About Us
YWCA Columbus is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Since 1886, YWCA Columbus has invested in our community. Driven by courage and compassion, we've offered support and shelter, taken bold stances against discrimination, and answered the needs of our community as it has grown. We defy the status quo that puts women, people of color, and the marginalized on unequal footing.
Our Vision
An equitable and just future for all.
Our Values
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We work with clarity of purpose and conviction as we stand against racism and inequality.
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We serve with compassion, and we believe that every person is worthy no matter their journey.
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We act with urgency, whether we rapidly house a family or advocate for policy change, because lives are at risk and our mission is essential.
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We are a beacon for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and we are tireless in our agitation for social, racial, and economic justice for all.
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We honor the women who have come before us; for their activism and resolve blazed the trail we continue to walk.
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We welcome all voices as we elevate issues and ideas, and we steward the support of our community.
Our Senior Leadership Team
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Elizabeth Brown
President & CEO
Elizabeth became president and CEO of YWCA Columbus in January 2023. Previously, she served on Columbus City Council for over seven years and has prior experience in economic development, nonprofit service, and state government.
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Judy Peterson
Chief Finance & Operations Officer
Judy has over 20 years’ experience as an administrative leader, holding positions in higher education and non-profit management. A CPA/MBA with operational skills in the areas of accounting, human resources, technology, and facilities management.
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Makiva McIntosh
Chief Advancement & Engagement Officer
With a background in community organizing, Makiva is a highly accomplished fundraising professional with more than 20 years of experience managing fundraising strategies and annual giving, as well as volunteer and donation programs.
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Sue Darby
Chief Operating Officer
Sue most recently served as senior vice president of housing at YMCA of Central Ohio. As a long-time leader at YMCA, she oversaw the fivefold expansion of its housing portfolio and orchestrated the organization’s national CARF accreditation. She also received the 2017 Community Shelter Board Hero Award for her work with the Homeless Service Providers Committee on Racism.
Key Dates in YWCA History
Since 1886, we’ve had a strong history of making incredible strides in eliminating racism and empowering women in our community.
Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge the traditional and ancestral territory of the Shawnee, Kaskaskia (kas-kas-kee-uh), Hopewell & Myaamia (My-am-ee) people, the people whose land we are living, learning, and working on today.
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With gratitude and respect, YWCA Columbus acknowledges that the land on which we live, learn, and work is the traditional territory of the Shawnee, Kaskaskia, Hopewell & Myamia people. We acknowledge that the first peoples of this land, who were connected to this land since time immemorial, were betrayed and colonized. We honor the ancestors of those people, their strength, and their endurance. We also acknowledge the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, which include genocide, land theft, forced displacement, forced assimilation, kidnapping, forced labor, and the systemic exploitation, erasure and exclusion that continues to impact Indigenous peoples. We recognize that the harms are ongoing and that we are all responsible for disrupting that harm and working toward justice and healing.
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With gratitude and respect, YWCA Columbus acknowledges that the land on which we live, learn, and work is the traditional territory of the Shawnee, Kaskaskia, Hopewell & Myamia people. We honor the ancestors of those people, who were betrayed and colonized, and stand in solidarity with the land and water protectors who continue to work toward preserving the planet on which we all rely. We also acknowledge the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, which include genocide, land theft, forced displacement and assimilation, and the systemic exploitation, erasure and exclusion that continues to impact Indigenous peoples.
YWCA Columbus also acknowledges that our country’s governing and economic systems are built on the brutality of forced and unpaid labor, willfully extracted from people of African descent through trans-Atlantic enslavement. We honor the spirits of those who were trafficked from their homes and perished during the Middle Passage, those who survived and continued to fight for Black liberation, and those who will continue this struggle after us. We recognize that the systems of colonization and enslavement remain embedded in the fabric of the United States, resulting in ongoing anti-Black violence, exploitation, and death.
FAQs
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YWCA Columbus was formed in 1886 with a society of 5 women leasing a 12-room home for homeless girls.
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YWCA Columbus' work is organized into three pillars: Social Justice, Housing, and Youth Development/Early Childhood Education. Our social justice programming includes racial equity training, leadership programs, as well as advocacy. Our housing services include the YWCA Family Center--an emergency shelter for families experiencing a housing crisis--and Women's Residency--a supportive program and place to live for women recovering from addiction, weathering disability or mental illness, or navigating job loss. We also offer high quality before and after school programs for youth.
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YWCA and YMCA are separately incorporated nonprofits. We also have different missions: YMCA puts Christian principles into practice to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body, while YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting justice for all. However, both YWCA and YMCA's work centers around serving low-income families and high-need communities.