The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) (originally called Women for Fairness in Sports, Inc.) is a nonprofit network and advocacy group dedicated to elevating and empowering female athletes and objecting to natal-male transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. To this end, ICONS provides resources and legal advocacy and organizes educational conferences.  ¹

Activities

The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) is a network and advocacy group that consists of current and former collegiate and professional women athletes along with their supporters. ICONS seeks to elevate and empower female athletes and protect women’s sports according to the original intention of Title IX, creating athletic opportunities for women based on biological sex.  ¹

ICONS fights against sex-based discrimination in women’s sports by organizing and submitting amicus briefs in ongoing cases. ICONS also uses its network to provide expertise, legal counsel, court case support, and financial aid for female athletes at all ages and levels. These efforts are intended to support fair sports for female athletes and protect women’s interests. ²

In March 2024, ICONS announced that it would fund a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for a Title IX violation. The lawsuit was brought on by 16 former and current female collegiate athletes challenging NCAA regulations that allowed transgender male athletes to participate in women’s sports. ³

The ICONS website provides science-based educational resources to support its mission, stating that “there is NO scientific evidence to support males competing in the women’s category.” ICONS claims that sex in humans is binary and even males who use feminizing hormones and suppress testosterone retain male biological advantages in sports. ⁴

Funding

Independent Council on Women’s Sports is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While ICONS does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($107,000 in 2023), ⁵ Donor Advised Charitable Giving ($58,500 in 2023), ⁶ and the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($52,650 in 2023). ⁷

Board of Directors

Marshi (Kokmeyer) Smith is cofounder and president of ICONS and the chair of the Nevada Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports. Kokmeyer is a former collegiate competitive swimmer. ⁸

Evie Edwards is the secretary of the board. Edwards is a self-described liberal woman and a registered Democrat. Edwards is a former competitive cyclist and has been involved with multi-state legislative focused on single-sex protections for females athletes. In 2021, Edwards testified in favor of North Carolina House Bill 358, the Save Women’s Sports Act. ⁹

Kim Jones is cofounder of ICONS. Jones is a former collegiate tennis player and formerly sat on the Stanford Athletic Board.  ⁸

Other members of the board include Alison Foote and Carly Baldwin.  ¹⁰

Donor Organizations

Anne R. & R. Harper Brown Foundation (nonprofit)

David & Colleen Anderson Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

Donald and Jenny Horn Foundation (nonprofit)

Donor Advised Charitable Giving (nonprofit)

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (nonprofit)

Jeffrey R Anderson Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

John & Linda Anderson Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

Kristin L Anderson Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

Tracy E Anderson Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program (nonprofit)

 

1. “Home.” Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://iconswomen.com/.
2. “Legal Advocacy.” Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://iconswomen.com/legal-advocacy/.
3. “Female Athletes Sue the NCAA.” Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://iconswomen.com/take-on-the-ncaa/.
4. “Science.” Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://iconswomen.com/science/.
5. Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I, Part II.
6. Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I, Part II.
8. “About Us.” Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Accessed September 10, 2025. https://iconswomen.com/about-us/.
9. Edwards, Evie. “I’m a female athlete, mother, and Democrat calling on NC to save women’s sports.” The Carolina Journal, April 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/im-a-mother-democrat-and-female-athlete-calling-on-nc-to-save-womens-sports/.
10. Independent Council on Women’s Sports, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2024, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.