The National Organization for Women was founded in October 1966 at an organizing conference in Washington, D.C. A month earlier, NOW's organizers had issued "An Invitation to Join," describing the goals and purpose of the new organization. It said the time was ripe for realization of the goal of full equality for women in America and said that NOW would endeavor to ensure that the goal would become a reality. On Oct. 29, 1966, the national conference adopted its Statement of Purpose. The document declared that NOW and its members would seek to end discrimination against women wherever it occurred—in government, industry, the professions, education, religion, and political parties— and to eliminate outdated stereotypes of women. The statement asserted that NOW would not align itself with any political party, but would seek to ensure that only those politicians and officials who supported full equality for women would be elected or appointed to public office.