150th Anniversary
In 1870, seven women joined together to ask of themselves and of the Dayton community what they could do to “elevate women in our midst.” Their response became the foundation for YWCA Dayton, which is celebrating its 150th founding day on Nov. 26, 2020.
As part of the oldest and largest women’s organization in the nation, YWCA Dayton has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy to generate institutional change in three key areas: health and safety of women and girls, economic advancement of women and girls, and racial justice and civil rights.
To put that in perspective: We’ve been On A Mission for all women and children since five years after the Civil War ended. Learn more at www.ywcadayton.org/history.