In 2019, the Board of 100 Women in Finance (100WF) recognised that the demographics of the industry had not changed in 20 years. In order to see any difference in the numbers there would need to be a concerted effort by 100WF in partnership with the industry to make this change happen.

100WF operates under a guiding vision, Vision 30/40 which is to see 30% representation of women in senior investment roles and executive committee positions by 2040.

In 2021 the numbers for both these business areas were drastically underrepresented at about ~10% (Bloomberg 2021). Our metrics for the Industry DEI award are therefore measured in line with organisations working toward achieving this vision.

The goal of this award is to encourage innovation and positive action in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within different firms across the industry. We hope to work in collaboration with organisations sharing best practices and be a resource to help you achieve positive change.

Applications will be accepted from 1 September to 31 October 2023. Prior applicants are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

  • Eligible firms must be either assets allocators/owners (LPs), asset managers (GPs), or advisory firms (asset consultants/advisors)
  • Minimum of 50 employees
  • Minimum of 20% of employees based in the region of the award you are applying for
  • Must complete the company information
  • Must complete all quantitative data
  • Must have investment professionals working at the firm
  • Qualitative questions in the application are recommended but not required to be completed if not relevant
  • Consent that 100WF can publicly use positive examples of best practice DEI policies and initiatives cited in your application (you may choose for your company to appear anonymous)
  • Former winners will be ineligible to apply the year following their win. They will however be invited to participate in our Hall of Fame initiative. Contact dei-award@100women.org for more information.

Finalists - Finalists will be notified prior to the relevant regional gala and are encouraged to have senior executives from the firm attend the Award Ceremony in person.   

Things to note about this questionnaire Privacy disclosure - All information that is collected by 100WF will remain private and not be shared with any third parties, or anyone who is not on the selection committee. We use Submittable, a grant application platform to collect and compare data. 

Antitrust competitor risk - Anything that is submitted in the application process is to be material that is already publicly available. All initiatives must be currently being executed. Anything that is in the planning stage is inadmissible. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - 100WF is an organisation that is focused on the empowerment of women in financial services and initiatives serving this specific group will be seen favourably by the selection committee. However, we do also recognise the importance of initiatives that focus on other specific underrepresented groups and welcome you to include examples about initiatives you are working on to make your workplace more inclusive across the board.

Feedback on applications - Due to the number of applications we receive, we are unable to give individual feedback to applicants.

100 Women in Finance focuses its resources on achieving its 30X40 mission, in which women will perform 30% of investment team and executive roles, globally, by 2040. Investing in the Next Generation aims to reach, inspire, and support young women at high school, university, and business school levels who will become a talent pipeline for the future leadership of the industry. It is an initiative of 100 Women in Finance and all grants are made through this initiative. In general, we make grants to organizations that create awareness, provide education and connect career-ready women to employers in the global finance industry. Any applications that do not meet these qualifications will NOT be reviewed. Grants are approved by our Board of Directors.
Important Note: This application submission is for the consideration of the 100 Women’s 2024 grant cycle. The deadline for the application is Friday, December 1st. Funding for the 2024 partnership will be sent from late Jan through early Feb 2024. 

100 Women in Finance