The San Jose Woman's Club, one of California's oldest women's organizations, was established in 1894 as part of a nationwide social movement of women's clubs that combined self-improvement with voluntary community work, addressing needs that interested women, such as kindergartens, libraries, and parks. Today, the San Jose Woman's club is no longer a same-sex organization, but it continues to focus on supporting women and the community by maintaining an active calendar of events, providing leadership and mentoring for women, scholarships for local students, funding local and women's charitable and arts organizations, preserving its historic Clubhouse and performing charitable work.