YMCA Buffalo Niagara

YMCA Buffalo Niagara's Board of Directors and senior staff have identified five key strategic priorities to begin work on in 2019: • Youth Development - engage and inspire more youth, tweens, and teens through a diverse array of innovative and impactful experiences; • Healthy Living - improve community health and well-being by serving and engaging more people; • Social Responsibility - increase access to YMCA programs and services; • Growth & Long Term Viability - position the Y to grow and serve more people; • Organizational Capacity - improve organizational capacity through the development of cause driven leaders and the use of technology.

YMCA Buffalo Niagara was founded in 1852 and has a long history of meeting and adapting to community needs. Today, YMCA Buffalo Niagara employs 125 full-time staff and more than 900 part-time staff to deliver programs and services. In addition, YMCA Buffalo Niagara has the capacity to meet its strategic goals due to strong: • Leadership: The Y’s Board of Directors and Board of Trustees bring diverse expertise and resources to help develop, implement, and monitor the strategic plan. • Financial Development: YMCA Buffalo Niagara receives grant funding and conducts an annual campaign to raise funds to fulfill its charitable mission. The Board of Directors is very active in securing funding to ensure sustainability. • Fiscal Management: The Y has a history of being good stewards of financial resources, meeting or exceeding budget forecasts each year.

YMCA Buffalo Niagara determines success by the positive impact delivered to the community and how the strategic priorities are achieved. Y programs and services are regularly measured to determine quality and impact. We monitor our programs through parent and participant surveys, progressive swim tests, health outcomes, literacy testing, and other feedback systems. On a quarterly basis, our Board of Directors reviews a progress report on our strategic priorities. The report indicates progress towards success criteria, ensuring that the organization stays focused on meeting the goals outlined in its strategic plan.

Founded in 1852, YMCA Buffalo Niagara is the second-oldest YMCA in the United States and one of the oldest institutions in Western New York. As a charitable not-for-profit health and human services organization, YMCA Buffalo Niagara helps bring much needed services to the Western New York community. We do not turn anyone away due to an inability to pay—each year, thousands of people in Western New York benefit from financial assistance from the YMCA. More than 2,800 children and families annually benefit from our annual campaign, providing over $1.4 million in financial aid for people who wish to participate in YMCA programs such as child care, summer camp, or to purchase a membership. YMCA Buffalo Niagara provides safe activities with academic enrichment for over 3,000 children daily during the school year and 2,000 during the summer. These youth development programs are curriculum-based and help students find a sense of belonging, build healthy relationships, and achieve new skills. One of YMCA Buffalo Niagara's upcoming priorities is to develop a new facility to provide more membership and program access to the North Buffalo community. Additionally, the Y is currently developing new partnerships and collaborations to deliver more programs in under-served communities in Erie and Niagara counties.