The National Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense was begun in April 1917, headed by suffragist Dr. Anna Howard Shaw. Many feminists saw this committee as an opportunity for women to perform significant work for the war effort. Much of the work was voluntary, such as establishing children's health care programs, rolling bandages for the Red Cross and distributing food conservation pamphlets.

The Grand Rapids unit was organized in the spring of 1917, according to the outline arranged by Reverend Caroline Crane of Kalamazoo. Within the local unit there were committees to handle such work as registering people for service, aiding with home and allied relief, helping with food conservation and assisting in the welfare of children. The Grand Rapids unit was chaired by Mrs. Clay Hollister with a number of other prominent women also contributing their time, such as Mrs. Dorian (Helen E.) Russell, Mrs. Huntley (Clara C.) Russell, Mrs. M.R. (Anna) Bissell, and Mrs. Fred N. (Helen H.) Rowe. Many of these women were also active in the local suffrage movement and instrumental in organizing the Equal Franchise Club in 1910.

Not long after the information gathering program was completed, the War ended. So, little war work was actually supported using the project data. However, some of the data is said to have been used to provide support for other beneficial endeavors.