Published: February 2, 2017

WIO Endowment opportunities

The Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Endowment was established in 2010 with the generous donations of many forward-thinking men and women who understood the challenges that women in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery face. The idea of an endowment to provide a perpetual stream of earnings, which could be used to address and eliminate the obstacles to career success, struck a chord with many.


wioThe Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Endowment was established in 2010 with the generous donations of many forward-thinking men and women who understood the challenges that women in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery face. The idea of an endowment to provide a perpetual stream of earnings, which could be used to address and eliminate the obstacles to career success, struck a chord with many. Within a very short period, donations to the WIO Endowment reached more than $400,000, and it continues to grow through ongoing donations. In fact, today it is the AAO-HNS Foundation’s third largest endowment fund.

Donations to an endowment become the “corpus” and are not, as such, ever spent.  Rather, the corpus is to generate a perpetual stream of earnings. This is where it gets exciting! Investment earnings are used to fund the programs and initiatives outlined in the endowment’s charter: specifically, career development of women otolaryngologist- head and neck surgeons, actionable research that affects how women are integrated into mainstream otolaryngology, unique approaches to work/life integration, leadership development and recognition, and engagement of inspiring, informative speakers relevant to women’s needs and interests for WIO Section meetings and functions.

Currently, the WIO Endowment, corpus and earnings, totals almost $500,000. The WIO Endowment Committee, charged with growing the endowment corpus through fundraising, also identifies projects and research to be funded with investment earnings that support the professional development of women in otolaryngology. Those the WIO Endowment Committee identify as  meritorious are then recommended to the WIO Governing Council for approval.

Although women in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery face challenges that include pay inequity, barriers to leadership advancement, and work/life balance pressures, these challenges present the opportunity for all of us to work together to ensure that the current generation and future generations of women in otolaryngology do not face these struggles. Issues that affect some of us also affect the entire otolaryngology community to various degrees. The entire community of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, working together, can help to shape an inclusive future for all otolaryngologists. Acknowledge your concern regarding theses issues, whether for yourself or someone you know, by donating to the WIO Endowment. Donations of any amount are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in donating to  the WIO Endowment or have questions, please contact Marylou Forgione at mforgione@entnet.org or 703-535-3775. Donations of any amount are welcomed  and appreciated.

Applications for the WIO Endowment Grants are currently open through April 7, 2017. Up to $13,000 in grant  funding will be awarded. To apply for a WIO Endowment grant, go to http://www.entnet.org/content/women-otolaryngology-section.


More from February 2017 - Vol. 36, No. 01