The Young Women’s Alliance is an Austin based non-profit whose mission is to build a community that supports, empowers, and connects women through personal and professional educational programs and events. Members are given the opportunity to impact the Austin community through volunteer events, fundraising, networking and professional development opportunities which are only possible through the support of our donors and sponsors within the Austin community.
Foundation
- Since being founded in 1993 by twenty women gathered in a living room, the founding mission was to facilitate networking opportunities and support for Austin’s next generation of women leaders. With almost 30 years of impact, YWA has done just that and so much more.
- By 1995, YWA grew to 50 members and wrote their first bylaws, incorporated with the state of Texas as a non-profit corporation, formed a board of directors, and gained support from a community advisory group.
- In 1997, the YWA foundation was created to provide scholarships and an annual non-profit community grant.
Overall Impact
Beginning as a simple gathering to facilitate networking between women, YWA has grown its giving circle to the wider Austin community. Today (as of 2022), YWA has:
- Awarded $200,000+ in scholarships to young women with financial need seeking higher education
- Given $60,000+ in community grants to nonprofit organizations aligned with our mission
- Empowered 135+ women to lead through our 100% volunteer-based board of directors
- Volunteered over 13,000 cumulative hours through our membership volunteer events
- Created 380+ mentor/mentee relationships through our YWA Connect program
- Provided 21 discounted memberships to women with financial need (since launch in January 2021)
YWA has accomplished all of this with the help of its 550+ members of young women between the ages of 21-40. Together, YWA members serve the community through:
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- Volunteer events with organizations throughout Austin (including but not limited to Girls Empowerment Network, The Central Texas Food Bank, The Mother’s Milk Bank, and SAFE Alliance)
- Fundraising for The Future Women Leaders Fund (FWLF) which supports:
- YWA Scholarship Program – a key component for the organization to give back to our community by improving access to post-secondary attainment allowing us to be a part of the systemic change needed to create a more equitable future for young women.
- YWA Annual Non-Profit Grant awarded to a local non-profit partner who aligns to our mission & values.
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- Girls Empowerment Network (GEN): who shares our mission of providing women and girls with the tools they need to reach their full potential.
- Dress for Success: which empowers women+ to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help them thrive in work and in life.
- GirlStart: whose mission is to serve those who identify as girls, who might be discouraged from studying, exploring, or otherwise uninvited to participate in the STEM world.
- Girls Empowerment Network (GIRLS): whose mission is to support teen and pre-teen girls and equip them with the skills they need to emerge from adolescence as confident, successful young women.
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- YWA Connect – (founded in 2012) to connect women who are established community leaders and professionals with YWA Members to help empower the next generation of female leaders. Through this program, we aim to give both our Mentors and Mentees the resources needed to grow professionally and personally.
- Five initial members in 2012 -> more than 80 mentors/mentees in 2022
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- The Endowment Fund (managed by Austin Community Foundation) provides additional revenue to the Future Women Leaders Fund. These gifts will help to grow our scholarships, increase our annual grant, and expand member programming.
- The YWA endowment can be supported throughout the year by individual gifts in addition to the fundraising efforts of YWA members and events like the peer to peer campaign and proceeds from Austin Under 40.
- The Endowment Fund (managed by Austin Community Foundation) provides additional revenue to the Future Women Leaders Fund. These gifts will help to grow our scholarships, increase our annual grant, and expand member programming.
- YWA supports professional development of members through:
- Speaker Series as well as other professional development workshops. These events allow for our members to build their networks, learn about the experiences of women in leadership roles and gain valuable skills they can take back to the workplace.
- Notable prior topics and workshops include, but are not limited to: negotiating salary, creating an effective LinkedIn presence, money management & investing, and building a successful business.
- Leadership opportunities through the 17 Board Positions and 80+ Committee Chairs
- Speaker Series as well as other professional development workshops. These events allow for our members to build their networks, learn about the experiences of women in leadership roles and gain valuable skills they can take back to the workplace.
- To remove barriers to accessing the career-building opportunities that YWA provides to our members, YWA offers discounted YWA memberships for women with financial need creating an all inclusive environment.
Today, Young Women’s Alliance creates an intentional space that fosters confident, engaged, career-minded women empowered to impact their communities – your support will help us continue creating spaces like this, helps address inequities in the Austin metro area and invests in the future of women leaders of Austin both for members of YWA and young women in the Austin community.