Your financial contribution will help support our mission to eliminate racism and empower women. To make a one-time or recurring tax-deductible donation now, please click the button below to be taken to our donation form. By selecting a monthly, recurring gift, you are making sustaining impact in the lives of countless women, girls, and families in our community.
Ways to Give
- One-time & Recurring Gifts
- Fulcrum Society
- Planned Giving | Gertrude Caldwell Legacy Society
- Gifts of Stocks or Bonds
- In-Kind Donations
One-Time Gift
Every gift helps us reach more people in need in Middle Tennessee. THANK YOU for investing in the lives of the women, children, and families we serve.
Recurring Gift
By selecting a monthly, recurring gift, you are making a sustaining impact in the lives of countless women, children, and families in our community.
To make a tax deductible donation by mail, please send a check or money order to our Woodmont office:
YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee
ATTN: Jennifer Zehender
1608 Woodmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37215
The Fulcrum Society is a group of generous women leaders and philanthropists who advance the mission and work of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee each year with a personal contribution of $5,000 or greater.
Fulcrum Society Benefits
- Knowledge that your annual financial contribution makes a significant difference in the lives of women and girls living in our community
- Recognition at our three signature events and on our website
- Invitations to exclusive social or mission-focused gatherings, as well as intimate dinner parties hosted by fellow Fulcrum Society members
- Education on relevant/timely issues facing women and children in our community
- Opportunities to participate in hands-on mission experiences (such as our Annual Stand Against Racism, Weaver Center Tours, and advocacy meetings with elected officials)
- Access to the Fulcrum Point newsletter
Qualifications
Fulcrum Society members support YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee by making an annual contribution of $5,000 or more (January 1 – December 31). A personal contribution can be given with cash, gifts of stock (value for which it is sold), company match, event donation (i.e., Spring Breakfast, Stand Up for Change at Wine, Women & Shoes, etc.).
Contact Jennifer Zehnder via email or phone at 615-983-5149 for more information on joining the Fulcrum Society.
We welcome you to join donors in the Gertrude Caldwell Legacy Society who have committed to investing in the YWCA’s future. By including the YWCA in your estate plans, you are ensuring future generations of women, children, and families experiencing crisis and will find relief through our programs and services. Planned gifts can be made in gifts of stocks, bonds, IRA, life insurance, or real estate. All charitable distributions are tax-free and will provide ongoing support for the women and families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
Learn more about the Gertrude Caldwell Legacy Society below.
To make a gift of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, please contact:
Jennifer Zehnder
Chief Development Officer
beth.boord@ywcanashville.com
615-983-5149
Beth will work with the bank to ensure a smooth transfer. You will be sent an acknowledgment letter and information regarding your tax deduction.
Benefits to making a gift of stocks, bonds or mutual funds
- You will receive an income tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer.
- You will pay no capital gains tax on the securities you donate.
- You may use your deduction for up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income.
- You are allowed to carry any unused deduction forward for up to five additional years.
- You will not be required to pay capital gains tax on stock you donate.
The YWCA is grateful for in-kind donations of items our families can use while they’re healing from the trauma of domestic abuse. Unfortunately, due to limited available storage, we cannot accept all donations. Please check our donation wish list to see our current needs. We appreciate your support and generosity.

Gertude Caldwell Legacy Society
The Gertrude Caldwell Legacy Society is a planned giving recognition group dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Nashville. The legacy of giving from one generation to another provides a cornerstone to support the life-changing and empowering work of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. We invite you to become a member by including the YWCA in your estate plans.
No matter the size of the gift, which may include bequests, charitable trusts and annuities, life insurance or IRA beneficiary designations, real estate, land, stock, or securities, donors will be remembered as friends and benefactors of the YWCA. As a member of the GCLS, you can be assured that your philanthropy has a real and lasting impact.
Donors to the Gertrude Caldwell Legacy Society may make a gift to the YWCA’s general fund or designate their gift to support a specific program.

ABOUT GERTRUDE (January 30, 1937 – April 25, 2023)
Nashville native Gertrude Caldwell’s dedication to the women, children, and families of Middle Tennessee was unrivaled. From the moment she was invited to join the YWCA Board of Directors in the 1970’s, she has dedicated her energy to the concept that all women in our community should be safe, self-sufficient, and successful.
Long before the crisis of domestic violence was widely acknowledged, Gertrude and the leadership of YWCA recognized how pervasive this problem was within our own community and began working to address it. The YWCA opened the city’s first domestic violence shelter and added programming for newly divorced women and at-risk girls. When federal funding for these programs was slated to be cut, Gertrude traveled to Washington, D.C. to convince the late Senator Howard Baker and his colleagues to vote for continued funding. She was successful, and YWCA is now the largest provider of domestic violence services in Tennessee.
For decades as a volunteer, employee, and donor, Gertrude Caldwell gracefully and quietly championed the cause of YWCA. We were honored to name our Legacy Society after her in 1995, and trust that you will be inspired by her devotion to our cause and join this effort. We are delighted to ensure that the Gertrude Caldwell legacy continues in perpetuity.
LET US KNOW YOUR INTENTIONS
If you have already included the YWCA in your estate plans or would like more information on designating a planned gift for the YWCA, please contact Jennifer Zehender, Chief Development Officer, jennifer.zehender@ywcanashville.com or by phone at 615-983-5149.
Our Donor Privacy Policy
YWCA is committed to respecting the rights and privacy of our donors and does not disclose confidential donor information outside the organization. We do not sell or exchange a donor’s personal information with any other organization: public, private or nonprofit.
Donor Bill of Rights
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the community’s quality of life. YWCA values the support of its donors and thereby follows the doctrine of the Donor Bill Of Rights.