Washington D.C. Women's Organization History

our-herstory-header The BA Women’s Alliance, named for B.A. Rudolph, is
based in Washington, D.C.

Our founders Maggie Moore, Meredith Moore, and Rebecca Cook Davis, along with Madeline Palmieri and Miriam Ann McLean, were all goddaughters of B.A. B.A. was an instrumental force in their lives from the day each of them came into this world and continues to be that force long after B.A.’s death in 2011. She instilled in them life values they continue to embody today, and that The BA Women’s Alliance strives to uphold as well: forward thinking, independence, sisterhood, and laughter.

These goddaughters seek to serve a similar role in the lives of other women through the BA Women's Alliance.

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Goddaughters & Inception

Prior to her death in September 2011, B.A. instructed her five goddaughters to create and direct a charitable alliance aimed at supporting young women who seek to make a difference in the world. This was a tribute to her parents and the values they bestowed upon her.

Our founders launched the B.A. Rudolph Foundation, which gained 501(c)(3) status in December 2011 and operated under that name until an organizational rebrand in March 2019.

What was so quintessentially and uniquely amazing about B.A., if you were someone she loved, whatever accomplishments you had in your life were always, without prejudice, celebrated in hers.
Pamela Myer Sackett

Our Mission

Since its inception, the mission of the BA Women’s Alliance has been to champion the educational, personal, and professional development of women for whom a small amount of support could make a significant difference.

The Alliance’s first initiative was the D.C. Summer Intern Scholarship, supporting undergraduate women seeking unpaid, public service internships in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The scholarship’s purpose was to offset the cost of living in Washington, D.C. for dedicated students for whom it would be otherwise impossible to afford such an opportunity.

By 2015, the scope of The Alliance’s support broadened to include its first academic scholarship, the B.A. Rudolph Scholarship at the University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Service, as well as three internship scholarships: the D.C. Graduate Public Service Scholarship, the D.C. Undergraduate Public Service Scholarship, and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship, which could take place anywhere in the U.S.

Each new opportunity was offered exclusively to women and provided professional support, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

ORGANIZATIONAL REBRAND

In 2019, inspired to expand our commitment to support women to make a difference in the world, the BA Women's Alliance combined and expanded the three existing summer internship scholarships with the announcement of EmpowHER: A BA Woman Initiative.

EmpowHER is an application-based, intensive program in Washington, D.C. designed for progressive women. EmpowHER helps participants to prepare for and succeed in Washington, D.C.-based internships—as well as launch their careers. A portion of EmpowHER participants receive scholarships to our program, in an effort to create a more accessible Washington, D.C. Most importantly, EmpowHER invites participants into a lifelong network of supportive BA Women.

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