Greater Austin YMCA Strategic Plan 2030

COMMUNITY PROMISE

The YMCA of Austin is a dynamic network of people and places that help you power your purpose as an individual, a family, and community. When you find power in your purpose with the Y, you drive positive change now and for future generations.

DEAR FRIENDS,

This Strategic Plan will be like no other in our YMCA’s history. But in the wake of the last two years, nothing is exactly the same, nor should it be, even for an organization as well established as the Y.

As we enter our 70th year in 2023, the YMCA of Austin is working with partners and individuals, like you, to address some of Greater Austin’s most complex social and economic issues. This plan reflects thousands of hours of research and input from thousands of neighbors through in-person meetings, focus groups, surveys and Community Open House celebrations at our Y centers. It also aligns with the World Alliance of YMCA’s Vision 2030, which Y representatives from 80 countries adopted in July.

Our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan places a priority on elevating our work for greater impact on children, individuals and families. Through proramming in more than 70 communities, the YMCA of Austin is uniquely positioned to bring together caring people who are dedicated to improving health and empowering youth and families.

With each step, we have looked beyond current practices to tackle problems through meaningful innovation, equitable access and a sustainable approach. You’ll see this reflected in new early learning programs like our Tomorrow AcademyTM preschool, expansion of health equity like our ¡Salud, Salud! diabetes management program, creation of a new Y LabTM to drive sustainability education in out-of-school time, and new centers like the Four Points YMCA.

As you consider this 2030 Vision, please accept our invitation to power your purpose through the Y by volunteering, contributing and collaborating in the meaningful and transformational programs and services we provide. Together, we can truly create a benefit greater than the sum of our parts.

Sincerely,

Anamita Mukherjee, Co-Chair Strategic Planning Task Force YMCA of Austin

Kathy Kuras President & CEO YMCA of Austin

MISSION. Our mission serves all ages, cultures, races and ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and faiths. We recognize our heritage, the power of love, and a culture of belonging within our mission: To put Christian principles (such as caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility) into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

EQUITY. At the Y, we are continually learning what it means to be for all. Our commitment begins with listening to the authentic stories of all people and engaging our community as a welcoming, supportive organization. We amplify voices for all. We lead innovative change for all. We create equitable opportunities for all.

VISION. We will cultivate thriving communities across Central Texas where every person benefits from an elevated quality of life, an empowered and well-educated childhood, equitable access to opportunities and the promise of a sustainable future.

OUR PROCESS

COMMUNITY VOICES SURVEY

Board, Staff, Members, Participants & Community Partners

FOCUS GROUPS

COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSES

1 x 1 MEETINGS

Members, Participants, Staff & Community Partners

Gatherings at YMCA of Austin Centers

Key Community Leaders and Stakeholders May

IMPACT AREAS

We will strengthen communities across Central Texas through meaningful innovation, equitable access, and a sustainable approach in these Impact Areas:

Elevate Quality of Life in Central Texas

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Empower & Educate Young People

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Expand Equitable Access for All Page 10

Energize a Sustainable Future

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DID YOU KNOW?

More than 2,000 people provided input to our Community Voices Campaign through surveys, focus groups, Open Houses and 1-on-1 meetings.

ELEVATE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CENTRAL TEXAS

We all seek happy, fulfilling lives. At the Y, we have a role in helping Central Texas be one of the best places to live, work, and play, raise a family, create meaningful connections and friendships. We provide innovative ways to power the purpose of everyone throughout our communities – to improve total health and well-being, give a helping hand to our neighbors, and, ultimately, reach our full potential.

2030 GOALS

Empower YMCA community members to rate their total health and well-being more positively compared to the general population (Establish index and baseline by FY25)

DID YOU KNOW?

Nearly 1,000 volunteers give back to their community annually through Y coaching, advocacy, service projects and special events.

Expand facilities and programs from serving 77,000 to 200,000 YMCA community members

Drive an 85% recommendation rate among YMCA stakeholders* to their family and friends (*Y members, program participants, employees, and volunteers)

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Y Experience & Innovation. Launch a practice to enhance the YMCA experience; including new programs, built environments and member service.

Total Health & Well-being. Increase community wellness programs and determine a total health & well-being index to measure the impact of YMCA programs on quality of life.

Employee Recruitment & Empowerment. Create a learning hub that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to attract and prepare our employees for Y careers and future workforce opportunities.

Volunteer Engagement. Enhance our volunteer onboarding program, complete center board engagement guide, and strengthen avenues for interested volunteers to serve the community through the Y.

Community Impact Expansion. Successfully launch the new Four Points Y and Adventure Park (Camp Moody) in 2024 and create a plan for future developments to extend the Y’s reach and community impact.

EMPOWER & EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE

We help children and young adults find their purpose and provide tools to power that purpose. We give equal access to quality education, promote enriching and fun experiences, and provide meaningful work to build sustainable livelihoods. We commit to partnering with school districts, community organizations, and employers to ensure a bright future for all young people. Together, we will co-create, expand, and subsidize early learning, out-of-school time, camp, and teen leadership programs with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), social-emotional learning, civic engagement, and global citizenship. We are proud to be one of the area’s largest employers of young people. We will continue to strengthen our employment model by providing learning opportunities to build skills and assist people in the transition to new economies.

2030 GOALS

Triple the number of young people served in Extend-A-Care YMCA and other youth development programs from 30,000 to 90,000

DID YOU KNOW?

1 in 4 students in Y Afterschool education and care programs, and 1 in 5 kids in Y Summer Day Camp participate thanks to Financial Assistance supported by generous donors.

Achieve a “school-ready” rate of 95% among children completing YMCA early learning programs (Establish baseline in FY23)

Partner with other providers to reduce the number of children waiting for out-of-school time programs by 75% (Establish baseline in FY23)

Increase participation in Drowning Prevention Programs by 25% from 9,000 to 12,000 children annually

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Tomorrow AcademyTM. Create and phase in the Tomorrow Academy, which is a new preschool and early learning model.

Out of School Time. Reach pre-pandemic enrollment in Extend-A-Care YMCA afterschool and camps and Camp Moody by enhancing STEAM, social-emotional learning, financial literacy, and nature-based curriculum offerings; and expanding staff development.

Swim Safety. Continue to strengthen our swim safety programs (e.g., Project Safe).

Child Abuse Awareness. Partner to co-develop public-facing child abuse awareness programs.

Teen & Young Adults Leadership Programs. Deepen foundation and corporate partnerships and increase the visibility of current leadership programs like Youth & Government. Partner to co-create new programs (e.g., Model U.N., new teen programs, and clubs) with local and international partners, such as our South African YMCA collaboration.

Impact Area

Strategic Imperative #2

EXPAND EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL

Everyone should have equitable access to opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Community members have a voice in making a better future for all of us. We are a bridge-builder in eradicating racism and other inequities and an amplifier for the voices of people and communities. We will continue to convene discussions among neighbors that build understanding and promote civic engagement, volunteerism and social responsibility.

2030 GOALS

Increase participation from underrepresented population groups in community health initiatives starting with supporting the Travis County Community Health Plan Engagement Initiatives (Establish participation baseline in FY23)

DID YOU KNOW?

The North Austin YMCA is a first-of-its-kind partnership with the City of Austin serving more than 15,000 community members since opening in 2012.

Expand equitable access to current service areas programs in zip codes and neighborhoods with the greatest need and interest

Achieve a minimum of 50% representation across Center and Association Boards for volunteer Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or historically underrepresented gender groups (Establish volunteer representation baseline in FY23)

Maintain a minimum of 50% of BIPOC and/or historically underrepresented gender groups in our full-time workforce (FY22 baseline at 56%)

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Community Health Equity Assessment. Establish a participation baseline for underrepresented groups in the Travis County Community Health Plan, and design and implement an approach to increase engagement through YMCA-specific outreach.

Equity Programs. Continue to co-develop and grow programs that advance equity (e.g., Salud Salud, Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation).

Support Community Vision. Develop strategies and programs that demonstrate that the Y is a trusted ally and partner to community leaders, organizers, and alliances (e.g., Heart Gallery of CTX, We Are Blood, recovery homes) and a resource that shows up during crises.

Equitable & Sustainable Growth Plan. Develop plans to ensure facility & program growth tracks with the population growth of Central Texas while meeting the evolving needs of children, adults and seniors.

ENERGIZE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

We must all take action to ensure environmental and financial sustainability for future generations. We aspire to meet the needs of the present without compromising the future. We will create new sustainable environmental practices and re-energize our existing ones. We will be good stewards of our natural resources and incorporate environmental education into all of our programs and experiences. We will grow our philanthropic support and refine our financial model to ensure financial sustainability, creating more resources to invest in innovation and growth, providing equitable access to programs, and strengthening our resiliency planning.

2030 GOALS

DID YOU KNOW?

Reduce carbon footprint by 2030 with the intent of becoming carbon neutral or resource positive by 2050 (Establish index and baseline by FY25)

After nearly 10 years of community conversations, the Four Points YMCA will open in 2024 and reflect the unique character of West Austin.

Ensure new and renovated property and facility developments meet Green Build practices (To be adopted by YMCA of Austin by FY25)

Expand community financial assistance and invest in innovation, resiliency planning, and growth by increasing annual philanthropic support from $1.3 to $6M and total endowment funds from $4.9 to $9M

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Green Practices Plan. Develop an environmental sustainability plan in alignment with the City of Austin, surrounding communities, national and global partners to set practices and a measurement system for YMCA-owned properties and all operations. Include guidelines for evaluating partnerships and vendor relationships based on their sustainable practices.

Environmental Stewardship. Equip our community with education, training, and resources to cultivate environmental stewardship and drive awareness throughout our programs and places. Develop our Camp Moody property with sustainability as a core pillar.

Y LabTM. Create a Y Lab concept to test new innovations and technologies with partners, startups, and businesses focused on improving sustainability.

Philanthropic Support & Financial Growth. Develop and implement a philanthropic growth plan and financial model to increase contributed support and ensure financial stability and resources to meet community financial assistance needs, invest in innovation and growth, and support resiliency planning.

PLANNING CYCLES

Our path toward the 2030 Vision is organized into three strategic planning cycles. The Vision and Strategic Plans will be reviewed at the end of each cycle with adjustments made as needed.

LOOKING AHEAD: STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION

200,000 FT View

8-year Scope

50,000 FT View

3-year Scope

10,000 FT View Annual

5,000 FT View Annual Sea Level Daily / Monthly

Key Definitions

Individual Objectives & Key Results (OKRs)

• Community Members refer to YMCA of Austin members and program members (including Extend-A-Care YMCA members).

• Equity is the condition in which every member of the community has a fair opportunity to live a long, healthy, and meaningful life, and in the case of the Y, enjoys equal access to programs and services.

• Environmental Sustainability is a state of balance between the earth’s resources and our needs, both now and in the future.

• School Readiness refers to children attaining the skills and knowledge across the four domains of child development (social-emotional, language and communication, early literacy, and mathematics) necessary for success in school and life.

& Outcomes 2023-2025 Strategic Plan

Center & Association Group OKRs

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

Strategic Planning Task Force

Anamita Mukherjee, Co-Chair

Melissa Curtis, Co-Chair

Nichole Lopez-Riley, Co-Chair

Kuntal Sindha, Facilitator

Dorothee Auldridge

Drew Bennett

JaNet Barkley Booher

Jeremy Blackman

Brian Carter

Don Gillespie

Sam Goessling

Kathy Kuras

William Van Pelt

Strategy Champions

Adrienne Barnett, Senior Executive Dir., Northwest & Four Points

Ishmael Behrhorst, Senior Director of Marketing

Jason Daniel, VP of Center Operations

Sean Doles, Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Officer

Mariana Gonzalez, VP of Healthy Living & Experience

Cinnamon Hemmeline, Senior Director of Member Experience

Jude Hickey, Associate VP of Center Experience

Andrew Lemons, Executive Director, Hays Communities

Marisa Redd, Sr. Dir., Organizational Effectiveness & Development

Sarah Rinner, Associate VP, Out of School Time & Operations

Vanessa Sweet, Senior Director of Integrated Health

Hannah Thomas, Executive Assistant to the CEO

April Walker, Director of Education and Innovation

Andrew Wiggins, SVP of Finance & Operations

Kim Yeakey, VP of Programs

2022 Metropolitan Board of Directors

Brian Haulotte, Chair

Rich Archer

Dorothee Auldridge

Roberta Rocha Benham

Drew Bennett

Jeremy Blackman

JaNet Barkley Booher

Mariko Boswell

Blaine Brunson

Dr. Colette Pierce Burnett

Susan Burton

Andy Carlson

Kelli Craddock

Melissa Curtis

Robert Digneo

Carlos Greaves

Sam Greer

Bart Gunkel

Kate Henderson

Paul Hoffman

Daniel Hogberg

Evan Johnson

Sharmila Kassam

Kelly Latz

Jennifer Lauren

Mark Littlefield

Terry McDaniel

Anamita Mukherjee

Reagan Nash

Nicole Newlan

David Post

J. Hamilton Rial III

Lauren Schoenbaum

Danielle Skidmore

Sean Taylor

Randy Teich

2022 Executive Leadership

Kathy Kuras, President / CEO

Brian Carter, Chief Operations Officer

Nichole Lopez-Riley, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer

William Van Pelt, Chief Advancement Officer

Ryan Parks, Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Wiggins, SVP of Finance & Operations

Sean Doles, Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Officer

Hannah Thomas, Executive Assistant to the CEO