For Administrators

Please contact our Association Services team for YETI training, an overview of your new responsibilities, and any support you need. We’re happy to help!

As soon as an association indicates that they want to participate, YWCARF collects data on eligible employees and adds their information to YETI in advance. Enrollments can then be submitted from YETI.

The YWCA must also submit an Eligibility Option Change form to elect its eligibility rule (one or two years).

When associations wish to resume participation, they follow the original participation process: YWCARF collects data on eligible employees and adds their information to YETI. Enrollments are then submitted via YETI.

The YWCA must also submit an Eligibility Option Change form to elect its eligibility rule (one or two years).

Every month, we ask all Fund administrators to submit enrollment of all new eligible employees and former participants who must be re-enrolled, as well as any terminations in YETI.

• Participants can submit a Designation of Beneficiary form to their YWCA's payroll department or submit this information electronically within the self-service portal.

• Participants who would like to make after-tax employee contributions may submit an Authorization for Optional Contributions form to their YWCA's payroll department or submit their election within the self-service portal.

Administrators must also report their association's employee compensation, optional employee contributions, and hours worked.

Ensuring that this information is complete and correct significantly reduces processing time and avoids penalties, so please note the following before submitting your monthly paperwork to the Fund:

• Association contributions are submitted by the 15th, and optional after-tax contributions are submitted within three business days of the payroll check date.

• The Fund must be notified of any Executive Director, Board President, or retirement administrator changes.

Associations use a system called File Transfer to securely submit documents to the Fund.

New Fund administrators are granted access as part of the onboarding process. Alternatively, please contact our Association Services team.

The following contribution types are subject to retirement contributions and must be reported to us:

•Gross compensation and wages
•Overtime pay
•Bonuses
•Vacation pay
•Differential wages 3401(h)(2) related to payment to employees in military service
•Sick leave pay
•Severance pay before termination of employment
•Salary deferral under IRC 125, 132(f)(4), 401(k), 403(b) and 457
•Off-cycle payroll (may include bonus pay, retro pay, commission etc.)
•Participants' final payroll
•Other taxable payments include, but are not limited to, stipend, allowance, COVID-19 pay and disaster relief pay

Contact your payroll provider if any of the above categories are missing from the payroll upload file.

Please note that this list may not be comprehensive. If you have any questions about compensation types not listed here, or need assistance with instructing your payroll provider, contact us.

The following compensation types are not subject to retirement contributions and must not be reported to us:

•Third party: disability pay, third-party sick pay etc.
•Severance pay after termination of employment

YWCA employees become eligible for enrollment after working at least 1,000 hours a year for two years or 1,000 hours for one year, depending on their association's eligibility election. if the former, the two years do not need to be consecutive – prior YWCA work hours count toward eligibility if reemployment occurs within two years. Once eligible, employees are enrolled on the first of the month following the end of the qualifying year.

A former participant is immediately eligible for participation upon hire or rehire by a YWCA.

YETI tracks employees' eligibility for enrollment.

New Fund administrators are granted access as part of the onboarding process. Alternatively, please contact our Association Services team.

To enroll new or returning employees, associations must inform the Fund via YETI. At the same time, they must upload beneficiary information and authorization for optional after-tax employee contributions where applicable.

Submit the enrollment in YETI. Participants can submit a Designation of Beneficiary form to their YWCA's payroll department or submit this information electronically within the self-service portal.

Participants who would like to make after-tax employee contributions may submit an Authorization for Optional After-Tax Contributions form to their YWCA's payroll department or submit their election within the self-service portal.

After enrollment, new participants will receive a welcome letter from the Fund confirming their participation. The letter also contains instructions on how to register their account in self-service.

When a former participant is rehired, or returns from an unpaid leave of absence, you must report their return to active status by submitting via YETI.

Associations must remit contributions by YETI by the due date, after which YCWARF will issue an ACH debit.

Association contributions are due on the 15th of each month and are retroactive. For example, contributions for June are due July 15th.

Participating YWCA associations contribute to participants’ YWCARF accounts at one of five contribution levels: 3%, 4%, 5%, 7.5%, or 10%. Contribution rates are elected annually for the following calendar year by October 31st and submitted to YWCARF with an Election of Contribution Rate form.

Experts agree that a recommended retirement income target, also known as the replacement ratio, is between 70% and 85% of an employee's final year of pay.

Within the YWCA network, where two-thirds of employees make less than $50K annually, association contributions significantly impact the personal savings a long-term employee will require to supplement their YWCA Retirement Fund and Social Security incomes for a comfortable retirement. Find out more about the "three-legged stool" of retirement savings here.

Active participants at participating associations may choose to make optional after-tax contributions to their account through monthly payroll deductions. However, in accordance with the law, participants who are considered “highly compensated employees” may not make optional after-tax contributions.

A participant who made more than $155,000 in 2024 is deemed a highly compensated employee in 2025. The IRS adjusts this limit annually.

Participants may start, adjust, or stop optional after-tax employee contributions by submitting an Authorization for Optional After-Tax Employee Contributions form to their association or submitting these changes within the self-service portal. Your association's payroll department must submit the form, signed by the employee and association, to the Fund or accept online submissions within the association self-service portal.

If you missed remittance of a participant’s optional after-tax contribution, or must correct an error, please contact our Association Services team.

Yes. Active participants can make catch-up contributions if they did not make the maximum employee contributions in prior plan years. Interested participants should contact our Member Services team to discuss the allowable catch-up amount.

It is extremely important that any optional after-tax employee contributions are remitted as soon as possible, as late or missed transfer of these funds may trigger lost interest payable by your association, federal penalties owed by your association, and in repeat cases, audit by the IRS.

The Department Of Labor (DOL) requires that employee-withheld after-tax contributions be remitted to the Fund as soon as is feasible after separation from the employee’s paycheck. The 15th business day of the month (which remains the due date for association contributions), is an outer limit only: more than three business days after separation will be considered late.

Associations that are late to remit employee contributions three times in one calendar year will incur an automatic suspension from the employee-withheld after-tax contribution program.

Employees of enrolled associations may make optional pre- and post-tax contributions through the YWCA National 403(b) Plan.

Reports must include hours paid for:

•Duties
•Vacation time
•Holidays
•Sick days and incapacity (including disability)
•Layoff
•Jury duty
•Military duty
•Leave of absence
•Back pay

Do not report hours for pay increases, retro or current, if those hours have already been reported.

When a participant has a change in status, such as leaving YWCA employment or taking an unpaid leave of absence that exceeds three months, you must notify us within YETI. We will then contact the participant to advise them about their account options.

You may report updates to key positions such as Executive Director, CFO, CRO, Board President, or relevant updates to the Human Resources or payroll departments by contacting our Association Services team or submitting an Association Profile form.