Updates on UJJI and Racial Justice Challenge
Registration for this year’s UJJI campaign is live and the theme is Advancing Justice: Ensuring Equity for All. The toolkit for UJJI as well as for the 2023 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which will coincide with the Until Justice Just Is campaign, is available. The Racial Justice Challenge will take place from April 17 – May 15 and will focus on the following four topic areas:
- Disability
- Housing
- Mental Health
- Music
Additionally, YWCA USA will host a virtual event focused on housing justice on April 13. Registration for both our Virtual Event and the Racial Justice Challenge is live!
For information regarding the Challenge, we are offering one more informational sessions:
We held an Until Justice Just Is webinar on February 2 to answer questions and give an overview of this year's campaign. If you couldn't make it, you can view a recording as well as access the PowerPoint slides. We also have compiled a document highlighting questions asked during the webinar.
We'd love to hear about any events you have planned for this year's Until Justice Just Is campaign. Please share your events with us by March 15 so we can elevate them on YWCA USA's social media platforms. We're also inviting you to share your favorite songs as we curate a YWCA Racial Justice playlist. Lastly, check out our newly designed Until Justice Just Is webpage in English and Spanish and join the community!
Remember to email ujji@ywca.org if you have questions and if you'd like to receive the bi-weekly distribution list of Challenge participants, starting March 10.
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Opportunity to Support the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge
We are excited for the upcoming YWCA Racial Justice Challenge — but we need your help! We are currently searching for young women of color from the network willing to kick off the 4 weeks' topic areas in a short introduction video for each:
- Disability
- Housing
- Music
- Mental Health
The Challenge is being offered in English and Spanish again this year and we will film intros in both languages. We are looking for ASL certified interpreters as well to offer interpretation for these videos. We will record these introductions over a Zoom call and will require no more than 30 minutes of your time. For your convenience, we have a script for each topic area for the Challenge intros.
If you are interested in recording an intro video or have any questions, please email Alphie Rodriguez at arodriguez@ywca.org
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Request for Presenters for the YWCA National Conference 2023
Planning for our 2023 national conference is well under way, and we are excited to convene our network of YWCA leaders once again for what is sure to be a beautiful time of sharing, learning, and empowerment as we uplift the work of the YWCA network. The conference will take place at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C. from June 7-10, 2023. Registration information soon to come!
With that, we want to formally announce that the Request for Presenters (RFP) for national conference is open and will remain open through Tuesday, February 28. Our aim is for our theme Advancing Justice: Our Shared Mission, Vision, and Story to come through every workshop hosted. We are seeking leaders, changemakers, and implementers within the YWCA network to engage colleagues and peers with various learning levels and styles to discuss one or more of the following topics:
- Mission Work – Racial Justice, Child Care, Gender-Based Violence, Housing, Reproductive Justice
- Storytelling/Narrative/Data
- Wellness
- Leadership – Operations, Fundraising
If you have a workshop in one of these topics that you would like to submit for consideration, please click here to submit your proposal.
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Register: Public Policy & Advocacy Webinar on March 15
Earmarks are a way for Members of Congress to direct funding to specific organizations and projects without going through merit-based or competitive allocation processes. Last year, 14 YWCAs received $14M. Register for this webinar on March 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET to learn more about how your YWCA can take advantage of this opportunity. It is a fast-moving opportunity for local leaders who have established relationships with their Representatives and eligible projects that need funding during the federal FY2024 fiscal year (October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024).
Some Hill offices have already set early deadlines, so reach out now to your Members of Congress to ask for their office’s deadlines and forms. Visit the FY24 Community Funding intranet page for cheat sheets and other resources. To learn more about the earmark process, the kinds of projects that are eligible, and the steps you should take in contacting your representative, register now and join the webinar!
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New OVW Grant Solicitations Now Open
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) opened two VAWA grant solicitations this week:
Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Solicitationwill award 80 grants at a maximum dollar amount of $550,000 over 3 years.
Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Solicitation will award 50 grants at maximum dollar amount of $400,000 over 3 years.
Pre-Application sessions for each grant are tentatively scheduled for March 8 and March 14, respectively, and submission deadlines are in mid-April. Read the full solicitations to learn more about each program’s purpose areas and application requirements. Stay up to date on all OVW grant solicitations.
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2022 YWCA National Program Inventory, Impact and Healthy Associations Survey
Of the 147 Local Associations who reported in the 2021 YWCA National Program Inventory and Impact Survey, it showed that 423,000 people were served through Childcare, Child Development, and Family Support across the network! We are excited to see how many people were served through Childcare, Child Development, and Family Support in 2022!
This is a reminder that the 2022 YWCA National Program Inventory, Impact and Healthy Associations Survey is live! The survey will be due on March 15, 2023.
Your input on this survey is critical and will guide YWCA USA on how to best support the YWCA network. If you have any questions about completing the questionnaire or experience any technical issues, please contact the YWCA USA Data Subject Matter Expert Team by emailing sme@ywca.org
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In it Together: Membership Agreement Update
On January 9, local executives received an email via DocuSign for Membership Agreement finalization, due March 31, 2023. Visit the Membership Agreement page on the Intranet for access to resources in support of your review process — links for related documents can be found in the persimmon box on the right-hand side of the page. Questions are encouraged and welcomed by your Director of Member Services, who appreciate connecting with so many of you and your board members about the Membership Agreement and its underpinning spirit of reciprocity. (Keep those connection opportunities coming — we're here for it!)
As of February 23, we're at 71 Local Associations signed on...and counting!
COMING UP SOON! Membership Agreement Q&A with YWCA USA’s legal counsel is right around the corner on March 1. If you have outstanding questions or are simply interested in the discussion, please use the link below to register:
As always, please reach out to your Director of Member Services with any questions at any time.
Onward for collective impact and strategic change — onward for justice!
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Is it Time for a Board Assessment?
The Healthy Associations assessment is right around the corner and now is the time to ensure you have completed a board assessment within the last 2-3 years. In reciprocity, YWCA USA is offering access to the BoardSource Board Self-Assessment (BSA), a $600 value! This free resource will help lay the foundation for setting board development priorities and motivating board members — individually and collectively — to strengthen the full board’s governance performance and practices. Local Associations can review the purpose and content of the assessment by watching our Board Self-Assessment Overview. If your association is interested in participating in the assessment, please request access by emailing assessment@ywca.org.
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YWCA USA Hiring Chief of Staff
We are excited to share that YWCA USA will be hiring several roles over the next few months. This week, we are highlighting our Chief of Staff search. This is a new role reporting to the CEO, Margaret Mitchell.
The Chief of Staff will have a bird’s-eye view across the organization, connecting the dots and providing strategic guidance. You will be managing across the executive team to support cross-team communication and project/process management, as well as working as a strategic advisor to organizational leadership, helping identify key gaps, room for improvement, and following up on action items to ensure execution meets the organization’s standard for excellence. You will be managing the executive office of the chief executive (including supporting executive communication), managing a team of administrative assistants, and acting as an extension of the chief executive, where needed.
As a member of the YWCA USA leadership, this position must also contribute, integrate, and hold themselves and their department accountable to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals that YWCA USA has established, and actively contribute towards the creation of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. Click here for the complete Job Description.
Interested Candidates should submit your resume to Kishshana Palmer, Interim COO at kpalmer@YWCA.org with the Subject: Chief of Staff Opportunity
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Important dates for your calendar
- February: Black History Month
- February 26: Anniversary of Travyon Martin's Death
- March: Women's History Month
- March 1: Membership Agreement Q&A 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
- March 2: National Read Across America Day
- March 2: Anniversary of Puerto Rican Citizen Bill Passed
- March 3: International Sex Worker's Rights Day
- March 6: UN Commission on the Status of Women
- March 7: Anniversary of March on Voting Rights in Selma
- March 8: International Women's Day
- March 10: Abortion Provider Appreciation Day
- March 10: National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Does your local association have new staff members?
Please have them first register to access the YWCA Intranet and then sign up to receive the Weekly Wrap-Up to get all the updates from YWCA USA!
Questions about what you read today? Contact communications@ywca.org.
Be sure to follow YWCA USA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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