The YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) is a movement made up of numerous local, national, and international organizations. These organizations seek to support and empower women, families, and communities by promoting peace and social justice. Launched in 1855 in England by a group of women concerned about the physical and spiritual welfare of young women leaving their homes in rural areas to find work in industrializing cities, the YWCA movement quickly spread to countries around the world, including the United States, where the first YWCA was organized in New York City in 1858. Over time, the work of YWCA organizations has expanded to include services, programs, and advocacy activities in the areas of fitness, women's health, employment, education, poverty, civil rights, and domestic violence.

The YWCA of Richmond was founded in 1887 as the Women's Christian Association of Richmond by a group of Richmond women who wanted to assist young women traveling to the city to work. In 1888, the group opened its first boarding house, and in 1890, established a nursery and kindergarten, Richmond's first, for the children of women working in Richmond's factories. The women staying at the boarding house were provided with access to medical care, an extensive library, sewing classes, and prayer groups. As YWCAs sprung up across the country, interest grew in promoting cooperation at the national level, and in 1907, the Richmond YWCA became a charter member of the national YWCA, later known as YWCA USA.

Membership in the YWCA of Richmond grew rapidly, and as it did, the organization was able to expand its services and programs. In 1910, the organization opened a gymnasium where young women could exercise to promote good health and relieve stress. Other programs established in the 1910s included employment referrals, meal services, sex education, English lessons, job and domestic science training, and social clubs.

With segregation firmly entrenched in Richmond, as in much of the South, the YWCA founded in 1887 only permitted white membership and provided services exclusively to white clients. However, from an early date there was strong interest, particularly among members of the African American community, in establishing a YWCA organization in Richmond to assist young, African American women and their children. In 1912, this goal was achieve when a group of over 200 Richmond women were granted a charter for the Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA of Richmond.

Over the course of the following decades, the YWCA organizations of Richmond continued to expand their services. This expansion included the addition of Girl Reserves programs, later known as Y-Teens, as well as day camps and additional recreational and exercise programing.

Efforts to bring the segregated YWCA units together began early on, but moved forward gradually. In 1925, a member of the Phyllis Wheatly Branch's management committee joined the Richmond YWCA's board of directors, and in 1930, both YWCA organizations played an active role in the creation of the Southern Commission on Interracial Cooperation. During the 1960s, all programing became fully integrated. The national YWCA identified civil rights as a priority during this time, and at its 1970 annual convention, the national YWCA announced its commitment to eliminating racism, a goal which has remained a key component of the national YWCA and the Richmond YWCA's objectives.

In addition increasing its focus on issues surrounding racism and civil rights at this time, the Richmond YWCA also began to offer more programs and services addressing sexual assault and domestic violence. The organization was one of the first in the Richmond area to establish a sexual assault center and a women's shelter, both opened in 1979. The organization also maintained its dedication to serving children during this time, establishing a preschool program of homeless children in 1989.

In 1996, the Richmond YWCA ceased to provide health and fitness services, choosing instead to focus exclusively on programs addressing domestic violence, sexual violence, and early childhood education. As of 2016, the Richmond YWCA staffed a 24 hour domestic and sexual violence hotline, provided counseling and emergency housing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, operated an accredited preschool, and offered a variety of programs aimed at empowering women of all ages in the Greater Richmond community.