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
Top Related