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2026 Women of Distinction Honorees
In this milestone year, as YWCA Madison celebrates 50 years of Women of Distinction alongside 25 years of the Racial Justice Summit and 20 years of the Downtown Block Party, we turn inward to honor women from within YWCA Madison’s community whose leadership, care, and commitment have shaped who we are today, continue to guide where we are going, and reach across the broader Madison community and beyond.
YWCA Madison will celebrate Women of Distinction at the first-ever YWCA Madison Solidarity Sunset Soirée on Friday, May 8, 2026 at Marriott Madison West, beginning at 5:30 PM.
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YWCA Madison Solidarity Sunset Soirée
YWCA Madison invites you to our first-ever Solidarity Sunset Soirée. This new signature event honors the transformative leadership of women, celebrates the impact of YWCA Madison, and brings together the shared power and love that continues to sustain our community. Join us for an elevated evening celebrating 50 years of Women of Distinction and the legacy we carry forward together.
YWCA Madison is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women, promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Since our founding in 1908, we have worked alongside our Madison community and in solidarity with over 200 YWCA sibling associations across the United States to build a more just and equitable world on a path towards collective liberation.
Guided by our co-created values of community, humanity, growth, and restoration, the heart of our mission lives through programs in housing justice, economic justice, restorative justice, and learning and movement building.
To truly dismantle racism and build a liberated world, our collective approach must be multifaceted, nuanced, and rooted in solidarity as all systems of oppression are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. In all areas of our work, we are committed to addressing the ways racism intersects with other systems of oppression while also working across movements to advance justice for all.
What’s Happening at the Y?
A New Tradition Begins: YWCA Madison Solidarity
Rooted in the beloved traditions of Circle and Women of Distinction, this big celebration invites us into something expansive: a living reflection of where we have been, and a collective vision of what we are becoming.
YWCA Madison is excited to welcome you to our first-ever Solidarity Sunset Soirée on Friday, May 8 from 5:30-9:00 PM at Marriot West Madison where we will be celebrating 50 Years of Women of Distinction!
YWCA Madison welcomes Vera Lewis as chief development Officer
YWCA Madison invites our beloved community to join us in welcoming Vera Lewis as Chief Development Officer as she helps sustain and expand the ongoing legacy of YWCA Madison’s collective impact in our community and beyond. Vera joins the organization with over 20 years of experience in strategic fundraising, donor engagement, marketing, and organizational leadership.
A Statement from YWCA Madison on Renee Good’s Death and Our Call for Justice
YWCA Madison grieves with our community the murder of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents. We name the systemic violence targeting Black and Brown migrant communities nationwide and here, in Madison. Grounded in our mission, we invite our community to choose unapologetic love, solidarity, and liberation as we move deliberately to co-create community safety.