How to Join

Click here to make an account and start your JLW application.

All women who value the Junior League of Washington’s (JLW) Mission are encouraged to join our League. We are united by our commitment to serve our community through trained volunteer service and develop the potential of women everywhere. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

JLW accepts new members each year through a four-step application process. Please read on to learn more about this process, including important application deadlines. If you have questions that are not answered on this page, please feel free to email us at join@jlw.org.

Being a member of JLW comes with many benefits – not only unique opportunities to serve, lead, and connect, but also discounts with local retailers, museums, theaters, fitness clubs, and more. Click here to learn more about these benefits.

If you are already a member of the Junior League in another city and wish to transfer into JLW, please click here.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to join JLW as a new member, you must meet the following criteria by the JLW Membership Application Deadline of March 24, 2023:

  • Be at least 21 years of age
  • Be a resident within the greater Washington, DC, area

A detailed application process is below. Please contact the Member Recruitment Committee with any additional questions or concerns.

HOW TO JOIN THE JLW?

STEP 1: BECOME FAMILIAR WITH JLW

Joining JLW as a new member begins with becoming familiar with the League. Each fall, JLW offers informal “Getting to Know JLW” Open Houses. At these open houses, interested women meet JLW members who share their experiences, offer information about JLW, and answer questions. While attending an Open House is not mandatory and you can submit an Applicant Interest Form without attending, participation is highly encouraged.

Open Houses will be held on:

STEP 2: SUBMIT YOUR ONLINE APPLICANT INTEREST FORM

Once you are familiar with the membership process and requirements, you may create an account with JLW and submit the online Applicant Interest Form. Click here to create your account. After creating your account, you will receive a confirmation email with the next steps and a link to the Applicant Interest Form. The Applicant Interest Form must be completed on, or before, December 11, 2022, at 11:59 p.m.

STEP 3: ATTEND A MANDATORY RECRUITMENT ORIENTATION SESSION AND SUBMIT APPLICATION

All women who meet the requirements set forth within the Applicant Interest Form will be notified and invited to attend a mandatory Recruitment Orientation Session.

Recruitment Orientation Sessions give prospective members the opportunity to learn more about JLW, and attendance is mandatory to continue the application process.

The 2023 Recruitment Orientation Sessions will be held on:

  • Friday, January 20 – 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  • Thursday, January 26 – 6:30 – 28 p.m.
  • Saturday, February 11 – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Sunday, February 26 – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Monday, March 13 – 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Once a prospective member attends a Recruitment Orientation Session, they will receive another non-transferable link for the application and the $35 applicant processing fee that accompanies the application. The non-refundable fee is payable at the time the online application is submitted. Women who submit an applicant processing fee but are not selected in the lottery will have the fee waived if they re-apply the following year.

All applications must be submitted on, or before, March 24, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. After all applications have been reviewed, eligible women will be placed into a lottery and will be notified of their status in early April 2023.

STEP 4: INVITATION TO JOIN THE JLW NEW MEMBER CLASS OF 2023-2024

JLW welcomes about 250-300 new members every year. However, that means we are not always able to accommodate all women who are interested in joining each year. Every eligible candidate who submits each requirement on time will be entered into the lottery system to determine who will be invited to join JLW’s 2023-2024 New Member Class. All applicants will be notified of their status by the Member Recruitment Committee mid to late April 2023, and those accepted must pay new member dues and course fee (approximately $320) by May 1, 2023.There will be the option for dues payment plans and a small number of dues scholarships are available.

QUESTIONS?

By becoming one of the Junior League of Washington’s trained volunteers, your service can improve the lives of women and children in the Washington, DC, area. We hope you’ll join us as we transform our community through trained volunteer service. Please contact join@jlw.org for more information regarding how to become a member of JLW.