Who We Are

Group of Women Sitting Together, Advocacy, YWCA Boulder County
Group of diverse young girls gathered around a laptop, smiling and engaging in a discussion in a classroom setting.

YWCA Boulder County is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

YWCA is proud to be the oldest and largest women’s movement, providing services for women and their families in our community.

Our local Boulder County programs and services have furthered the YWCA vision of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people since 1922. For more than 100 years, our programs have evolved to meet the current, pressing needs of the community. 

Key Dates in YWCA Boulder County History

YWCA Boulder County acknowledges that the land where we live today is the unceded territory of Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), and Nuciu (Ute) nations. As we reflect on the history of YWCA Boulder County, let us remember that the Boulder Valley is home to the Hinóno’éí, Tsistsistas, and Nuciu people and to many other tribes that also camped, hunted, and traded here for centuries. And that Native people of many Indigenous nations live here today. 

For more than 100 years, YWCA Boulder County has been at the forefront of the most critical social movements and has helped women, children and families in Boulder County to thrive. Our organization has shown up for our community time and time again. You can count on us to continue to serve our community for the next 100 years…and beyond.

  • A group of women and girls standing and kneeling outdoors in front of trees, with a vintage car parked nearby.

    1920-1940

    In 1921, a representative from the YWCA national office visited Boulder to explore interest in establishing a chapter in the community. While YWCA organizations already existed at the University of Colorado and Boulder High School, neither focused on the needs of the wider community of women and girls in the area, particularly business and professional women.

    Learn More

  • Black and white photo of a large group of students and teachers outdoors in front of a brick wall, with some students holding a sign that says 'ELEMENTARY'

    1940-1960

    Despite the closure of Boulder’s community YWCA, a small group of women continued to support the YWCA movement in the 1940s. The Colorado District YWCA (later known as the Town and Country YWCA) organized Y-Teens clubs for young women throughout the state, including at Boulder High School. Boulder women served on the board of the District YWCA and contributed financially. 

  • Children and an adult playing on a wooden playground structure in an outdoor yard, with a house in the background.

    1960-1980

    By the early 1960s, the Boulder YWCA had moved its headquarters out of volunteers’ homes into rented office space, and the board hired part-time staff. Organization offices were located in the old Physician’s Building (PIC) at 1345 Spruce St., now the Boulder Shambhala Center. According to a report conducted by YWCA volunteers, these facilities were overcrowded and “appallingly ugly.” YWCA was forced to hold its programs in a dozen locations throughout Boulder, from churches to schools. 

  • Two women working on an old desktop computer in an office with bulletin boards.

    1980-2000

    In the early 1980s, Boulder’s YWCA continued its shift in focus from a women’s community center to a human services provider. To fill the gap left by the closure of another women’s nonprofit, YWCA created a Women’s Opportunity Center offering employment counseling and legal assistance. YWCA also operated a teen center for several years in a former Boys Club building at Folsom and Mapleton. 

  • Group of construction workers and volunteers smiling and working together to build the wooden frame of a house.

    2000-2022

    YWCA entered the new millennium with renewed energy and a drive to expand, both its physical space and its programs. In 2001, the staff and board launched a $2.5 million capital campaign to add a second story to the organization’s building, doubling the capacity of Children’s Alley and providing much-needed space for expansion of other programs. After four years of perseverance through fundraising challenges and major construction, the remodeled YWCA building officially reopened on September 23, 2005. 

FAQs

  • When you make an unrestricted cash donation to YWCA Boulder County, you may be able to reduce your taxes through the Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit, which decreases the after-tax cost of gifts by more than 50%.

    If you qualify, half of your donation to YWCA Boulder County will be offset by a dollar-for-dollar credit against your Colorado income taxes. In addition, you will still be able to claim your full contribution as a charitable deduction on your federal and state income tax returns if you itemize deductions.

    Read more about the ways to donate and the CO Child Care Tax Credit here.

  • As an inclusive, secular nonprofit organization, YWCA Boulder County is publicly funded, not affiliated with any religious group, and we welcome people of all backgrounds and genders to participate in our important work.

    We are more than an acronym. While our acronym suggests we are a faith-based organization, in 2015 YWCA USA changed the name from “Young Women’s Christian Association of the United States of America, Inc.” to “YWCA USA, Inc.”.

    YWCA Boulder County is a federated organization with sister YWCAs across the United States, and we are proud to be the oldest and largest women’s movement, providing services for women and their families in our community and across the country.

    YWCA is a completely independent organization and not affiliated with YMCAs in Boulder County or elsewhere in the country.

    We help every person who reaches out regardless of their religion, race, age, and gender. Read more about YWCA USA’s history here.

  • YWCA Boulder County does not provide supportive housing. Please contact:

    EFAA HOUSING PROGRAM

    EFAA’s Housing Program supports families with children under the age of 18 who are experiencing homelessness. EFAA strives to help as many families as possible, but assistance is dependent on the number of units available. If you live in the City of Boulder and want to learn more about the program and see if you qualify, call EFAA’s front desk at (303) 442-3042. If you live in the Mountain Communities of Boulder County, call (720) 422-7813.

    For families experiencing homelessness living in Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, and Superior should call Sister Carmen at (303) 665-4342 to see if you qualify for assistance.

    Longmont, Lyons, Niwot and Allenspark should call OUR Center at (303) 772-5529 to see if you qualify for assistance.

    Boulder Shelter

    Our Center

    Sister Carmen

    SPAN

    Boulder Housing Partners

    Safe Shelter of the St. Vrain Valley

Financial Statements

YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women, and we’re committed to accountability and transparency in everything we do. Below you will find resources that illuminate our financial position, outline how we allocate our resources, and showcase the impact of the valuable support from our donors and sponsors. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we welcome your support of our mission!

2024

Form 990 filed by YWCA Boulder County – 2024

2023

Form 990 filed by YWCA Boulder County – 2023

2022

Form 990 filed by YWCA Boulder County – 2022

2021

Form 990 filed by YWCA Boulder County – 2021

2020

Form 990 filed by YWCA Boulder County – 2020