsible program or personal involvement in giving back.
There are applications for chamber partners and for women’s business group affiliates available. There is no cost to be a part of the IWEC Foundation network. Please send an email to np@iwecawards.com to request an application. Visit our network pages to see our current chambers and women’s organizations affiliated with the IWEC Foundation.
The IWEC Foundation counts on support from corporate and individual sponsors as well as from donations from past awardees and supporters. Please visit our support page to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and our Pay It Forward campaign.
The IWEC Foundation’s network consists of successful women owned businesses in all fields of for-profit businesses. The range is from business consultants, financial and accounting services to agribusiness, oil wells, manufacturing and beauty. To see a listing of all the past awardees and range of businesses represented, please visit our awardee pages.
The IWEC Foundation’s Global Ambassador Program aims to expand market connections for our IWEC businesswomen. The selected, carefully vetted Global Ambassadors empower these female entrepreneurs to form sustainable business connections with potential partners and enter new markets locally, nationally, and globally. Global Ambassadors, all of whom are past IWEC Awardees, provide constant outreach and introductions to peers in their respective countries and beyond.