Women of Achievement AWARDS LUNCHEON
Each year, YWCA Spokane celebrates high achieving women in the community at this annual luncheon. Established with the goal of increasing community awareness and appreciation for the diverse contributions of women leaders in Spokane, this luncheon has honored more than 200 women in the region.
A Community Coming Together To Impact Lasting Change
The Women of Achievement awards luncheon has evolved into YWCA Spokane’s largest fundraising event, sponsored by more than 50 companies and organizations each year, and is one of the area’s most prestigious award recognition events for women.
Over 1200 friends and supporters who believe in YWCA’s dedication to eliminating racism, empowering women, standing up for social justice, helping families, and strengthening communities come together to invest in the safety, hope, and healing of those served by YWCA’s critical programs.
Proceeds raised by this important event benefit YWCA Spokane’s services for domestic violence victims and their children, including emergency shelter, counseling, legal services, job readiness, child care, and Pre-K programs for low-income children.
Please Join Us for the 37th Annual Women of Achievement Awards
YWCA Spokane’s 37th annual Women of Achievement Impact Luncheon is designed to express gratitude for the outstanding contributions of our 2019 local honorees, provide inspiration to the attendees, and raise awareness of domestic abuse in our community. Our Women of Achievement Luncheon is our biggest event of the year, with last year’s event gathering over 1,000 dedicated guests and 50 organizations who collectively raised $315,000!
Women of Achievement Award categories
Winners of a YWCA Woman of Achievement Award embody the mission of the YWCA by giving generously of themselves to make Spokane a better place for all citizens to live. They must also demonstrate leadership through their professional work or service to the community in one or more of the following categories:
- Arts and Culture: This award recognizes an outstanding woman that fosters arts or culture in significant ways as an artist, volunteer, leader, educator, or patron of meaningful cultural and/or artistic endeavors within the community. She has exhibited long term support for arts and culture, has had a significant impact on the region’s arts/cultural landscape through personal expression, innovation, preservation, or education, and/or demonstrated a successful collaboration between arts and cultural organizations and business.
- Business and Industry: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who is acknowledged in business or industry for her exemplary leadership. She is committed to excellence, creates and inspires a positive work environment and influences and motivates positive change in her business, industry, trade or workplace.
- Carl Maxey Racial and Social Justice: This award recognizes an outstanding woman with a record of exemplary leadership and service in the areas of eliminating racism and promoting diversity through community service, racial reconciliation and/or social justice outreach within the community, workplace, institutions or agencies. She demonstrates efforts to provide service to underrepresented persons or communities, bridge the gaps that often exist between different groups, and/or ensure the fair treatment of oppressed, abused, or underprivileged groups or individuals. The nominee seeks opportunities to attain a common vision for peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.
- Community Enhancement: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who inspires, mentors advocates and acts on behalf of others through community programs or organizations, government, military or first responders or philanthropic endeavors. She has shown her dedication by creating, participating in or adapting programs to meet community needs in the areas of social services, community improvement, and human rights.
- Education: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who is a public or private educator, trainer, or administrator who inspires a passion for excellence and innovation for personal growth, development, and lifelong learning through the education system, employee training and development, community education or alternative programs. She has developed innovative programs and/or built a strong rapport with learners, parents, colleagues or the community at large to foster learning in a broader sense.
- Science, Technology, and Environment: This award recognizes contributions of an outstanding woman in a science-related field including pure and applied sciences, engineering and life sciences, healthcare, technology, agriculture or the environment. She is dedicated to technological, scientific, or health advancement through either research or application, or to the preservation, protection, or improvement of the environment.
- Young Woman: This award recognizes an outstanding young woman that is making an impact early in her career to better our community. The award is focused on women out of high school, but under 35 that have shown dedication by creating, participating or adapting programs to meet community needs, and she embodies the mission of the YWCA.
View our list of over 245 past award recipients.
Donate in Honor of Women of Achievement
If you’d like to attend this year’s luncheon but are unable to, please consider making a donation in honor of the outstanding women we acknowledge at this inspiring celebration.
As our biggest, most critical fundraiser of the year, the Women of Achievement Awards benefit our programs and services directly, allowing our reach to grow further and our mission to be realized. Simply put, we cannot do this work without you!
Women of Achievement Table Registration
By hosting a table at this inspiring and impactful luncheon, you are helping provide a lifeline for over 16,800 women, children, and families who are impacted by domestic violence, homelessness, and unemployment.
Hosting a table is a rewarding way to give back to your community, and can be as easy as 1,2,3:
- Sign up as a Table Captain: Email woa@ywcaspokane.org to learn more. Online registration will be available soon!
- Invite your friends/co-workers: Invite 9-10 friends/coworkers in your network to join you at this year’s awards celebration. Let them know their attendance provides crucial support for YWCA’s programs and services.
- Make sure everyone secures their tickets: Direct each of your guests to our online registration form (once it is available) with a request to provide your name as the table host. This will ensure your guests sit at the same table with you. You can also email your list of guests to woa@ywcaspokane.org at any time with adjustments, questions, etc to help us prepare for a successful event.
GoodGuys Take A Stand Against Domestic Violence
This year we have a collaboration of men who are coming together to show their collective support for YWCA Spokane’s critical services and pledge to stand against domestic violence at YWCA’s Women of Achievement awards luncheon. Learn more…
Corporate Sponsorship
Consider becoming one of YWCA Spokane’s valued corporate sponsors of this year’s Women of Achievement awards luncheon. Learn more by visiting our event sponsorship page or contacting Dana Morris Lee, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at 509-742-0111 or at email danam@ywcaspokane.org.
Volunteer
We will need many volunteers to assist with our largest event of the year. Let us know if you would like to volunteer and we will reach out to you as we get closer to the event. If you have any questions please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@ywcaspokane.org. Thank you!
Thank you to our Deeply Valued Event Sponsors!
This awards celebration would not be possible without their incredible support.
Signature sponsor
Keynote Sponsor
Honoree sponsor
GoodGuys sponsor
Photobooth sponsor
Video Production Sponsor
Champion sponsor
Trailblazer Sponsors
Pioneer Sponsors
Corporate sponsors
HUB International
Moss Adams
US Bank
Non-profit sponsors
Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington
Hospice of Spokane
Women of achievement – 2018
Congratulations To Last Year’s Award Honorees:
- Sandra Olgard, Owner and Founder, Sandra Olgard’s Studio of Dance – Arts & Culture
- Sharelynn Moore, Senior Vice President of Networked Solutions Group, Itron – Business & Industry
- Sandy Williams, Publisher and Editor, Black Lens News – Carl Maxey Racial & Social Justice
- Karen Winston, Director, Children’s Advocacy Center – Community Enhancement
- Sally Pritchard, Vice President of Community Impact, Spokane County United Way – Community Enhancement
- Lisa Taylor Laurier, Ed. D, Department Chair of the Teacher Education Program and Professor of Education, Whitworth University – Education
- Lois James, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, WSU College of Nursing – Science, Technology & Environment
- Rebecca Long, President and Founder, Future Ada – Young Woman
- Sister Celine Steinberger, Sisters of Holy Names of Jesus and Mary – Lifetime Achievement
YWCA’s 36th annual Women of Achievement awards luncheon was held on Thursday, October 4th, 2018 from 11:30am – 1:30pm. Gathered at the Davenport Grand, over 1000 friends of YWCA Spokane joined together to celebrate amazing women and feel inspired by our community’s dedication to the safety and well-being of women, children, and families.
*Award Nominations Are Now Closed*
YWCA Spokane is no longer accepting nominations for our 37th annual Women of Achievement awards luncheon. If you have questions or concerns about nominations, please contact woa@ywcaspokane.org or please call 509-789-9305.