Community Division, 1961-1970

The Community Division of the YWCA of the U.S.A. is responsible for services to local associations that support their role in the community, facilitate relationships with other associations and the national organization, their administrative functions and their role as part of a global organization. One of these services is the administration of a self review system for local associations. This review system is in the form of the basic standards study that is later replaced by the association review. Both processes ask the association to evaluate their adherence to national standards and report back. The association review processes adds an emphasis on increased accountability between the national organization and local associations. Reporting outlines are available for each assessment method and the association review materials additionally include detailed instructions of the processes and new elements added to previous basic standards studies. Basic standards materials include a summary report of the 1966 basic standards studies. To help local associations evaluate program costs, the Community Division develops and distributes a cost analysis tool. The tool is distributed as an instruction manual with blank worksheets to fill out. Minutes and memos of the Community Division committee give further insight into the functions and duties of the division and its role in the YWCA of the U.S.A. and its services to large city, or metropolitan, associations, in particular, are documented in meeting proceedings, correspondence to city associations and bulletins.