The National League of American Pen Women is made up of women who have demonstrated creative talents in art, letters, and music composition. There are Pen Women branches throughout the United States. In some states, there are state associations of affiliated branches.

The League is strategically headquartered near the center of the nation's capital in a historic home once occupied by the son of Abraham Lincoln. Members refer to it as the Pen Arts Building.

The purpose of the League is to encourage the production of creative work of professional standard in art, letters, and music and to provide, through outreach, activities, and educational, creative, and professional support to non-members in those fields. The League is a not-for-profit organization.

Branches have regular meetings and events with programs of interest to artists, writers, and composers. For information on branches in your area, please contact the national headquarters at (202) 785-1997 or email NLAPW. Some state associations have state conventions promoting the interests of Pen Women in their states.

The League provides an affiliation through which members encourage and support one another through their varied creative endeavors. Members share their creativity in a number of ways including workshops, discussion groups, performances, demonstrations, and lectures, etc. Writing and poetry contests, art exhibitions (both juried and non-juried), and music composition competitions are conducted at all levels, branch, state, and national.