American Association of University Women (AAUW) Action Fund

History

The American Association of University Women was co-founded in 1881 by Marion Talbot, the future dean of the College of Women at the University of Chicago, and by Ellen Swallow Richards, the first American woman to earn a chemistry degree. Their goal was to advocate for more opportunities for women in academia by conducting research and issuing fellowships. In the mid-1880s, the AAUW established chapters in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C. ¹

The AAUW grew throughout the first half of the 20th century in membership and chapters, reaching 521 branches and 36,800 members by 1931, and in influence in American universities, especially after receiving support from First Lady Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the 1960s and 1970s, the AAUW evolved into a more politically active organization that advocates for feminist goals, including equal pay laws and Title IX. In the mid-1980s, the AAUW formed the Capitol Hill Lobby Corps, which consisted of volunteers working in Washington, D.C. to lobby the U.S. Congress. In the 1990s, the AAUW broadened its focus even further to supporting women internationally, especially by working with the United Nations. In 2008, the United Nations granted the AAUW special consultative status, which gives the AAUW input on groups such as the Commission on the Status of Women. ¹

The AAUW claims to have helped pass numerous left-of-center women’s-interest laws, including the Equal Pay Act, Title IX, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and the Paycheck Fairness Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2019 but is awaiting action in the Senate. In 2009, the American Association of University Women Action Fund was established to support the AAUW’s political goals through political activism and voter mobilization. ²

Policy Goals

While the American Association of University Women advocates for numerous left-of-center social policies in universities and broader society, the American Association of University Women Action Fund advocates for specific policy goals in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures. The AAUW maintains a list of public policy priorities that it updates every two years by a vote of its members. ^{3 4}

The AAUW Action Fund supports laws that mandate equal pay between men and women as a means of closing the gender-pay gap. Supported bills include the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strengthens the 1963 Equal Pay Act by closing so-called loopholes; the Pay Equity for All Act, which would ban employers from using allegedly discriminatory metrics when considering job applicants; and the Fair Pay Act, which would mandate employers “to provide equal pay for work of equivalent value, whether or not the jobs are the same.” ⁴

The AAUW Action Fund supports laws designed to financially help women in retirement, mostly through Social Security reform. Despite women making up over 55 percent of Social Security beneficiaries over the age of 62, the AAUW supports restructuring Social Security to provide universal paid leave, universal maternal leave, and other benefits targeted at women. ⁵

The AAUW Action Fund supports stricter laws against workplace harassment, particularly targeted at women. These laws include the Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting (EMPOWER Act), which would provide additional legal protection to individuals who speak out against workplace harassment; the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD Act), which would increase penalties for workplace harassment; and the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. ⁶

The AAUW Action Fund supports health-care legislation to close the alleged gender health gap. The AAUW Action Fund supports protecting the Affordable Care Act, particularly its ban on “gender rating” in determining health insurance pricing, and increasing funding for Medicare and Medicaid. The AAUW Action Fund opposes increasing privatization of the American health care system. ⁷

Activities

The American Association of University Women Action Fund produces voter guides that judge federal and state-level candidates by left-of-center principles. It also tracks U.S. Congressional votes on bills and state ballot initiatives related to its key issues. The AAUW Action Fund does not officially endorse candidates. ⁸

The AAUW Action Fund provides voter registration guides and runs a hotline to call for assistance in voter registration. ⁹

In November 2025, the League of Women Voters announced the launch of its Grassroots Power Partners initiative, a program that supports “inclusive democracy” initiatives at the state and local level through nonprofit groups. The AAUW Action Fund is a partner in the program. ¹⁰

The AAUW Action Fund engages in lobbying through the Capitol Hill Lobby Corps. Since the organization’s founding in 2009, its annual lobbying expenditure has decreased from $430,000 to $40,000 in 2022. ^{11 12}