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. We also offer the option to pay the annual membership in quarterly payments. No application necessary. The discounted membership is supported by the YWA Future Women Leaders Fund. Make a Donation.

A: In YWA, we are committed to use our collective voices to empower women of under represented 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 anti-racism, 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 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.

While 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.

A: We are currently accepting new members on a quarterly basis during designated open enrollment months (January, April, July, October). 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 & open enrollment when available! You can also check out upcoming events open to non-members on our website. Sign up to the YWA newsletter to keep up to date.

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

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

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+ Chair positions including new 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.