FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mission and Members - Keys To Growing Strength of YMCAs
Family-centered charity strengthened in 2005 by its 20.2 million members, $5.06 billion revenue
CHICAGO, July 17, 2006 - America’s oldest and largest community-based social service organization and charity celebrated another record year in 2005 with membership reaching 20,189,986 — well surpassing the total population of America’s five largest cities. Children and teens account for nearly half of YMCA membership, and YMCAs now enroll as many women and girls as men and boys. For a third consecutive year, YMCAs have occupied the #1 position in the prestigious NonProfit Times “Top 100” ranking of American non-profits and in 2005 reported total revenue of $5.06 billion — up 6.4% during 2005 — funds that are returned to YMCA communities in the form of programs and services.
Annual data for 2005 was released here today by YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for the nation’s 970 corporate or parent YMCAs and their 1,647 branches: 2,617 YMCAs in all, representing a net increase of 23 Ys over 2004.
Welcoming places for everyone, America’s mission-driven YMCAs owe their combined strength to the extraordinary generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations and public entities at every level, energized by some 561,132 volunteers. Public support represented $1.37 billion or 27.2% of combined YMCA revenue in 2005. This included nearly $319 million raised in capital campaigns and more than $162 million raised in annual campaigns, as well as $86 million from the United Way and $632 million from foundation and government grants.
“For more than 150 years, YMCAs have been creating community and building the whole individual in spirit, mind and body,” said Neil Nicoll, President and CEO, YMCA of the USA.
“This new data demonstrates the strength of public support of YMCAs — of the values and relationships that are the hallmark of YMCAs and the support of our dedicated donors and volunteers in every community, coast to coast. With that wellspring of public support, YMCAs continue to engage children and at-risk teens in creative, well-supervised programs, getting them active and building good character and self-confidence at their YMCAs, where the community goes to be part of something wonderful,” Nicoll said.
In 2005, YMCAs collectively remained the nation’s largest provider of child care, providing high-quality, affordable care to more than 500,000 children through nearly 10,000 YMCA- operated child care sites across the country. An equally welcoming place for adults, Ys have responded to the country’s changing demographics as nearly 78 million baby boomers enter their 60s. Adults 65 and older now represent the fastest-growing category of YMCA membership, with 1,394 Ys offering Older Adult Fitness in 2005, while 1,092 offered arthritis aquatics classes and 362 offered Older Adult Sports. All YMCA programs are enriched with precepts of character development.
From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs are at the heart of community life in the United States with 42 million families and 72 million households located within three miles of a YMCA. As such, YMCAs partner with thousands of local organizations to develop and implement effective collaborative programs and community-based solutions.
Other items of note in 2005:
- 1,496 Ys (58%) were located in three-mile areas where the median family income was lower than the national median.
- 21 new Ys have been chartered in areas serving low-income neighborhoods since 2001.
- 1,712 Ys worked collaboratively with elementary schools and 1,282 with hospitals
- Ys served more than 9.5 million members under the age of 18 and 981,458 over 65.
- More than a third of all families benefiting from YMCA child care reported annual incomes less than $25,000 and 60 percent earn less the $40,000.
- 902 Ys offered one or more of a range of arts and humanities programs.
- 552 Ys offered family fitness programs; 240 offered family camps.
- 1,098 Ys offered day camp for teens, a growing trend.
Top YMCA Programs:
In 2005, the most popular YMCA programs, ranked by numbers of YMCAs offering them, included: day camp, youth basketball, aerobic group exercise, preschool and youth aquatics, school-aged child care, older adult fitness and exercise, and YMCA Healthy Kids Day.
YMCA of the USA’s annual statistics were tallied from 2,416 YMCA responses to a questionnaire on 2005 operations collected in the first quarter of 2006. Additional YMCA statistics can be found online at www.ymca.net Click on: “About the YMCA.”
About YMCA
YMCA of the USA is national resource office for America's 2,617 YMCAs, collectively the nation's largest community service organization and charity of choice. YMCAs serve 20.2 million people, including 9.5 million children, through a broad range of programs. YMCAs are for people of all faiths, races, ages, incomes and abilities. Visit www.ymca.net.