Young Mens Christian Association Of The Iowa Mississippi Valley

THE YMCA BUILDS HEALTHY SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY FOR ALL AND BRINGS ITS MISSION TO LIFE BY TEACHING AND DEMONSTRATING OUR CORE VALUES OF CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, AND RESPONSIBILITY. THE YMCA IS COMMITTED TO INCLUSIVENESS AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY

HEALTHY LIVING PROVIDING AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY MEMBERSHIPS IS A KEY DRIVER OF OUR SUSTAINABLE YMCA MISSION OPERATION. A TOTAL OF 46,032 PEOPLE WERE MEMBERS OF OUR Y IN 2021, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 27% FROM THE END OF 2020. AND JUST AS IMPORTANT IS THAT OVER 23% OF FAMILIES WE SERVE RECEIVE ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE. WE ALSO SAW OUR MISSION CONTINUE TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED US BUT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IF IT WASN'T FOR OUR CHARITABLE MISSION. FINANCIAL AID AS A PERCENTAGE OF MEMBERSHIP REVENUE INCREASED FROM 10.23% TO 12.44% MONTHLY VISITS INCREASED ON A MONTHLY BASIS BY NEARLY 20,000 COMPARING DECEMBER OF 2020 TO DECEMBER OF 2021. SENIOR MEMBERSHIP SUBSIDIES HAVE BECOME AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF OUR SERVICE LINE TO OUR COMMUNITY. ON AVERAGE, WE COVER HALF OF THE MONTHLY CHARGES FOR OLDER ADULTS WHO RECEIVE MEMBERSHIP THROUGH THEIR INSURANCE PROVIDERS. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED $190,920 IN DIRECT SUBSIDY TO ENSURE THAT THE OLDER ADULTS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAD A SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT TO BE HEALTHY. PARTICIPATIONS IN GROUP EXERCISE AND ANOTHER 3,000 PER MONTH IN WATER EXERCISE, WE STILL HAD 64,896 PARTICIPATIONS IN GROUP EXERCISE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND 9,091 PARTICIPATIONS IN WATER EXERCISE. WE ALSO FIND IT TO BE MISSION-CRITICAL THAT WE NOT ONLY SELL MEMBERSHIPS TO FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THAT WE ALSO ALIGN OUR MEMBERSHIP DELIVERY TO INCREASE USAGE. A PRIMARY TOOL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS COMPONENT OF OUR MEMBERSHIP IS TO COVER THE COSTS (UP TO $100 PER MEMBER) SO EACH NEW MEMBER WILL RECEIVE TWO SESSIONS OF FACE-T0-FACE COACHING AND TRAINING BY A CERTIFIED TRAINER. OUR DATA SHOWS THAT BY THIS INVESTMENT IN A TRAINER, MEMBERS USAGE INCREASES AND RETENTION NEARLY DOUBLES SO THAT THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE GETTING HEALTHIER BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF OUR Y. ALTHOUGH WE STARTED ON PACE TO PROVIDE 3,840 SESSIONS WITH A TRAINER, WE STILL PROVIDED 940 SESSIONS, DESPITE MEMBERSHIP SALES DECREASING DRAMATICALLY. OVER 37% OF NEW MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR MYFIT PROGRAM AND MEET WITH A TRAINER TO START THEIR FITNESS JOUNEYS.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT OUR Y BEGAN WITH A YOUTH FOCUS 163 YEARS AGO, AND THIS REMAINS A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR COMMUNITY-BUILDING WORK. WE CONTINUE TO WORK AS A LEADER IN QUALITY CHILD CARE AND PRESCHOOL IN THE THREE COUNTIES WE SERVE. WE ARE PROUD THAT OVER 60% OF FAMILIES RECEIVED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE OUR HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAMS. OUR CONTINUED FOCUS ON SERVICES TO FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN MADE ADDITIONAL IMPACTS IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. WE SERVED 274 CHILDREN FROM THE AGES OF 6 WEEKS THROUGH KINDERGARTEN, AND WE SUCCESSFULLY REPORT THAT 99% OF OUR PARTICPANTS GRADUATED PRESCHOOL AND TESTED "READY FOR KINDERGARTEN" WHICH IS A KEY INDICATOR IN EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR A STUDENT'S LIFE. ALTHOUGH STAFFING LEVELS CONTINUED TO BE A CHALLENGE THAT LIMITED OUR CAPACITY, OUR CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS AT TWO EARLY LEARNING CENTERS, AS OPPOSED TO THE ONE WE OFFERED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE OFFERED PROGRAMS AT THREE LOCATIONS. AS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING NEEDS INCREASED AND BEGAN TO APPROACH THE LEVELS PRE-PANDEMIC, WE PROVIDED SAFE PROGRAMMING TO 641 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THREE DISTRICTS. THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED THE SOCIAL, MENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL WELL-BEING OF A VAST MAJORITY - IF NOT ALL - OF THE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WE SERVE. THEREFORE, THE NEED FOR THE YMCA OUTREACH PROGRAMS BECAME MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER. THE Y'S OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE COMPRISED OF TWO, TARGETED POPULATION-BASED PROGRAMS, EACH LED BY A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL WHO HAS BEEN RAISED AND EDUCATED HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT COMPARE WELL TO WHAT THE AT-RISK STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING. THE YMCA SOLUTIONS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH-AGED STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN 2021, 116 STUDENTS BENEFITED FROM THE YMCA SOLUTIONS PROGRAM. YMCA SOLUTIONS FOCUSES ON MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, WHICH INCLUDE 83% IMPROVEMENT IN GPA, 72% INCREASE IN MATH SCORES, 62% INCREASE IN READING SKILLS. THE YMCA ACHIEVERS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR HIGH SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS, OR POST-SECONDARY YOUNG ADULTS FOCUSED ON RECEIVING THEIR G.E.D.S OR ON COLLEGE EDUCATION OR CAREERS. SINCE THE START OF THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, 88 YOUNG ADULTS HAVE PARTICIPATED. WE SAW AN 88% GRADUATION RATE, 90% OF REFERRALS FROM OUR POLICE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE PARTNERS DID NOT RE-OFFEND, 84% WERE SUCCESSFUL FINDING JOBS, AND 100% TOOK THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING SURVEY. OUR YMCA, WITH STAFF LEADERSHIP, DONOR SUPPORT AND THE TRUST OF THE FAMILIES WE SERVE, WAS ABLE TO OFFER SAFE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS AT 6 LOCATIONS, INCLUDING YMCA CAMP ABE LINCOLN, OUR 250-ACRE NATURE PROGRAMMING AREA. WE HAD 1,255 CHILDREN PARTICPATE IN DAY AND RESIDENT CAMPS, WHICH INCLUDED NEARLY 500 STUDENTS WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND ON SCHOLARHIP. IN TOTAL, 3,418 CHILDREN USED SPORTS PROGRAMS AT OUR YMCA TO LEARN CONFIDENCE AND SOCIAL SKILLS AND TO BE HEALTHIER. OVER 3,500 KIDS PARTICIPATED IN OUR SPORTS PROGRAMS, AND 742 REGISTRATIONS TOOK PLACE IN OUR GYMNASTICS PROGRAM, AS WE ADDED A NINJA ZONE TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION BY BOYS. WE PROVIDED 1,993 SWIM LESSONS, AND EVEN HAD OVER 2,100 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SEVEN PLAY AND INTERACT TOGETHER IN OUR CHILD WATCH PROGRAM WHILE THEIR PARENTS EXERCISED.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OUR CHARITABLE MISSION CONTINUES TO BE DRIVEN FORWARD BY VOLUNTEERS, DONORS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. TOGETHER, OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCES ENSURE THAT NO ONE IS TURNED AWAY DUE TO AN INABILITY TO PAY AS WE MAINTAIN OUR BRAND PROMISE OF SERVICE TO ALL. ONE OF THE BEST INDICATORS OF THE SUPPORT WE PROVIDE TO OUR LOCAL CHILDREN, ADULTS, FAMLIES AND SENIORS IS THE AMOUNT OF DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED $1.53-MILLION TO IMMEDIATELY GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE IN NEED. WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 21.4% FROM 2020. FOR 163 YEARS, VOLUNTEERS HAVE LED OUR YMCA TO ENSURE WE ARE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY APROPRIATELY, PRIORITIZING CHALLENGES, AND SETTING THE BEST STRATEGIC AGENDA. BOTH OUR CORPORATE YMCA, AND OUR BRANCHES, HAVE THEIR OWN VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP TEAMS. WE WORK TO ENSURE THESE BOARDS ARE REFLECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, AND COVER A SPECTRUM OF LEADERS FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF BUSINESS, EDUCATION, NONPROFIT AND FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES. FROM 2020 TO 2021, WE INCREASED PARTICPATION IN OUR VOLUNTEER BOARDS FROM 161 TO 210, WHICH IS A 23% INCREASE. VOLUNTEERS ALSO PROVIDE GREAT RESOURCES TO DELIVER YOUTH SPORTS AS WELL AS HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH A DIVERSE POPULATION OF KIDS AND FAMILIES. IN 2021, 238 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN OUR PROGRAMS TO MAKE OUR MISSION HAPPEN. OUR VOLUNTEERS AND BOARDS ALSO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN ADVOCACY AND FUNDRAISING. MAKING DIRECT GIFTS THROUGH DONATION CONTINUES TO BE A LEADING INDICATOR OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WE WORK HARD AT ALL LEVELS OF OUR ASSOCIATION TO CULTIVATE. OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN GREW BY 19%. IN 2021 WE ADDED 118 NEW DONORS, AND WE INCREASED OUR AMOUNT RAISED TO $826,180. FINALLY, WE ARE HONORED TO BE RECOGNZIED BY THE LARGEST, INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR OF CHARITIES IN OUR COUNTRY. THIS YEAR, FOR THE 11TH-CONSECUTIVE YEAR, WHICH PLACES US IN THE TOP 2% OF NONPROFITS FOR FINANCIAL DILIGENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN AMERICA.