WFI was founded in July 1966 and was officially incorporated on July 19, 1979. The original Articles of Incorporation state the purpose is "to provide a center for the exchange of information and ideas between the various National Associations."

The Founding Documents further state: "The Association shall have the common purpose of assisting and furthering the organization and promotion of investment education associations in all the countries of the world; to further the cause of wider share-ownership and to advance investment education on a worldwide scale for the betterment of individuals, families, and nations through an international exchange of investment and economic knowledge and the mutual exchange of information and assistance between the member-countries and between individuals and groups in each such country."

To accomplish its mission, WFI provides a variety of programs to its members. These include:

Organizing a bi-annual convention hosted by a member country. Convention topics include investment education and investment information about the host country.

Assisting organizations in non-member countries with the formation of investor federations and membership in WFI.

Offering seminars on investment education and formation of investment clubs.

Establishing rules for the fair treatment of investors worldwide (WFI Investors Rights).

WFI By-Laws (Approved 2016)       WFI Investors Rights

Mark Northway
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Chair, WFI
Director and Past Chair ShareSoc (UK Individual Shareholders Association
Observer, Better Finance Board of Directors

Lars-Erik Forsgårdh, Ph.D.
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WFI Auditor and Advisor
Immediate Past-Chairman WFI
Past CEO Swedish Shareholders' Assn
Past Chairman Swedish Institute of Directors and Ecoda
Past Director of Swedish Stock Exchanges
Chairman Swedish Foundation of Share Promotion

Jean-Pierre Paelinck, Ph.D.
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Ph.D. in Economic Sciences (Ghent) with a dissertation on Banking Concentration in Europe
Secretary General and President WFI
Dean Consular Corps of East- and West-Flanders
Career in banking (Generale Bank, International Westminster Bank, Banque Commerciale de Bruxelles); followed by a decade as Secretary General of the Federation of European Stock Exchanges; another decade as Secretary General of Euroshareholders; while lecturing since 1980 at the Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Liège (HED-Ecole de Gestion de l'Université de Liège, "International Economics") and at the Università degli Studi di Bergamo (also for 10 years)

Elizavéta Lindström
Secretary General, World Federation of Young Investors, Sweden

Advocate Hachem Boulos, Chair of the Advocacy Committee

Jose Francisco Estevez
Partner, Asociación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas – AEMEC (Spanish Association of Minority Shareholders of Listed Companies)

Florian Beckermann
Austrian Shareholder Association (IVA - Interessenverband für Anleger)

Kristjan Verbic
President, PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (Vseslovensko združenje malih delničarjev – VZMD)

Pat Donnelly
Better Investing, USA (National Association of Investors Corporation - NAIC)

Paolo Brambilla
New Savers, Italy

Dr. Henning Wegener, Honorary Member
Past German Ambassador to Spain and past Sec. Gen. AEMEC–Spanish Association of Minority Shareholders of Listed Companies (Associación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas)

Katherine Naherne, Honorary Member

Argentina — Red Argentina de Investores Individuales, Prof. Gabriel Trajtenberg

Australia — Australian Shareholders' Association

Austria — IVA — Interessenverband für Anleger

Azerbaijan — Dr. Fuad Shahvaliyev

Belgium — Advocatenkantoor Marc Callant

Bulgaria — Dr. Angel Marchev

Cameroon — Organisation de Défense des Actionnaires Minoritaires du Cameroun

Croatia — William Vukson

Côte d'Ivoire — EIC Corporation

Denmark — Dansk Aktionærforening

Finland — Osakesäätäjien Keskusliitto ry

France — Place des Investisseurs

Gabon — EIC Corporation, Jacquelin Yavo

Germany — Attorney Wilfred Hübscher

Greece — Alphatrust, Dr. Phaedon Tamvakakis

Greece — Hellenic Investors Association

Hong Kong, (China) — Hong Kong Institute of Investors

Iceland — Iceland Shareholders Association

Italy — New Savers, Paolo Brambilla

Japan — SeLeNet (Self Enjoy Learning Networking)

Lebanon — Hachem Fares Boulos

Lithuania — Investors Association (Lithuania)

Lithuania — Lithuanian Shareholders Association (Lietuvos Investuotojai)

Malta — Malta & Gozo Investors Association

Netherlands — AKD, Patrick Haas

Nigeria — Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PROSAN)

Norway — Aksjonærforeningen i Norge

North Macedonia — Avv. Ljubica Ruben

Philippines — Investors Association of the Philippines

Poland — Stowarzyszenie Inwestorów indywidualnych

Romania — Romanian Shareholders Association

Russia (Russian Fed.) — Union of Shareholders and Investors (USIR)

Serbia — Law Office Rajko Maric

Singapore — Securities Investors Association

Slovenia — PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association (Vseslovensko združenje malih delničarjev — VZMD)

Spain — AEMEC – Asociación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas

Switzerland — Mike Moran

Sweden — Sveriges Aktiesparares Riksförbund — SARF)

Thailand — Thai Investors Association

Turkey — BORYAD (BORYAD Borsa Yatirimcilan Dernegi)

United Kingdom — ShareSoc

United States — National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC)