8/09/19
Empowering Women’s Civic Leadership: Tell Us What You Think!
As part of YWCA’s national civic engagement strategy, we are partnering with VoteRunLead to develop nonpartisan tools and resources to empower women’s civic leadership in all aspects of public life. Our goal: for women to become civic powerhouses who vote, run and lead.
Building on our network-wide voter registration and Get Out The Vote initiative (and our ongoing advocacy work with 120 local YWCAs engaged in the 2018 election cycle and over 110 local YWCAs in our 2019 Capitol Hill Day!), we are developing tools and resources to promote women’s leadership in elected office, campaigns, appointed boards, and commissions.
We want to know what tools you need and want: Please take a few minutes to tell us what you are interested in and how we can best support your YWCA’s next steps in women’s leadership development!
Hold Legislators Accountable: Take Action on Gun Violence
Last week, our country again experienced horrific mass shootings—this time in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. These tragedies were less than a day apart. We are keeping everyone at YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region and YWCA Dayton in our thoughts and hearts, and we join countless others in sending a clear message to our national leaders: This must end. Common-sense solutions are clear. Read our statement from YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Y. Castillo and learn more about our Preventing Gun Violence policy position.
The rise of gun violence in our communities, fueled by racism and hate-filled rhetoric, is an unspeakable tragedy that must be addressed. It’s time our members of Congress took action and passed common-sense gun reforms to build a framework for a future that is free and safe for all. Tell your Senators to take action and ensure women, girls, and families can live free from the threat of gun violence.
Census Grant Opportunity: Applications Due Next Week
Is your YWCA located in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Mississippi, or Tennessee? Check out this grant RFP to learn more about how your local association can receive funding for your 2020 Census engagement plan! The applications for this round of funding are due next week, on Friday, August 16.
To learn more about this opportunity please reach out to our State Advocacy and Civic Engagement Manager, Natalie Cone. To stay engaged in all things Census, join the Census community on the intranet for updates and resources.
Organize Your Butterflies: Making Money Moves Towards Your Personal Finances
In our latest podcast episode, we continue our series on women’s entrepreneurship, powered by the Coca Cola Foundation. YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Y. Castillo is joined by experts LaPiere Carby, a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual, and Angel Rich, founder and CEO of The Wealth Factory, for a conversation about taking steps forward with your personal finances. Personal money management can be complicated but is entirely necessary for women entrepreneurs, who can sometimes struggle to maintain their homes and families while also building a sustainable business. In this episode, we’ll provide you with a plan for getting started on the right path to financial success.
29th World Council: Apply Now!
Every four years, member associations of World YWCA gather together for the World Council meeting, the largest gathering of YWCAs from all around the world. It is a time for membership engagement, decision-making, setting priorities, reflections, and networking. This year, the 29th World Council will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 17-22, 2019. Learn more about this upcoming World Council meeting.
Want to join YWCA USA’s delegation to World Council 2019? Learn more about scholarship opportunities and ways to join our delegation. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 23 at 8 p.m. ET.
Week Without Violence 2019
We will be opening registration for Week Without Violence 2019 next week, on Friday, August 16. A friendly reminder that the official website will go live with updates and new materials that same day — so don’t click on the website and try to register your events before then!
Registering gets you access to a toolkit of materials and resources, and it helps us track our collective impact as an entire network of YWCAs!
For the past 24 years, YWCA has set aside one week in October as a Week Without Violence. Each year, we focus our energies on collectively and individually raising awareness and engaging in conversations, actions, and messaging around how we can end gender-based violence in our communities. This year’s Week Without Violence will take place October 14-18.
Please join us for a Week Without Violence webinar on Thursday, August 15 at 3 p.m. ET. During this preview for YWCAs, we’ll go over the refreshed website, registration process, and the materials included in the online toolkit, including updated fact sheets, communications resources, advocacy toolkit, and more.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence 2019 Conference
YWCA USA is proud to support National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)’s 18th National Conference on Domestic Violence: Voices in Action. The conference will be hosted in Washington, DC, on September 16-18. YWCA USA is pleased to provide financial assistance for up to 3 individuals to participate in this upcoming NCADV conference. Read more about the criteria for this opportunity and apply now.
YWCA 101 Webinar
Register now for YWCA 101 on Tuesday, August 13 at 2 p.m. ET. This webinar is a good opportunity for local association staff and board members to learn all about YWCA in just one hour. Topics include: our rich history and legacy; Mission Impact Framework; our national scale and reach; 2019 initiatives, including highlights of our new Strategic Business Plan; World YWCA; upcoming events; qualities associated with highly successful associations; and resources and tools available to support local association leaders.
Summer VOTEcation: Candidate Engagement Webinar
As a part of their Summer VOTEcation Series, Nonprofit Vote will host a webinar to answer the question: "What can nonprofits say or do when it comes to those running for office?" Join this webinar on effectively engaging candidates at your nonprofit on Wednesday, August 14 at 2 p.m. ET. Please RSVP.
To stay engaged on all things related to GOTV, join the YWCA Voter Engagement community on the intranet for voting updates and resources!
Governance Fundamentals Webinar
Register now for our upcoming Governance 101 webinar on Wednesday, August 14 at 7 p.m. ET. Strong governance and a positive board/CEO partnership are important characteristics of highly successful local associations. Local association board members and CEOs/EDs are encouraged to attend. This one-hour webinar will cover volunteer governance in the nonprofit sector; the legal duties of board members; 10 key roles and responsibilities of board members; questions board members should ask; resources available, and more.
Brand Center Updates
A number of rally signs and button designs have been added to the Brand Center on the intranet. These include our “Empowered Women Empower Women” and “Believe Survivors” buttons and signs from previous rallies and protests, such as the Women’s March, Families Belong Together and Free, March for Black Women, and SCOTUS nomination. To access these materials, log in to the intranet, go to “Resource Center” on the main menu, and click on “Brand Center” in the drop-down menu. Here, you’ll see a number of folders. Click on the arrow next to the “Creative Materials” folder, and you’ll see folders for buttons and rally signs.
Check Out the New ChildCare.gov
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched ChildCare.gov to help low-income working families find affordable, high quality early care and after-school programs. As required by the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2014, ChildCare.gov is a tool that families can use to learn about state required inspections, regulations, and reports as well as find programs in your local community. Check it out to see your YWCA child care or after-school programs at work.
Important Dates
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