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BECOME A MEMBER

YWA is not currently accepting new members, but you can subscribe to our weekly newsletter to learn about upcoming open enrollment periods.

We are currently accepting new members on a semiannual basis during designated open enrollment months. The annual membership fee is $200.

We also offer a discounted membership for women with financial need and genuine barriers to access. See FAQ below for more details.

Scroll down to learn more about Member Benefits, Testimonials, and Frequently Asked Questions.

Open Enrollment Dates for 2023

January 1 - February
0
, 2023

MEMBER BENEFITS

NEW MEMBERS

  • New Member Orientation - Learn more about YWA as an organization and how you can take advantage of all your membership benefits.
  • New Member Brunch - Connect with other new members in your open enrollment cohort.
  • New Member Volunteer Event - Give back to the Austin community while meeting other new members.
  • YWA New Member Gift - Branded merchandise to represent YWA!

SOCIAL EVENTS

  • Party of 8 - A small group meet-up with other members.
  • Golf Lessons with a Pro - Subsidized lessons for Members & annual YWA on the Fairway Golf Clinic.
  • Volunteer Events - Mothers Milk Bank, Girls Empowerment Network, and many more!
  • Wine'd Down - Thursday night happy hour meet-up!
  • Annual Member Appreciation Party & Annual Holiday Party
  • Book Club - Monthly

PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

  • Quarterly Speaker Series Events - Normally costs $120 total for non-members, free to members!
  • YWA Connect - Annual mentorship program with established women leaders in the Austin Community.
  • Networking opportunities with other local organizations and community leaders.
  • Professional Development Workshops - Past workshops include Foundations of Investing, Paradox of Perfectionism, Resume Builder, Networking to Build Your Career, Vision Boarding, Get Financially Fresh.

OTHER BENEFITS

  • Annual Fundraising Campaign - Help tomorrow's females leaders by raising funds for educational scholarship.
  • Internal Job Board Slack Channel
  • Exclusive Weekly Newsletters
  • Members-only Slack and Facebook Group

TESTIMONIALS

FAQs

Q: What can a month in YWA look like?
Q: What if I can't afford it?
Q: What are YWA's Diversity, Equity and Belonging initiatives?
Q: What happens if you want to join and it's not open enrollment time?
Q: What is the typical age range?
Q: Do I have to be in a specific industry?
Q: What leadership opportunities are there?
Q: What can a month in YWA look like?

A: One of the best parts of being a YWA member is that you get to craft your journey and decide on how many events you want to attend based on your schedule and interest. Our event calendar is packed and available online for sign up once you are a member. Below is an example of what a month in YWA could look like.

  • Week 1 – Sunday Virtual Volunteering with Posada Esperanza by preparing a meal, Thursday Professional Development Workshop on Basics of Investing
  • Week 2 – Wednesday Committee Meeting, Thursday Book Club
  • Week 3 – Wednesday Speaker Series Event, Saturday Golf Clinic Lessons at Jimmy Clay Golf Course
  • Week 4 – Tuesday Volunteer Event at the Central Texas Food Bank, Thursday Night Party of 8 Dinner Meet-Up

Q: What if I can't afford it?

A: To remove barriers to accessing the career-building opportunities that YWA provides, we offer 40% off of the cost of new membership to women who have financial need and genuine barriers to access. The discounted annual membership cost is $120. Use the code “BELONG” (all caps) when signing up. The discounted membership is supported by the YWA Future Women Leaders Fund.

Make a Donation.

Q: What are YWA's Diversity, Equity and Belonging initiatives?

A: In YWA, we are committed to use our collective voices to empower women of underrepresented communities and uplift those who might not otherwise have the opportunity. YWA strives for our membership and leadership to be representative of the Austin area community that we serve. In 2019, we introduced a DEB pillar to our strategic plan, as well as began collecting demographic data on our members to ensure that the goals we put in place were being met. A few of the DEB goals within our strategic plan include:

– Increase diverse representation in YWA membership and leadership roles

– Provide workshops focused on DEB topics, such as antiracism, allyship, and issues affecting the LGBTQIA community

– Elevate diverse voices in our programming, with a goal of 50% of our speakers coming from underrepresented backgrounds

– Include books two times per quarter with diverse representation and/or from diverse authors for Book Club

– Seek out volunteer events that engage communities of color

To further enhance our commitment to DEB, YWA added a new position to the Board of Directors, VP of Diversity, Equity and Belonging (DEB) in 2021. Along with her committee, the VP of DEB is responsible for ensuring that YWA continues to be a diverse organization that feels welcoming to all members. YWA also launched YWA Rise, a program built to ensure the YWA Board of Directors accurately reflects the diversity of the Austin community.

Although we recognize this is a work in progress, we are confident that these initial steps will create a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable community for our members and allow us to positively impact the greater Austin community.

Learn more about YWA’s Diversity, Equity, and Belonging initiatives.

Q: What happens if you want to join and it's not open enrollment time?

A: We are currently accepting new members on a semiannual basis during designated open enrollment months (January and July). If you are interested in joining YWA but not able to join until next open enrollment, sign up for our newsletter to get updates on non-member events, future new member information sessions, and open enrollment when available! You can also check out upcoming events open to non-members on our website.

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Q: What is the typical age range?

A: The “Young” in Young Women’s Alliance can mean any age! We welcome members of all ages as long as they are older than 21. However, our membership average age is 22–45 and includes everyone from recent graduates to seasoned professionals.

Q: Do I have to be in a specific industry?

A: The Young Women’s Alliance is industry-agnostic and welcomes members from all professional backgrounds!

Q: What leadership opportunities are there?

A: Leadership in YWA is very attainable; members are encouraged to take on roles to develop new skills and gain leadership experience that can transfer to their career. At YWA, we have 10 committees, 17 board positions, and 60-plus chair positions, including Senior Chair roles. New members are encouraged to apply for chair roles or join a committee as a general member. Chairs and board members are provided with leadership training through YWA Rise, a program to intentionally move general members into chair and board positions.