 In 1980 , Ferraro co @-@ founded the National Organization of Italian American Women , which sought to support the educational and professional goals of its members and put forward positive role models in order to fight ethnic stereotyping , and was still a distinguished member of its board at the time of her death . Ferraro was connected with many other political and non @-@ profit organizations . She was a board member of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs , and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations . She became president of the newly established International Institute for Women 's Political Leadership in 1989 . In 1992 , she was on the founding board of Project Vote Smart . By 1993 , she was serving on the Fordham Law School Board of Visitors , as well as on the boards of the National Breast Cancer Research Fund , the New York Easter Seal Society , and the Pension Rights Center , and was one of hundreds of public figures on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America 's Board of Advocates . In 1999 , she joined the board of the Bertarelli Foundation , and in 2003 , the board of the National Women 's Health Resource Center . During the 2000s she was on the board of advisors to the Committee to Free Lori Berenson . 
