GOLD2023

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Inc

Neurodiversity is for everyone

LINCOLN, NE   |  https://awnnetwork.org

Mission

The mission of Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN) is to provide community, support, and resources for Autistic women, girls, transfeminine and transmasculine nonbinary people, trans people of all genders, Two Spirit people, and all others of marginalized genders.

Notes from the nonprofit

AKA: Former name as founded was Autism Women's Network, Inc. Name Changed in 2018 to: Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Inc.

Ruling year info

2013

Executive Director

Sharon daVanport

Main address

5100 Van Dorn St 6633

LINCOLN, NE 68506 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Autism Women's Network, Inc

EIN

27-5133111

NTEE code info

Autism (G84)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (E01)

Autism (H84)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Much of the predominant cultural and medical messaging about disability, and autism in particular is laden with misinformation that perpetuates stigma and inequity by casting us as burdens in need of a cure. Additionally, narrow, myopic depictions of autism fuel stereotypes that render multiply marginalized autistic people largely invisible (i.e. women and girls, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people of color, those who are gender diverse or nonconforming, etc.). Lack of autism acceptance, limited access to meaningful supports and resources, ableism, gender and racial discrimination, and related disparities create nearly impenetrable barriers for many autistic people. Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN or AWN Network for short) is dedicated to building a supportive community for autistic gender minorities. We are committed to recognizing and celebrating autistic identity so we can share our intersectional experiences in an understanding, diverse and inclusive environment.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Social Meetup Groups

Providing social Meetup groups (1). Activities: ie: crafts, coffee shop meetups, picnics, movies, arts & crafts, etc.(2). Host guest speakers (3). Provide transportation to Meetups (transportation is limited in rural areas, and will also provide gas vouchers for individuals needing monetary assistance to attend.)

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
LGBTQ people

AWN Autism & Ethnicity Committee Goals: (1). Educate about the impact of race and culture on how autism is experienced. (2). Build a blueprint for diverse families to understand what they need for their loved one on the spectrum, and teach them how to attain that. (Set goals and guidelines for our families and our children that can overcome discrimination.) (3). Speak at schools about being a minority and being Autistic. (Self-advocate parents, as well as ally parents, volunteer to enter classrooms and speak about each ray in the spectrum they know.) *Introduce acceptance of diversity in ethnicity and neurology at the same time. (4). Write blog posts, articles for AWN website, and/or other online writing contributions. (5). Committee members to speak (panel discussions) at autism and disability conferences. (6). Write an eBook, develop an educational brochure, flyer, etc.

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups

(1). Web Development (2). Website maintenance, upgrades (3). Interactive forum (4). Daily networking (education, resources via Twitter, Facebook, Google+)

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
Adults

Divergent is an AWN initiative run exclusively by disabled women and nonbinary people that explores the impact of gender inequity and ableism in disabled and nondisabled communities.

In addition to facilitating a monthly stakeholder group, Divergent hosts co-learning workshops, is part of a collaborative global action coalition on gender and disability.

In collaboration with the Committee on Autism and Ethnicity, Divergent is currently planning a symposium about fixing mainstream feminism’s exclusion of people marginalized by race, disability etc. as well as projects and future publications related to IPV and trauma.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Adults

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) 2021

National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA) 2021

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

In addition our mission to provide support, mentoring and community to autistic girls, women, nonbinary people and other gender minorities, our goals also include: dispelling stereotypes and misinformation which perpetuate unnecessary fears surrounding an autism diagnosis by sharing information which works to build acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity and disability; representing, supporting and advocating for the most marginalized people within the autistic community; and challenging societal attitudes about the worth of disabled lives.

AWN offers a broad array of resources and programming to provide connection; voice and representation; advocacy; intersectional education; outreach and material support;

With our focus at the intersections of gender, race, disability, neurodiversity and society, AWN is a
leader in identifying and meeting the needs of the most marginalized people within the Autistic
community. Led by a full, diverse team of staff and volunteers (all autistic women or gender minorities, many of whom are BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+), AWN has developed and implemented best practices to serve the people and communities we assist. Our established, innovative virtual work model is focused on accessibility and
participation and has been replicated by other disability and human rights organizations.

Autistic people, their families and loved ones, educators, clinicians and various service providers routinely look to AWN to represent autistic experience and priorities via an array of activities including artistic opportunities, education, advocacy, material support, connection, and community building.

AWN’s accomplishments include: publishing two multi-volume anthologies by autistic writers (utilized to date in 18
university courses and available in 83 libraries in six countries and over 20 US states and territories); fiscal sponsorship and technical support for other grassroots disability organizations; providing connection, community, and resources in a variety of ways; hosting conferences, events, and educational activities; supporting a micro-granting fund to support autistic people of color; publishing widely shared resource guides for survivors and service providers, for newly diagnosed or recognized autistic gender minorities and their parents, increasing access to healthcare for transgender and/or gender diverse individuals; community participatory research; and recognition of our website for historic archival by the Library of Congress for significant contribution to autism and gender awareness.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Inc
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Inc

Board of directors
as of 09/26/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Corina Becker

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network


Board co-chair

Jessica Horvath Williams

Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

Corina Becker

Mara Fritts

Jessica Horvath Williams

Victoria Rodriguez Roldan

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 9/26/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Non-binary, Transgender
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/22/2020

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.