2025 STRATEGIC PLAN YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND
At the YMCA of Greater Richmond, we believe in community. We believe in accessibility, opportunity, equity and inclusion for all residents of our region. The Y’s reach is broad; everyone has the opportunity to belong - young or old, man or woman, people of all faiths. We are committed to strengthening the foundations of the community every day – it is our cause. We strengthen human capacity by working with our neighbors to bring about transformational change together – and we call that community development. Our philosophy for community development is that whenever possible, we do with, not for. We empower and support, encourage and enhance. We’re about equity – health equity ensures that a family’s health is not dictated by the zip code where they reside; learning equity offers children the experiences and academic support needed to succeed in and out of the classroom; and leadership equity offers youth and teens the chance for hands-on, experiential learning and to give back and be of service in their own communities. For 160 years, we have been committed to community development. We live out principles and practices that reflect good stewardship, integrity in quality programing, inclusion and outreach, values based leadership and the belief that all people have intrinsic value. The Y is a place where all people are welcome. It is a community asset to be utilized by the community for the greater good of all. Our vision is that everyone who participates in Y programs or services will grow in spirit, mind and body. We provide opportunities for personal transformation and enable people to overcome, adapt and thrive. This strategic plan will maintain and sustain many existing programs and drive areas of improvement while allowing for innovation to reach new constituents. The following strategic goals and objectives will be the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s road map for the future. We believe they are compelling, courageous and stretch us, as well as those who join us, in our journey to help all people reach their full potential.
YMCA Mission
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
YMCA Cause
To strengthen the foundations of our community.
YMCA Core Values Caring • Honesty • Respect • Responsibility
YMCA membership is a path toward transformational opportunities for an individual’s spirit, mind and body. Membership is the cornerstone of the YMCA, its operations and effectiveness. The Y is open to all and quality facilities that meet the needs of the community are necessary to support everyone’s journey.
FOR YOUTH FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBILITY Youth in the YMCA of Greater Richmond programs will be prepared for success in life by providing education, support, physical and emotional guidance and enrichment that young people need to learn, grow and thrive.
KEY OBJECTIVE
• To strengthen the learning opportunities and capacity for academic success of every student enrolled in YMCA out of school time programing. COMMUNITY SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2025 • Support regional goals for third and fifth grade reading proficiency as part of a broader community strategy for college and career readiness. YMCA SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2017 • Prove systematic growth in reading competence for YMCA participants in before- and after-school and summer child care over a full year. • There will be reading time in our before- and after-school and summer child care programs at least three times a week.
KEY OBJECTIVE
• To equip teens with the skills to be leaders of tomorrow. COMMUNITY SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2025 • Support regional goals to increase hope, engagement and well-being of students - intended to go beyond traditional academic indicators. YMCA SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2017 • We will double the size of our teen leadership development programs.
Research has shown that hope, engagement and wellbeing are positioned as actionable targets and indicators of success, with links to grades, achievement scores, retention and future employment. Volunteers are at the center of who we are and how we interact with the community. We will build our volunteer base and the opportunities for them to engage with us, generating transformational change in the Greater Richmond Region.
The Y will be accessible to everyone by identifying, addressing and eliminating economic, geographic and cultural barriers. Since our inception 160 years ago, the composition of our neighborhoods and demographics of our region have changed and continues today, as we become a minority/majority community by 2040. With a broad geographic reach and diverse portfolio of professional programs and services, the Y is uniquely positioned to support and empower people, reaching across boundaries to live as a unified community.
KEY OBJECTIVE
• The YMCA will engage and convene the varying demographics in our community to live, work and play through our program services. YMCA SUCCESS MEASURES • Staff, membership and programmatic Primary Market Area (PMA) – will reflect a minimum of 70 percent on the index matrix of Y membership demographics to community demographics.
Committing to greater cross-cultural competency must be undertaken by acknowledging that diversity fosters excellence and abundance – offering all a chance for personal growth. A multicultural environment encourages innovation and fosters creativity. Studies make it clear that individuals who engage in the context of a diverse, multicultural community benefit significantly and are more successful.
FACT
The Y will prepare youth and teens for a lifetime of success.
Growth in the years ahead will result from deliberate communications to the community of the Y’s cause and focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility and its commitment to inclusion and accessibility. We will be a charity of choice and pursue the philanthropic resources needed to create and sustain excellence with equitable buildings, infrastructure and programs across our service region.
FOR HEALTHY LIVING The YMCA will stem the tide of the obesity and diabetes crisis that threatens the Richmond community. Chronic disease threatens the future well-being of children, adults, and families in our community. The YMCA of Greater Richmond will be a leader in our community to decrease the risk for lifestyle-related diseases and be a catalyst to change attitudes toward healthy living, thus empowering the community to overcome this crisis.
KEY OBJECTIVE
• To reduce obesity among youth and adults in the YMCA of Greater Richmond service area.
COMMUNITY SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2025 • The rate of obesity among all populations in our Y’s service area will drop to a target goal from 30.8 to 21.3 as measured by American College of Sports Medicine Fitness Index.
YMCA SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2017 • Double the participation in wellness programs and activities. • Participants in our Out of School Time (OST) programs will have 30 minutes of physical activity daily.
KEY OBJECTIVE
• To reduce occurrences of diabetes among adults in the YMCA of Greater Richmond service area.
COMMUNITY SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2025 • Occurrences of diabetes among adults in the YMCA of Greater Richmond service area will fall below Virginia and national averages as measured by the CDC.
YMCA SUCCESS MEASURE BY 2017 • Triple the number of participants in our diabetes and pre- diabetes programing. • Establish a youth diabetes prevention and control education initiative.
Weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight; over 80 percent of people with diabetes are overweight or obese. - CDC
Collaborations and partnerships will be core to how the YMCA of Greater Richmond works to address community issues. We will work with those who come to the table with a shared commitment to addressing the issues in our focus.