1

PRT 506 Final Paper

Robert “Jake” Anderson

Elizabeth “Beth” Miller

YMCA of Greater Richmond

YMCA of the Triangle

2

Table of Contents

The YMCA .....................................................................................................................................3

History ..........................................................................................................................................3

Mission .........................................................................................................................................3

Areas of Focus ..............................................................................................................................3

Brand Behaviors ...........................................................................................................................4

YMCA of the Triangle ...................................................................................................................4

History ..........................................................................................................................................4

Vision ...........................................................................................................................................5

Philosophy ....................................................................................................................................5

Strategic Planning ........................................................................................................................5

Organizational Environment ........................................................................................................7

Organizational Structure ..............................................................................................................7

YMCA of Greater Richmond .......................................................................................................9

History ..........................................................................................................................................9

Vision .........................................................................................................................................10

Philosophy ..................................................................................................................................10

Strategic Planning ......................................................................................................................10

Organizational Environment ......................................................................................................11

Organizational Structure ............................................................................................................11

Differences ....................................................................................................................................13

Collaboration ..............................................................................................................................13

Similarities ....................................................................................................................................15

Training ......................................................................................................................................15

Overall Organizational Issues .....................................................................................................18

Evaluation Application ..............................................................................................................18

Prospecting the Future ................................................................................................................22

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................23

References .....................................................................................................................................23

3

The YMCA

History

The YMCA was founded in London in 1844 by George Williams as, “a refuge of Bible

study and prayer for young men seeking escape from hazards of life on the streets” (YMCA,

2014). What was unique about the Y for its time was its drive to meet the social needs in its

community and its openness to members separated by English social classes (YMCA, 2014).

Seeing a similar need for a safe “home away from home” for sailors in the U.S., Thomas

Valentine Sullivan formed the first YMCA in America on December 29, 1851 in Boston

(YMCA, 2014). In the years that followed, the YMCA has continued to serve communities and

be a place open to all. Today, “the Y engages more than 10,000 neighborhoods across the U.S.

As the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to helping people and communities to learn, grow

and thrive, our contributions are both far-reaching and intimate—from influencing our nation’s

culture during times of profound social change to the individual support we provide an adult

learning to read. By nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health

and well-being, and supporting and serving our neighbors, the Y ensures that everyone has the

opportunity to become healthier, more confident, connected and secure” (YMCA, 2014).

Mission

The mission of the YMCA is to put Christian principles into practice through programs

that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Areas of Focus

The YMCA has three areas of focus: youth development, healthy living and social

responsibility.

4

Brand Behaviors

The YMCA expects its employees to act according to its four brand behaviors: caring,

honesty, respect and responsibility. Different than others, the YMCA of the Triangle has 5 brand

behaviors. The one that is missing from the list above is, Faith in God.

YMCA of the Triangle

History

The YMCA of the Triangle was founded in Raleigh, NC in 1858 and was focused on the

spiritual nurturing of young men through Sunday schools and devotional meetings. In 1913, the

YMCA erected its first permanent building. The amenities that were part of this building

included a gymnasium, reading room, assembly hall, swimming pool, and basement. It was clear

that the community was in need of a YMCA to lift the community up and enrich the lives of

those they would touch (Larson, 2014). Like the YMCA of Greater Richmond, the constitution

and by-laws are the same, wanting to:

To bring young men under religious and moral influences.

To provide a library and reading room.

To provide lectures, devotional meetings and Bible classes.

To provide young men a safe, wholesome home-away-from-home to counteract the “lure

and ruin” of the city (Crews, pg. 21, 2004).

To understand where the YMCA of Triangle started, and the reasons it chose the Raleigh

community, it would make sense that almost 150 years later, the YMCA of the Triangle has

grown to be over 18 branches. These branches serve communities and families by raising over $8

million dollars annually to help support them in times of need and struggle. The YMCA fully

supports our community and opens their doors to serving the needs of the public.

5

Vision

“At the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by side with

our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the

opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.

With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y

nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the nation's health and well-being, and

provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors.”

Philosophy

“The YMCA of the Triangle recognizes and celebrates the growing diversity of our

community. At the YMCA, everyone belongs.”

Strategic Planning

The YMCA of the Triangle has set goals for all 18 branches to try and reach by 2020.

These are our long range goals:

GOAL 1: MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: The YMCA of the

Triangle will become a respected leader in youth development, healthy living, and social

responsibility within our service areas by increasing membership and program participation by

10% by 2020. (YMCA of the Triangle, 2014)

Strategies:

1. Increase number of programs offered which address the needs of various age groups

and specific target groups (i.e. senior population, health seekers)

2. Target and serve the underserved demographic by collaborating with other public

entities to create and provide more health/wellness and program opportunities.

3. Expand membership through classes and programs at new YMCA Express.

4. Become the health and wellness provider of choice for people of all ages and abilities

through collaborations and programs. (P.Ruff, 2014)

Goal 2: FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT: The YMCA of the Triangle recognizes that

maintaining financial stability will enhance our position in the communities we serve; therefore,

6

it is our goal to operate in a fiscally sound manner to ensure positive cash flow and long-term

stability, while reducing debt. (YMCA of the Triangle, 2014)

Strategies:

1. Establish and fund maintenance, depreciation and capital replacement reserves.

2. Create a planned giving program to increase the Y’s endowment.

3. Increase contributed income to strengthen our ability to serve more people and provide

support for new initiatives.

4. Increase membership and program revenues.

5. Reduce organizational debt. (Huffman, 2014)

Goal 3: STAFF DEVELOPMENT: The YMCA of the Triangle’s future success is

contingent on obtaining and engaging talented staff that reflect the diversity of our service areas;

therefore, our goal is to retain, recruit, educate, and develop staff and produce Y leaders and

ambassadors. (YMCA of the Triangle, 2014)

Strategies:

1. Create an infrastructure that supports the growth of staff into future leaders of the

YMCA and the community.

2. Foster a culture of philanthropy among staff. (Hubbell, 2014)

Goal 4: BOARD DEVELOPMENT: In order to achieve our strategic goals, the Y realizes

it must have effective key volunteers; therefore, our goal is to build a board of community and

collaborative-minded and informed core of volunteers who are committed to the success and the

growth of the Y and its mission. (YMCA of the Triangle, 2014)

Strategy:

Create an infrastructure that supports the growth of our board volunteers into leaders of

the YMCA, who are empowered to advocate and position the Y as the leader in youth

development, healthy living and social responsibility in our community.

GOAL 5: FACILITY DEVELOPMENT: The YMCA of the Triangle recognizes that to

maximize the benefits to its members, staff and program operations, it needs to maintain, expand

and improve facilities and program space in a fiscally responsible manner. (YMCA of the

Triangle, 2014)

Strategies:

1. Identify opportunities to secure program space through collaboration, expansion or

leasing opportunities.

7

2. Identify opportunities to partner to develop facilities for delivery of Y service and

programs.

3. Be engaged in the County’s economic development process.

4. Create a multi-year plan for rationalizing long-term facility use, modernizing and

managing facilities. (Frisein, 2014)

Goal 6: IMPACTFUL AND SUSTAINABLE TEEN CENTER: The YMCA of the

Triangle recognizes that the teen population within our service areas is an underserved

demographic group; therefore, our goal is to partner and collaborate with other agencies to

strengthen teen values and develop teens as future leaders and productive citizens. (YMCA of

the Triangle, 2014)

Strategies:

1. Enhance partnership with Wake County to provide continued funding and a permanent

Teen Center operated by the Y.

2. Improve the current Teen Center’s fiscal sustainability so that it does not create a

negative impact on the Association’s resources. (Vance, 2014)

Organizational Environment

The YMCA of the Triangle has one of the best working atmospheres in the Raleigh

community. According to our SEER Analytics evaluation data, employees ranked us within the

top 90% of employee satisfaction by their organization. Upon walking into the doors of any one

of the 18 branches, staff are always welcoming, nurturing, and assisting community members,

but most importantly, helping fellow staff members out. We like to say our “Y Family”, and

create a culture amongst our staff that transpires into our personal lives.

Organizational Structure

The organizational structure of the YMCA of the Triangle is the same as the YMCA of

Greater Richmond. A description of the structure as well as an organizational chart is detailed

later on in this paper. This may be because the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s CEO was the

former Executive Vice President of the YMCA of the Triangle. The structure of the two

organizations mirror each other. Below is an example of branch organization. This falls after the

8

organizational structure of the association, and varies slightly from each branch based on how

large the facilitiy is and their needs. Below is an example of the AE Finley YMCA Branch

Structure. This chart depicts the full time staff members at one branch of the YMCA of the

Triangle’s 18 branches. All full time staff members supervise part time employees in one

capacity or another. Within this structure, all individuals listed are people of power to specific

departments and particular programs. All roles listed within the branch organization are clearly

defined at time of hire and even reiterated at performance appraisails which occur yearly. I

would say firmly that the Youth side of the branch has higher turnover than any other

department. This is due to high volume of programs and potentially quicker rate of burnout.

Also, individuals who start in youth have a greater chance of moving up the ladder than in any

other department, that being said, there are always people moving up or out of the youth

department.

Regional Vice President

Branch Director

Assocaite

Branch

Director-

Operations

Associate Branch Director Associate of Youth Programs

Wellness

Director

Aquatics

Director

Associate Sports

Director

Senior Youth

Director of

Teen Programs

Senior Youth

Director of

Outreach

Senior

Youth

Director of

School

Programs

Youth

Director

Youth

Director

Youth

Director

Youth

Director

Youth

Director

Welcome

Center

Director

Welcome

Center

Staff

Administration

Maint.

Dept.

9

YMCA of Greater Richmond

History

The YMCA was founded in Richmond on December 19, 1854, three years after the YMCA

first arrived in North America (Crews, 2004). The reasons for bringing the YMCA to Richmond

were made clear by the constitution and by-laws.

To bring young men under religious and moral influences.

To provide a library and reading room.

To provide lectures, devotional meetings and Bible classes.

To provide young men a safe, wholesome home-away-from-home to counteract the “lure

and ruin” of the city (Crews, pg. 21, 2004).

Before the Civil War, The Richmond YMCA rented a headquarters, established a library and

began outreach into other communities (Crews, 2004). During the war, the Y sent supplies to

sick and wounded soldiers to other states, raised money for wartime relief, delivered Bibles to

camps and hospitals, taught soldiers how to read, helped local women establish and operate three

private hospitals, and became deeply involved in civilian relief work (Crews, 2004). The Y,

“labored successfully to relieve suffering and to encourage hope” (Crews, pg. 39, 2004).

Richmond was one of two Southern YMCA’s that were still operational by the end of the

war. The other was located in Charleston, SC. (Crews, 2004). Survival was hard because of all

the effort put into war time relief. The city was also burned during Confederate evacuation,

taking much of the YMCA’s book and papers along with over 900 buildings in Richmond

(Crews, 2004). In 1874, the organization’s revival grew stronger and by 1887 the Y opened its

first permanent location. At this location, men worked out, women and boys did calisthenics and

basketball teams played on the courts (Crews, 2004). Because of its popularity, the YMCA

began building more branches around the city as well as around the United States. Emphasis on

physical activity continued to rise in the early 1900s completing the triangle established in 1854

10

of focusing on spirit, mind and body. The Richmond Y raised funds for wartime efforts in WWI,

continued to be involved in the community during the Great Depression, and united with other

like-minded service organizations in WWII to provide support for troops. After the war, and in

the decades to follow, local Ys started providing youth programs, established facilities in the

suburbs and began to focus on families.

Today, the YMCAs in Richmond have “become a major and much-loved part of life in

Central Virginia” (YMCA of Greater Richmond, 2014). The YMCA of Greater Richmond, “has

demonstrated its ability to endure and thrive during war and peace, economic boom and bust,

social stability and upheaval” (YMCA of Greater Richmond, 2014). Today, the Richmond

Association is, “a family-oriented institution welcoming all to develop their spiritual, mental and

physical gifts. Through numerous transformations, the YMCA of Greater Richmond has offered

lasting benefits to the city and communities it serves (YMCA of Greater Richmond, 2014).

Vision

“Everyone who participates in Y programs or services will grow in spirit, mind and

body.”

Philosophy

“The YMCA of Greater Richmond recognizes and celebrates the growing diversity of our

community. At the YMCA, everyone belongs.”

Strategic Planning

In 2014, The YMCA of Greater Richmond launched its 2025 Strategic Plan. According

to the YMCA, the plan, “will be a compass for our programs and services that will allow us to

serve our community even better in Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social

Responsibility” (YMCA of Great Richmond, 2014). This plan solidifies the current and future

11

role for the Y in the Richmond area as well as reflects the needs and hope for the community to

create healthier youth, families and adults. The primary goals for the Y in the 2025 Strategic Plan

are to: “reach more youth during Out of School time, increase learning opportunities for teens,

reduce obesity among youth and adults, reduce the occurrence of diabetes in adults and be

inclusive and accessible to people and neighborhoods across Central Virginia” (YMCA of

Greater Richmond, 2014). The mission and the 2025 Strategic Plan are the stated goals of the

organization. The strategic plan was determined and voted on by the YMCA Board of

Governors.

Organizational Environment

The organizational environment at the YMCA of Greater Richmond is one of friendliness

and openness. The YMCA is accepting to all and is open for all. Staff bonding is encouraged by

having social events one Friday afternoon a month and social lunches the first Friday of each

month. Staff members are also encouraged to socialize in each other’s office and build

relationships with one another. Staff are encouraged to think, dream and state their opinion.

Organizational Structure

The CEO was hired by the Board of Governors to oversee the operations and give

guidance to the YMCA of Greater Richmond. Under the CEO is: the CFO, who oversees the

financial operations of the organization, the Senior VP, who oversees the Philanthropy,

Community Development, and Communications/Marketing Departments, the Executive VP, who

oversees operations of the association as well as ensuring the success of the strategic plan, and

multiple Regional VPs who give support to the Executive Directors at each branch as well as the

director of human resources, technology, and the directors of programming s in the association

12

offices. The organizational chart below shows the positions as well as the positions underneath

them.

Primary roles within the YMCA of Greater Richmond are well defined and laid out in job

descriptions. These are given to each part-time and full-time employee to review and sign before

they accept a job within the organization. Secondary roles within the organization, roles which

do not relate specifically to the job one has, are not as clearly defined. An example of a

secondary role for a full-time employee is being the Manager on Duty during an evening or on a

Board of Directors

CEO

CFO Senior VP Executive VP Regional VPs

Finance

Dept.

Philanthropy

Dept.

Community

Development

Dept.

Communications/

Marketing Dept.

Directors of

Programming HR Director Technology

Director

HR Dept. Technology

Dept.

Branch Executive Directors

Branch Program Directors

Part-time Staff

13

weekend. Each branch has different expectations for this role. Some branches require the staff

member to stay at the front desk during their shift while others allow the staff member to be in

their office or roam the building. Often times, it is assumed that the staff member knows about

this role because someone else already told them about it.

The people who work for the YMCA in Richmond are very diverse. Multiple branches in

different locations in and around Richmond is one cause of diversity. Another cause for the

diversity is the multiple departments within the Y and the jobs associated with each department.

For some part-time workers, the Y is their first job. For others, the Y is a place for them to come

and work part-time after they have retired. At the Downtown Branch, there is a 17 year old

working at the front desk and an 86 year old teaching swim lessons. Employees at the Y also

come from different cultures and ethnicities. One way that the YMCA of Greater Richmond has

established a culture of diversity is by having a diversity statement. The statement reads, “The

YMCA of Greater Richmond nurtures and supports an environment that reflects, respects, and

celebrates our differences, while embracing the richness of our diversity within our membership

and staff. We strive to learn from all cultures to improve our programs and to ensure that people

of all backgrounds and capabilities feel welcome to participate in rewarding activities that will

strengthen the health and vitality of the YMCA and the communities we serve” (YMCA of

Greater Richmond, 2014).

Differences

Collaboration

There are 16 branches in The YMCA of Greater Richmond Association, while the

YMCA of the Triangle has 18 branches. According to YMCA of Greater Richmond Human

Resources Representative Georgia Aurelius, “part-time employees are allowed to work at

multiple branches as long as they do not work more than 25 cumulative hours per week”

14

(Aurelius, 2014). At the YMCA of the Triangle, they also encourage staff members working in

multiple branches; however, staff can not go over 29 hours, as opposed to 25 hours. The YMCA

encourages collaboration between branches so that its employees can gain a variety of

experiences and build more relationships. This collaboration is beneficial because part-time

employees who may not be scheduled for many hours at one branch can get more hours at

another branch. Amanda Simmons, Aquatics Director at the Northside YMCA, shares many

employees with the Downtown YMCA. Simmons believes that sharing employees is most

beneficial when she is in need of hiring new staff (Simmons, 2014). Because she is able to use

lifeguards or swim instructors from Downtown during the interviewing and hiring process, she

does not have to worry about covering the shifts herself (Simmons, 2014). Part-time employees

have to get approval from their primary supervisor before working at a second branch. Once

approved by the supervisor, he or she fills out an Employee Status form that is then approved by

the Human Resources Department.

The collaboration between branches extends to full-time staff as well. Full-time staff are

encouraged to build relationships and share ideas with other staff members that have their role in

other branches. Department heads from each branch meet together on a quarterly basis to

discuss upcoming programs, best practices and new ideas. Chris Martinez, Association Child

Care Director, view’s the collaboration between branches as a strength of the YMCA of Greater

Richmond. Martinez has worked for 2 other YMCA associations that do not promote branches

working closely with one another. Martinez states that, “The YMCA of Greater Richmond is

able to better fulfill its mission by allowing its branches to not be independent of one another. In

some associations, each branch sees the other branches as competition and rarely, if ever, allow

part-time employees from one branch to work at another” (Martinez, 2014). Unfortunately, that

15

is the culture of the YMCA of the Triangle. Just recently, full time staff members have started

breaking down those barriers and encouraging cross collaboration in regards to staffing, or even

program enrichment. In Richmond, part-time and full-time employees are encouraged to seek

promotions at any branch within the association. Martinez mentioned that in other associations,

if an employee did not start out in role at the branch they have applied for a job in, they will

usually not be selected in favor of someone who has been at that branch (Martinez, 2014). One

of the philosophies of the Human Resources department at the YMCA of Greater Richmond is

to, “get the right people on the bus and keep them there.” For Richmond as well as the YMCA of

the Triangle, it does not matter what branch someone works at as long as they exhibit the

qualities and abilities expected of a YMCA employee.

Similarities

Training

The YMCA of Greater Richmond and YMCA of the Triangle value training and believe

it to be beneficial to not only the organization but also to the employees who receive the training.

Richmond offers both skill/job trainings as well as professional development trainings.

Trainings that fall under skill/job trainings include: CPR, Swim Instructor training, Fitness

Instructor training and many more. Both part-time and full-time staff can sign up and attend

these trainings, many of which are required to maintain employment. Departments such as

Aquatics and Wellness hold monthly meetings, in-services, to go over lifesaving skills such and

rescues. Attendance to in-service meetings is mandatory. Lifeguards are also tested on their

training monthly with the use of random audits. A fake emergency scenario is conducted at the

pool. If the lifeguard does not perform correctly, they will be removed from the schedule until

they go through remedial training. The YMCA of the Triangle also conducts monthly emergency

scenarios which are called red shirt drills.

16

Some professional development trainings are for part-time staff only, full-time staff only

and both. One part-time staff only training that is offered by The YMCA of Greater Richmond is

actually borrowed from the YMCA of the Triangle, Y University. This training is for part-time

youth department staff and is led by full-time youth department staff. Y University is a held on

multiple Saturdays or Sundays throughout the school year and covers different topics each

session. Topics range from group control to licensing guidelines to parent engagement, and on.

One of the trainings offered for both full-time and part-time staff is optional and deals

specifically with professional development. Trainings are held every other month and cover

topics such as how to conduct an interview, managing stress and resume building. Each branch

allocates a certain amount of money for its full-time staff to attend yearly trainings. Full-time

employees are required to work on their Leadership Certifications through the Y of the USA

during their employment with the YMCA of Greater Richmond. The most basic certification is

the Team Leader Certification. There are 6 training classes required for this certification some of

which are: Introduction to Volunteerism and Introduction to Leading Others. The next

certification is either the Multi-Team or Branch Leader Certification. There are 7 trainings

required for both of those certifications. The final certification is the Organizational Leader

Certification which requires 5 trainings. These trainings and levels of certification coincide with

different job levels within the association. A 391 director (entry level) is expected to obtain a

Team Leader Certification, not until you surpass a 505, and land at 700 level and up are you

expected to have Multi=Team certification. The Branch Leader certification is reserved for those

individuals who have been in the YMCA for quite a few years and are at a position to be the

Branch Director. Each employee must fill out their training plan for the year and get it approved

17

by their supervisor. An example training plan is below. As part of each employee’s annual

review, supervisors will suggest trainings that they think will be beneficial.

YMCA of Greater Richmond

Employee Training Plan

Name:______________ Title:_______________ Branch:

_________

Training/Budget Year Plan:

________________

Leadership Level:

_______________________________

(Leader, Team Leader, Multi-Team Leader,

Organizational Leader)

Name of

Training

:

Date &

Location of

Training:

Total Cost: Does this

training

provide

credit toward

YUSA

Certification

?

How will this help you meet your

professional development goals?

Intro to Fiscal Management Spring or

Fall 2015

TBD

$150 Yes training will help me achieve my

team leader certification.

Intro to Volunteerism Spring or

Fall 2015

TBD

$75 Yes training will help me achieve my

team leader certification.

AYP Spring Conference May 14 - 15,

2015 -

Richmond,

VA

$160 No This conference will help me

network and learn from other Y

professionals.

Employees are responsible for entering training credits for recertification into their YMCA Exchange

account. To maintain any level of

leadership certification except Leader, employees must complete 20 Leadership Competency

Credits every 5 years.

All trainings must be approved prior to

registration.

Employee Signature:

__________________________________

Date:

______________________

Supervisor Signature :

_________________________________

Date:

_____________________

18

Overall Organizational Issue

Evaluation Application

The YMCA of Greater Richmond as well as the YMCA of the Triangle uses SEER

Analytics to survey and evaluate its branches and staff. Each survey measures the current year

responses and compares them to the previous year, association average and national average of

all other YMCA’s. The staff survey measures staff satisfaction, staff effectiveness, staff

engagement, key indicators, operational excellence, impact and support. The member

experience survey measures facility, value, service, engagement, health & wellness and

involvement. The color in the current year column reflects the difference from the previous year.

Increases of 4 percentage points or more compared to previous are colored green. Decreases of 4

percentage points or more compared to previous are colored red. If there is no color, differences

are less than 4 percentage points, the question is new in the current year or there is no recent data

for the Y. For Example:

YMCA of the Triangle - Tracking Out Association Survey Results. Association Average Top Box NA Difference

Overall organization 49% 43% 6%

+4 or more from National Average

Overall Quality of Staff 55% 47% 8%

-4 or more from National Average

Staff Survey Measures

Staff Satisfaction – Factors which lead staff to consider their work to be enjoyable are:

Staff feels respected, fairly compensated and welcome. The workplace has good working

conditions and provides opportunities for growth. The factors will satisfy employees but

don’t necessarily make them effective or committed.

Staff Effectiveness – Factors which lead staff to feel successful in their work are: Staff

feels they have the support- information, training, and empowerment – to get the job

done. To optimize the effectiveness of your staff team, your Y needs to provide them

with the tools they need to succeed.

19

Staff Engagement – Factors that reflect staff’s commitment are: Staff feels their interests

are aligned with their work; they believe the organization lives its values; they support

the purpose of your Y. These factors influence the emotional buy and discretionary effort

made by employees.

Key Indicators – Indicators of staff willingness to recommend the Y as a place that is

positive for individuals and community impact.

Operational Excellence – Refers to the working environment of a well-managed,

sustainable YMCA.

Impact – Refers to the multi-dimensional concept of well-being as experienced by staff.

Support – Refers to the attitudes and beliefs of Y staff with respect to the Y’s role and

position as a community institution.

Member Experience Measures

Facility – Is your branch clean, safe, and adequately equipped? A high score in this area

indicates that you have a new or very attractive building; a low score means that you may

have an opportunity to invest in your building, equipment, or upkeep.

Value – It’s not just price; rather it’s the entire constellation of “what do I get for what I

pay?” Attributes such as value for the money and quality of classes go into this factor. Do

members feel that they are getting good value at your Y?

Service – Members expect a basic level of service such as a friendly, informed, and

competent staff. High scores indicate a well-trained and well managed team. Low scores

mean that there are opportunities to improve on the staff basics.

Engagement – Does your staff interact with members in a positive and meaningful way?

High engagement scores indicate that your staff actively listens; that they know members

by name; and that they have begun to build member-to-member relationships.

Health & Wellness – Are you helping members in meeting their health and wellness

goals? Have you effectively built small groups and communities within your association?

Have members changed their behavior as a result of your staff or programming? If your

impact scores are high, you’re making a real difference in the well-being of your

members.

Involvement – Do your members recognize the Y as a non-profit leader, reaching out to

all in the community regardless of ability to pay? Do your members volunteer: would

they do so if you asked? How about donations? Involvement is an index of the extent to

which your membership has bought into, and is actively supportive of, the mission of

your YMCA.

20

Key Indicators – Key Indicators are summary measures of how well your Y is doing on a

member of critical dimensions including your level of engagement with Health Seekers

as well as satisfaction, loyalty and willingness of members to recommend your YMCA.

Also included in this section are new measures of the Real Positive Impact your Y is

having in member’s lives and on their community.

Operational Excellence – Operational Excellence measures your Y’s success at creating a

safe and secure environment and an engaging atmosphere where people feel welcome and

are developing friendships that extend beyond the Y. These measures are indicators of the

extent to which your Y is well maintained and sustained.

Impact – Impact speaks to the multi-dimensional concept of well-being. Included in this

grouping are health, achievement, giving, relationships, belonging, character and safety.

Support – Support speaks to members’ attitudes and beliefs about the Y and its role as a

cause driven organization that strengthens community.

Youth Program Measures

Overall Organization – Parents are looking to see if the program is self-sustained and

organized well. This starts with the overall organization of the YMCA from the Branch

Director all the way down to the Program Director overseeing summer camps or year

round camps.

Quality of Staff – Parents are ranking this category dependent upon how their child bonds

with their counselors. Do they come home talking all about their huddle counselor and

funny things or uplifting messages they have shared with them that day? This is what

parents are looking for in the quality of staff. Do they genuinely care about my child.

Communication between Staff and Parents – Parents often mention that they hear from

the Director of the program, but they would like to know what their child is doing

specifically from their huddle counselor. This measures how we are doing throughout our

communication efforts.

Value for the Money – Parents measure the value for their money that they are receiving

with child care from the hours of 7am-6pm. They want to know that their children are

safe, having fun, enjoying the activities, and receiving every bang for their buck as many

would say.

Relationships with Staff – By hosting family nights, we encourage the parents to come

and meet the staff that their children are with day in and day out at our programs.

Demonstrate character traits (faith in god, honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility) –

Parents are looking to see if their children are learning any take home values from us at

21

the YMCA. Are they more caring, or respectful of others, did they gain this by coming to

the YMCA?

Build Confidence – Youth programs are evaluated by parents, and they want to know if

we are building their children up to be all that they can be. Have they noticed a spike in

self-confidence as it pertains to their children?

Helping to live a healthy lifestyle – YMCA parents evaluate if we assist them in living a

healthy lifestyle. In years past, the Y has always been ranked relatively low in this

category, so we create programs to make sure we get after areas where we are scored low

on.

SEER Analytics evaluations are e-mailed out to members of the YMCA of Greater

Richmond as well as YMCA of the Triangle each summer. Results are given back to each branch

in October. Branches go over their results during their bi-weekly staff meeting, talk about what

can be done to improve them next year, and then go on with their day to day work without a

concrete plan of action to actually improve their scores. In 2013, the Downtown YMCA received

a score of 27 under the category of “Staff takeing the initiative to talk to members.” This score

was 5 points less than the previous year. At the branch staff meeting, the suggestion to improve

this score in 2014 was that full-time staff would schedule time each week to talk to members in

the branch. A plan was not put into place to implement this suggestion and improving this score

was not mentioned again at any other meetings.

At the YMCA of the Triangle, specifically the Youth Department, we met after all the

data was analyzed. From there we identified our three weakest areas. Then, we decided on a plan

of action improve our scores and overall program quality. Action teams were made, however

Directors were not asked about how this would affect their time or staff’s time. It was a poorly

reviewed action plan and started too quickly with out being thoroughly thought out. These action

teams failed not but two months after starting. Unfortunately, there was nothing to counteract the

failure of these teams, and the thoughts on righting our wrongs also faded. We are now facing

22

the data of summer camps and as an association, it would be interesting to see how we create

action teams with a well thought out plan to ensure that it doesnot fade out like other initatives.

Prospecting the Future

The future for both the YMCA of Greater Richmond and the YMCA of the Triangle is

bright. The YMCA of Greater Richmond is embarking on an aggressive strategic plan over the

next 11 years that will reach beyond the walls of the Y to engage, serve and transform the

communities and the families that live there. The Y is taking its first steps to achieving the goals

of its plan in multiple ways. The Y is seeking community partners because the Y knows that it

cannot reach its goals alone. New programs are being implemented in after-school care and

summer programming. New staff specialists are being hired to focus specifically on achieving

the youth literacy goals of the strategic plan while a specialist is also being hired to focus on the

diabetes prevention and youth obesity goals of the plan. Hopefully with these steps and more to

be implemented in the future, the YMCA of Greater Richmond can continue to serve the

communities that surround it like it has been since 1854.

The YMCA of the Triangle is strengthining the foundations of the community by living

out their long range goals to be met by 2020. Within the next six years, the YMCA of the

Triangle has five areas of focus. We are going to close the achievement gap, reduce obesity,

provide state-of-the-art health facilities, and develop community leaders and volunteers, by also

expanding the community needs. By looking at these six areas of focus, it is an understatement to

claim that the future of the YMCA of the Triangle is optimistic. These target goals will allow the

YMCA to research new initiatives, promote and implement new techniques all while

collaborating with new partnerships. The YMCA of the Triangle is partnered with United Way

as well as WakeMed.

23

Conclusion

Both YMCA associations examined in this paper can learn from one another. There are

many things that each association does differently to serve the needs of each community. Cross

collaboration can be extremely beneficial to all branches of The YMCA of the Triangle. Each

branch within the two associations can do a better job of using the data from the evaluations they

receive. Continuing to train staff will not only benefit the association but also the individuals

receiving the training. Both YMCAs will be able to reach their long term goals by collaborating,

using evaluation data to make improvements and by training their staff.

References

G. Aurelius, personal communication, 9/4/14.

Crews, E. R. (2004). The Richmond YMCA 1854-2004. Richmond, VA: YMCA Of Greater

Richmond.

Z. Friesen, personal communications, 9/5/14

M. Hubbell, personal communications, 9/16/14

B. Huffman, personal communications, 9/18/14

Larson, K. (2014, February 14). Y.M.C.A Building. In Goodnight Raleigh. Retrieved October 1,

2014, from http://goodnightraleigh.com/2014/02/y-m-c-a-building-raleigh-n-c/

C. Martinez, personal communication, 9/9/14.

P.Ruff, personal communication, 9/15/14

A. Simmons, personal communication, 9/5/14.

K. Vance, personal communications, 9/17/14

YMCA of Greater Richmond. (2014, ). Mission & vision. Retrieved from YMCA of Greater

Richmond website: http://www.ymcarichmond.org/association/about.aspx?id=116

YMCA of Greater Richmond. (2014, ). Diversity Statement. Retrieved from YMCA of Greater

Richmond website: http://www.ymcarichmond.org/association/

24

YMCA of Greater Richmond. (2014.) 2025 Strategic Plan YMCA of Greater Richmond.

Retrieved from 2025 Strategic Plan PDF.

YMCA of Greater Richmond. (2014, ). History. Retrieved from YMCA of Greater Richmond

website: http://www.ymcarichmond.org/about-us/history/

YMCA of the Triangle. (2014) Areas of Focus. Retrieved from YMCA of the Triangle website:

http://www.ymcatriangle.org/about-y/areas-focus

YMCA of the Triangle. (2014.) 2020 Strategic Plan YMCA of the Triangle. Retrieved from 2020

Strategic Plan PDF.

YMCA Of The USA. (2014, ). The story of our founding. Retrieved from History - Founding

website: http://www.ymca.net/history/founding.html

YMCA Of The USA. (2014, ). The YMCA in the United States. Retrieved from History website:

http://www.ymca.net/history