All Things YWA: Your Questions, Answered.

We recently sat down on Instagram Live to talk about all things YWA, and got a lot of great questions. To make sure nobody misses out on this important information, here are the top 20 queries about the Young Women’s Alliance that we received – and their answers.

 

The Young Women’s Alliance: Our Background

1. When did the Young Women’s Alliance start? YWA began in 1993, when just 20 women began to gather regularly in the home of Austin businesswoman Carol Thompson.
2. What is the mission of YWA? Building a community that supports, empowers and connects women.
3. How many committees does YWA have? YWA has a total of 9 committees in a range of areas from finance to community service. Members are welcome to attend any committee meeting, and encouraged to join one! There’s a wide variety of Committee Chair and Committee Member roles: taking one on is a great way to build your professional skills.
4. How many members are there? YWA has now grown to over 350 active members.
5. What’s the average age of a YWA member? YWA members range from about 22 to 45 years of age.

 

What we have to offer

1. What new member programming do you have? Quite a few – we like to make sure that we do whatever we can to help new members feel comfortable, informed, and involved as easily as possible. Programs include New Member Orientation, New Member Brunch, and new member community service events.
2. Does YWA provide any mentorship opportunities? Yes! YWA Connect, a mentorship program which pairs YWA members with a mentor who is an established professional or community leader, is a favorite of our members. In this program, meticulously selected mentor/mentee pairings work together for one year. The next YWA Connect cycle begins in July 2021.
3. What are YWA’s signature programs? Our monthly Speaker Series, Party of 8 (a quarterly dinner party with members attending in groups of 8), and our Book Club.
4. How do members stay connected? Since everyone has a different schedule and connectivity, we use several methods to keep everyone in touch. While in-person gatherings are minimal at this time, we’re holding strong with digital communications! A YWA Slack Workspace; Facebook and Instagram; and a weekly email newsletter are the main methods we’re using.
5. How many events does YWA hold? How often? Quite a few! Non-members see only a limited portion of our event schedule online, but once you join you gain access to all YWA events and programming. Some examples? Monthly, we hold committee meetings, Speaker Series, and Book Club. There are also various volunteering events, workshops, and other member events – for instance, in addition to the regular monthly events, this October we held a Self-Love Workshop, weekend golf lessons, a Party of 8 dinner, and 3 socially-distanced community service events.

 

The ‘What’ of YWA

1. What is your favorite YWA event? Most members will tell you it’s our Speaker Series!
2. What industries do YWA members work in? YWA is industry agnostic – our members come from all areas. There are entrepreneurs and executives, managers and associates, salespeople, communications professionals, and lawyers. Members work in government and public service, the nonprofit sector, tech, finance, and retail. Wherever you may work, there’s a place for you here.
3. What does the YWA Foundation support? The YWA Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that supports many developmental programs. These programs include YWA Connect and other member-development programs; an scholarship program that provides multiple scholarships annually to young women in, or entering, college or trade school; and an annual grant to our official nonprofit Partner, the Girls Empowerment Network.
4. How do you raise funds for the YWA Foundation? Through the Austin Under Forty annual gala, the YWA Endowment Fund, our Fall Fundraising Campaign, and of course, through generous donations.
5. What nonprofits do you partner with for community service events? We partner with many local nonprofits, including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, BookSpring, CASA, the Girls Empowerment Network, and many more.

 

The details on joining

1. What’s the cost to join? Membership fees are $175 annually. You may pay in full once each year if you choose, or you can opt to pay a portion of these dues quarterly.
2. Is there a promo code if I join? Yes! For this Open Enrollment period you can get $15 off by using the code: YWA2020
3. When does Open Enrollment end? Soon! The final Open Enrollment period of this year ends in just a few days, on October 31.
4. I need more time to consider. When is the next open enrollment? Enrollment will open for new members again on January 1, 2021.
5. I’m convinced. How do I join? Click here to sign up now. We can’t wait to meet you!