What YWCA South Florida does

YWCA South Florida is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1919 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The organization delivers a portfolio of direct-service programs and advocacy initiatives targeting women, children, and families across South Florida, with a particular focus on women and girls of color. Its service portfolio spans four learning centers offering early childhood education (including Head Start and preschool) in Downtown Miami and Miami Gardens; youth development through afterschool and free summer camp programs; economic empowerment via the WE360° entrepreneurship curriculum, matched-savings cohorts, and Challenge Chats; family wellness services including cancer support circles and life-saving screenings; and racial-equity and civic-engagement programming such as the Community Justice Challenge and YWomenVote voter initiative. A distinctive line of service is Court Care & KidSpace, which provides in-courthouse childcare for families navigating the Miami-Dade legal system — now operating in five courthouses plus virtual delivery, and recently marking 25 years of operation.

The organization's most recent strategic emphasis is the development of HER Miami, a digital platform connecting women to opportunity, community, and support, which was researched jointly with Florida International University (764 surveys, 13 focus groups, 74 participants) and funded through an innovation grant from The Children's Trust of Miami-Dade County awarded in September 2024. Underlying technology is minimal and largely consumer-grade (Squarespace-hosted website, Constant Contact newsletter, Zoom for virtual programs, Paylocity for recruiting); no proprietary AI/ML, API, or patent portfolio is disclosed. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships of signature events (e.g., First But Not The Last Women Leaders celebration, Court Care Reception), the Women's Empowerment Giving Circle ($1,000 annual memberships), foundation and government grants, and in-kind contributions. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed. The organization is led by President and CEO Kerry-Ann Royes and CFO Amyn Merchant (appointed 2024), and operates with 101–250 employees and a network of 20+ advocacy and community partners.

Name

YWCA South Florida

Legal name

YWCA South Florida

Website

https://ywcasouthflorida.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

YWCA South Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1919 in Miami, delivering early childhood education at four learning centers, youth and summer programs, economic empowerment, health/wellness services, and courthouse childcare to women, children, and families across South Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: YWCA South Florida operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization accepts tax-deductible contributions and mentions that partnerships, matching gifts, and in-kind donations help amplify contributions.
2. Event Sponsorships: Revenue generated through sponsorships of signature events such as First But Not The Last Women Leaders celebration and Court Care Reception. Corporate sponsors support at various levels including Harvest Partner, Canopy Circle, Root Builder, and Seed Planter tiers.
3. Women's Empowerment Giving Circle Membership: Annual gifts of $1,000 for membership in the Women's Empowerment Giving Circle, which funds programs supporting women and girls of color throughout South Florida.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YWCA South Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers community-based social services across five program areas: early childhood education at four learning centers, youth development (afterschool and summer camp), economic prosperity (WE360 entrepreneurship and matched savings programs), health and wellness (screenings and cancer support), and racial equity/social justice (Community Justice Challenge, YWomenVote voter engagement). It also runs the Court Care program providing childcare in five South Florida courthouses.

Product overview

YWCA South Florida offers a comprehensive suite of social impact programs organized into five core areas: Early Education (preschool and Head Start at four learning centers), Youth Development (afterschool and summer camp), Economic Prosperity (WE360° entrepreneurship program, matched savings), Health and Wellness (family wellness, cancer support circles), and Racial Equity & Social Justice (Community Justice Challenge, YWomenVote voter engagement). Key programs include Court Care providing childcare in five courthouses, HER Miami platform for women, and the annual First But Not The Last leadership celebration. The organization also runs the Women's Empowerment Giving Circle for philanthropic support. Established in 1919, the organization has served over 3.1 million adults and children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HER Miami: A platform that connects women to opportunity, community, and support, developed through research with 764 surveys and 74 focus group participants in Miami-Dade County.

Products and services

• WE360° Entrepreneurship Program An 8-week virtual entrepreneurship course designed for women who are ready to move from confusion to clarity and build a sustainable business, including mentorship, business development, pitch preparation, and access to funding opportunities.
• Early Childhood Education / Preschool High-quality early childhood education at four learning centers in Downtown Miami and Miami Gardens, focusing on closing the achievement gap through comprehensive family services and school readiness.
• Afterschool Programs Enriching afterschool programs that connect students to the world around them, incorporating global education and youth development activities.
• Summer Camp Annual free summer camp operating at three sites in Miami-Dade County, offering fun and educational activities for children.
• Court Care & KidSpace Childcare services in South Florida courthouses that empower parents to advocate for themselves while providing safe environments for children, currently expanded to five courthouses.
• Economic Prosperity & Entrepreneurship Workshops and programs helping women take control of their financial futures, including matched savings programs with dollar-to-dollar matching grants.
• Health and Wellness Program Family wellness services including life-saving screenings, cancer support groups (Circles of Support), and health education workshops.
• Racial Equity & Social Justice Programs Programs and initiatives designed to connect and catalyze the community to action on racial justice issues, including Community Justice Challenge and YWomenVote.
• YWomenVote Voter education, mobilization, and empowerment initiative dedicated to ensuring women's voices resonate in Florida elections through voter registration, candidate information, and community events.
• HER Miami A platform connecting women to opportunity, community, and support, developed through research with 764 surveys and 73 focus groups with women across Miami-Dade County.
• Women's Empowerment Giving Circle Giving circle requiring a $1,000 annual gift to support women and girls of color throughout South Florida, with contributions supporting WE360, Court Care, and breast/cervical cancer screenings.
• First But Not The Last Women Leaders of South Florida Annual celebration honoring South Florida's women leaders, with 37 Trailblazers inducted over five years recognizing industry trailblazers, thought leaders, and community inspirations.
• Matched Savings Program 14-week virtual program helping participants build savings habits through financial literacy workshops, one-on-one coaching, and dollar-to-dollar matching grants.
• Community Justice Challenge A free annual 21-day journey providing curated content, reflection, and community conversation centered on social justice themes including voting rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 3.1 million adults and children
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida International University (FIU) - Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024FIU's Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center partnered with YWCA South Florida to conduct comprehensive research for HER Miami initiative, surveying 764 women and hosting 13 focus groups with 74 participants to understand resource awareness, healthcare access, economic challenges, childcare barriers, and more.
• The Children's Trust of Miami-Dade CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Awarded YWCA South Florida an innovation grant in September 2024 to begin conceptualizing HER Miami, a project aimed at improving gender-focused information and resources for women in Miami-Dade County.
• The Women's FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Advocacy 107 training and voter engagement initiatives. Sarah Coleman, YWCA South Florida Senior Director of Race & Gender Equity, participates as expert speaker in advocacy training.
• Voter Engagement CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition of advocacy groups, community organizations, and local institutions committed to strengthening civic participation and empowering women voters. Includes ACLU Florida, League of Women Voters, Aqua Foundation, Common Cause, Health Foundation of South Florida, and 20+ other organizations.
• McDermott Will & EmeryminorOthersLaw firm hosting the Annual Court Care Reception event celebrating the Court Care program.
• Jackson Health System - RHISE ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Black Maternal Health Week workshop. RHISE provides telehealth maternity care support to patients with high-risk pregnancy conditions throughout pregnancy and up to 12 months after birth.
• The Narrative CircleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting Maya + Mimosas literary event celebrating Dr. Maya Angelou's legacy, bringing together women for storytelling and healing.
• Mosaic MiamiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of We Are United March, a non-partisan community walk from Freedom Tower to The Underline celebrating shared humanity.
• Ulta BeautyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pretty Empowered girls' empowerment event hosted by YWCA South Florida.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami focuses on youth mentoring and development in Miami-Dade, partially overlapping with YWCA South Florida's afterschool and youth programming. Both rely on volunteer-driven models and serve similar at-risk youth populations.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: YWCA USA is the national umbrella organization that YWCA South Florida is affiliated with under the YWCA brand. It operates across the U.S. on racial justice, empowerment, and safety issues, providing national advocacy, brand standards, and federation support relevant to YWCA South Florida's mission and programming.
• United Way Miami: United Way Miami is a larger, established community-impact nonprofit in the same Miami-Dade geography. Both organizations fund and operate direct-service programs addressing education, economic mobility, and family stability, and compete for similar corporate and foundation giving.

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade: Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade directly competes with YWCA South Florida's afterschool, summer camp, and youth development programs in the same service area. Both organizations serve school-age children from under-resourced communities and rely on contributed revenue and grants.
• Catalyst Miami: Catalyst Miami is a directly comparable peer working on equity, economic opportunity, and youth leadership in Miami-Dade. Both organizations engage young people of color and women on civic participation and economic mobility, and draw from a similar base of progressive funders.
• YMCA of South Florida: The YMCA of South Florida is a directly comparable peer organization operating in the same Miami-Dade geography with a similar brand legacy. Both offer youth development, childcare, and family/community programming and share the national federated-nonprofit model with chapter-level delivery.
• Branches (Family Services): Branches is a Miami-based nonprofit providing wraparound family services including early childhood education, youth development, and adult financial coaching. It competes with YWCA South Florida for Head Start contracts, foundation funding, and family-program participants in Miami-Dade.
• Urban League of Greater Miami: The Urban League of Greater Miami is a directly comparable peer focused on racial equity, economic empowerment, and education for communities of color in the same geography. YWCA South Florida's WE360, matched savings, and Racial Equity programs overlap with the Urban League's workforce and civil rights programming.

Regional players

• Healthy Start Coalition of Miami-Dade: Healthy Start Coalition of Miami-Dade addresses maternal and child health outcomes for at-risk families in the same geography. It overlaps with YWCA South Florida's family wellness, cancer support, and maternal health (RHISE partnership) programming and competes for similar public-health grant funding.

Others

• Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe: The Early Learning Coalition administers VPK and school-readiness funding that flows to providers including YWCA South Florida's four learning centers. It is an enabling/administrative peer that controls a key revenue channel for YWCA South Florida's preschool programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ywcasouthfl
• Xx.com/YWCAsouthfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/YWCASouthFL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ywcasouthflorida

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YWCA South Florida