For more than 70 years, the Zonta Club of Austin has been serving our community through service, advocacy and investment- dedicating thousands of volunteer hours and donating over $10,000 in scholarships each year.
For more than 70 years, the Zonta Club of Austin has been serving our community through service, advocacy and investment- dedicating thousands of volunteer hours and donating over $10,000 in scholarships each year.
Founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York by a group of pioneering professional women-Zonta International began as a bold statement against the status quo. Since then, the movement has grown across continents, championing gender equity and human rights at every level.
From its earliest days, Zonta has elevated groundbreaking leaders such as Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt, who both served as “Zontians” during their uniquely groundbreaking work for the women’s movement.
Zonta’s Mission is simple- to build a better world for women and girls. The Zonta Club of Austin puts mission into motion through local partnerships like the Blessing Bundles project with Hope Alliance, a domestic violence shelter in Williamson County. The bundles—filled with hygiene items, cozy socks, and handwritten notes offer survivors a sense of dignity and encouragement as they begin rebuilding. Zonta Austin also invests in the future of women through several scholarships- The Women in Business Scholarship which supports college women pursuing business degrees. The Rose Scholarship – Awarded to young women who have overcome adversity, including those from the foster care system or domestic violence survivors. Finally, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship – A prestigious international award for women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace sciences.
The Zonta Club of Austin- organized on May 30, 1951 and has spent over 70 years serving the local community through targeted service, advocacy, and investment. Each year, the chapter logs thousands of volunteer hours to provide direct support to organizations that serve women and children in Central Texas, gives out over $10,000 in scholarships and uplifts women worldwide. In addition to volunteering locally- each year, Zonta International participates in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, advocating alongside international leaders for legislation, funding, and programming that improve the lives of women and girls worldwide. The Zonta Club of Austin contributes to this effort through its involvement in the Zonta USA Advocacy Caucus- a national-level body that coordinates U.S.-based advocacy and policy initiatives. The Caucus enables local clubs like Austin’s to align their grassroots efforts with global goals, from ending child marriage to expanding access to education and reproductive health.
What ties it all together is a commitment to sisterhood, service, and strategy. Like their international counterparts, the women of Zonta Austin give their time not because it’s easy—but because it’s necessary. “We want women and girls in our community to know they’re not alone,” says longtime Zonta member. “We’re here to help open doors—and walk beside them as they step through.”
