Blogs

A Few Words from our CEO

We in the national office continue to be deeply disappointed and disheartened by the blatant discrimination people of color face on a daily basis. Like many of you, I was personally outraged to see the video footage of Breaion King being treated with such excessive force by Austin police. We already know that women and girls of color face racial profiling and excessive force beginning as early as kindergarten. And certainly this graphic video only further heightened our concerns and strengthened our resolve to do even more.

We are also disturbed by the unacceptable violence that has been levied against law enforcement. In light of so much violence, I hope you’ll read this memo about how YWCAs can respond.

It is absolutely imperative that we, at YWCA, continue to use our knowledge and expertise to achieve programmatic excellence, continue to galvanize our voices and power to advocate for real policy change and collectively demonstrate our humility and respect for the human race to change hearts and minds in our communities and our world.

Sincerely,

Dara Richardson-Heron, M.D.

Week Without Violence

This year, Week Without Violence will run from October 17 – 21. We are excited to expand the focus of the week from domestic violence to all forms of gender-based violence. In the coming weeks we will open registration, launch a new campaign site, and provide you with updated resources and support!

2015 HIGHLIGHTS

YWCA Archives Going Digital

Smith College is digitizing, describing, and publishing over 400 historical YWCA records. Follow their progress using #digYWCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Financial Management & Leadership Program

Congratulations to the 18 YWCAs who have completed Phase 2! Each association has developed a matrix map to show the financial vitality and mission impact of their programs. This provides a basis for strengthening the association’s business model. This fall, we will develop a business model toolkit. Stay tuned!

Update: Promising Practice

During the 2016 LCBI, YWCA Rochester & Monroe County shared about transforming their housing programs to a trauma informed care service model. Since then, they have formed a resident advisory council to review policies and procedures, received funding to support their efforts, started an employee wellness program, developed procedures for evaluation, and hosted YWCA Evanston/Northshore for a day of learning.

United State of Women

We were proud to have 31 YWCA leaders at the United State of Women Summit hosted by the White House in June. YWCA USA was also involved with the strategic planning of the event.

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Advocacy Day

Get your talking points ready for August 17, our inaugural in-district Advocacy Day! Across 31 states, 91 YWCAs have registered! Even if you are not registered for Advocacy Day, you can still support our agenda on social media using #YWCAday.

Development News

We are pleased to warmly welcome 99 YWCAs to Collaborative Fundraising. We are eager to launch this partnership and, soon, we will unveil our first national peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. A cohort of local associations has been assembled to refine these efforts. Finally – get to know Lisa Frederick and Alexander Wilson, the newest members of our team!

SIGN UP

YWCA USA was present at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in July. We talked with attendees about our incredible mission and your impact on the ground, and had the privileged opportunity to observe democracy in action. Over the past few weeks, we have literally handed out thousands of Stand Against Racism buttons. We got to meet members of your communities who lit up and said, “Oh, I know the YWCA!” Many told us how you gave them a safe place to stay, taught them to swim, or simply thanked us because you “do such awesome work!” We also spoke with attendees about our policy priorities and how immensely important it is that policymakers prioritize issues impacting women and communities of color.

More News

See You in DC

Please save the date for the 2017 national conference in Washington, D.C.! We look forward to seeing you from June 14 – 17 at the Capitol Hilton.

Apply: CEO Advisory Council

On July 18, we sent a memo announcing the application process for the CEO Advisory Council. We are accepting applications until August 31 – apply today! MORE DETAILS

The Latest in the Resource Library

These new checklists, articles, and reports have been posted to the Resource Library: Strong Executive, Strong Board, Strong Executive-Board Relationship-A Checklist; Beginners Guide to Social Media; YWCA Records Retention Chart; 2016 AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report and Infographic; and Philanthropy and Women's Causes, three recent reports from the Lilly School. Looking for a resource you can't find? Contact Martha Breunig for assistance. VISIT NOW

Affinity Groups

Staff, board, and volunteers are invited to join any of our ten affinity groups. This includes our newly launched Campus Engagement Network, where members can share ideas and information about how to increase YWCA presence on college campuses. Upcoming calls include the Racial Justice & Civil Rights Mission Impact Group on August 11 and October 20, and the Health & Wellness Network on August 18. MORE DETAILS

Stand Against Racism

Thank you to everyone that made our 2016 campaign a success and completed the feedback survey. We are reviewing your feedback and preparing a final campaign report. Please, save the date for Stand Against Racism 2017, Thursday April 27 through Sunday April 30.

Annual Business Meeting

For your convenience, the recording of the 2016 YWCA Annual Business Meeting is now available. During the meeting, new board members were elected and our CEO, board chair, and treasurer gave reports. WATCH NOW

Friendly Reminder: Support Fees

On June 28th every local association received the support fees memo. If you have not already done so, please submit the 2017 Support Fees Calculation Sheet by August 12 or your support fees calculation will be based on your 2014 Form 990 and corresponding audited financial statements. FULL DETAILS HERE

Great Work!

Thanks to all who completed the 2016 local association self-assessment process – 90% of YWCAs! In the next step of the process, each local association will receive a completed Membership Requirements and Document report from your Director of Member Services and schedule a follow-up phone call. Stay tuned!

Intern in Geneva

World YWCA is now accepting applications for internships in their Geneva office. To receive YWCA USA endorsement, please submit all required materials to kshewmaker@ywca.org by August 31. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, serve, and grow through international women’s rights work. APPLY NOW