Mission
National Congress of Neighborhood Women is committed to partnering across race, class, culture, geography, and other differences, NW:
- Encouraged low-income women to participate and lead in the development of their communities.
- Identified and shared the creative projects and methods developed by urban and rural grassroots women’s groups.
- Increased the opportunities for grassroots women to network locally, nationally and internationally.
- Focused national attention on the capabilities and successes of low-income women.
Our Story
Founded in 1975, the National Congress of Neighborhood Women (NCNW) was created to amplify the voices of grassroots women who often did not identify with the larger women’s movement. NCNW brought together low-income and working-class women from diverse racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds to share their experiences, knowledge, and skills while supporting each other to form coalitions of mutual empowerment.
The organization’s early work included successful programs like the neighborhood-based College Program, the Center for the Elimination of Violence in the Family, CETA employment programs, and National Urban Housing Conferences. One of NCNW’s most significant coalition efforts was Project Open Doors, launched in 1980, which united 32 women’s groups across New York City. This initiative expanded the organization’s reach and membership, incorporating women from varied backgrounds, educational levels, and professional skills, including groups like Women Make Movies, self-defense organizations, legal aid groups, and the Women’s Interart Center.
As the neighborhood landscape changed, NCNW adapted by continuing to focus on empowering grassroots, poor, and working-class women—but now on an international scale. In the early 1990s, NCNW became a founding member of GROOTS International and helped establish the Huairou Commission. The organization’s work expanded globally, with over a 100 members in 45 countries, fostering international community development among grassroots women. NCNW’s consultative status with the United Nations further solidified its role in global advocacy.
Despite the increasing divisiveness, and challenges that women face today, NCNW remains committed to its mission. Now, as the landscape shifts and attacks on women’s agency grow more intense, NCNW is re-energizing its efforts. The organization is re-focusing on all women working together to create safe, equitable, and thriving communities. NCNW continues to be a driving force, helping women leaders across the country connect, collaborate, and design solutions to complex issues in their communities.
NCNW’s goal has remained clear: to strengthen the capacity of grassroots women to lead and design their own solutions, ensuring their communities remain resilient, equitable, and self-sustaining.