CREATING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY YMCA merger, expansion connects Michiana

COMMUNITY CREATING A HEALTHY Merger, expansion allows YMCA to better serve greater Michiana

Story by Beau Brockett Jr.

At the turn of the calendar year, the YMCA of Michiana and the YMCA of Southwest Michigan associations merged together to form one larger association.

The merger combined the following branches: Niles-Buchanan YMCA and Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA — which together make up the YMCA of Southwest Michigan — and Riverview Family YMCA in South Bend, which has since closed, and Camp Eberhart near Three Rivers, Michigan — which together make up the YMCA of Michiana.

The future merger was announced Aug. 7, 2019, after three executive boards associated with the YMCA of Michiana and the YMCA of Southwest Michigan voted to combine.

The association serves approximately 20,000 members and participants and employs 500 people through an operating budget of about $11 million, said Mark Weber, CEO of the new

The merger expands programming both inside and outside each YMCA facility for both members and non-members, he said. It also allows members of YMCA to attend the other two.

“It’s about community, and it’s about our programs,” he said. “Some of the changes they are putting in place with this merger is to ensure that Niles, Buchanan, St. Joe, Benton Harbor, South Bend [and] Mishawaka do not lose focus on community.”

Weber said the association’s programming mission ref lects the community-oriented programs the Niles-Buchanan YMCA has put on, such as Summer My Way.

“I think from a programming standpoint, this is our flagship, if you think about it,” he said of the Niles site. “I’ve been here seven years, and [COO] Denise Peters and I have really focused on community collaboration, and it all started here in Niles.”

The Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA has already begun implementing

community programming, he said. With the merger, the other YMCA branches began implementing the same sort of activities with more ease thanks to a larger budget and stronger organization partnerships.

Back in August 2019, Weber said the merger would not create any job losses but could expand job and volunteer opportunities through increased programming across all branches.

The merger is expected to redirect $250,000 to $500,000 a year toward programs by combining administrative staff.

“Instead of having two CEOs, you have one CEO,” he said. “Instead of two COOs, you have one. You take those savings, and it allows you to apply them to programming. We are a nonprofit, so we don’t make a profit. The revenue we generate goes back into our programming for the community.”

He said the national YMCA organization found that a budget of $10 to $15 million is ideal for a YMCA association to best function. When Weber joined the staff seven years ago, the Niles-Buchanan YMCA budget was only $2.5 million.

An increased budget allows for better allocation of money and the ability to hire top talent, Weber said.

As like other associations, each YMCA branch is independently operated. That means someone could still donate to branch’s particular project, like its “Changing Lives and Improving Health” capital campaign.

Costs not funded by donors, like everyday operations, are covered by the combined $11 million budget.

While the merger cut the two smaller associations’ 28 combined board positions, Weber said advisory boards of seven to 10 members for each branch were created.

“They’re whole focus is about community,” he said. “What’s the Y doing in the community? Should we be doing more? They will be advising not only the management team but the board as well.”