Organizations Founded by Billie Jean King Explore Merging

The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) and the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative (BJKLI) are two organizations working to advance equity in sports. WSF advances the lives of women and girls through sports and physical activity through sports access programs, research, and advocacy for female athletes. BJKLI promotes equality, access, and inclusion in the workplace through research and advocacy; educational events; and honoring, elevating, and funding individual and organizational exemplars of leadership. Both organizations were founded by Billie Jean King, forty years apart WSF in 1974, and BJKLI in 2014 – and provide services nationally, often collaborating on joint programs and grants. While the decision to explore a collaboration arose partially from the uncertainty present in the sector due to the pandemic, the leadership of the organizations see this as a joining of strengths, considering their common founder, shared missions, and history of collaborating together. The SeaChange-Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration provided a grant to help fund the cost of a facilitator to assist in the exploration.

Grant Information

Grant Amount: $16,000

Year Granted: 2021

Grantee: Women's Sports Foundation

Location: National

Grantee Website:

Women's Sports Foundation