YMCA CALGARY
2021 YEAR IN REVIEW ENDOWMENT IMPACT REPORT
YMCA Calgary’s Endowment is a pillar of stability that enables the organization to be successful in supporting the community year after year. The growing strength of our Endowment is essential, in not only our long term security, but the support that it provides to our communities annually. Thank you for your continued belief and commitment for YMCA Calgary’s and its future in our city.
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 2
Despite another year of closures and restrictions, YMCA Calgary continued to be there for the community, and we are very proud of the safe and healthy experiences we were able to provide. After a lengthy closure to start 2021, summer camps both in the city and at Camp Chief Hector helped families isolated, due to restrictions, engage in meaningful and safe experiences.
In 2021, the unrestricted funds particularly enabled the Y to navigate some financial situations that were unprecedented due to the pandemic. As you may recall, the Board approved a special disbursement of unspent endowment earnings to support our operations this past year. As you will see in the graphs and updates to follow, this has resulted in $580,000 being invested from the unrestricted funds into YMCA Calgary.
Dear Heritage Club Members,
In 2021, the YMCA Calgary Endowment Fund closed at $8,813,572 million dollars and the annual rate of return was 13%. As a long term investment vehicle, our 3 year and 5 year rates of return were 13% and 9% respectively.
We look forward to gathering with you in person in October to celebrate your generosity and reconnect with one another.
Warm regards,
This was followed up by children and youth programs re opening in the fall of 2021, which continued to gain momentum and registrations month by month. We also saw our members start to return which made the atmosphere in YMCA facilities feel vibrant again. Throughout all closures, we were fortunate that with a little innovation and support of technology, our community programs including Alternative Suspension, YMAP, Indigenous programs, math tutoring and Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada were able to remain operational. YMCA Calgary staff and volunteers have been creative, resilient, and worked exceptionally hard over the past two years in order to remain a consistent place for health, wellness, belonging and connection for all.
As we enter 2022, we are optimistic about the year ahead and returning to a regular level of operations. We are grateful for the commitment and support of our donors and partners as its enabled us to be in a healthy position as an organization today. We are particularly grateful to you, our Heritage Club Members, who have always shared in the vision of a strong YMCA both today and for years to come.
Shannon Doram President & CEO, YMCA Calgary
PAGE 3
we
In 2021, welcomed 2 members to YMCA Calgary's Heritage Club. With every new commitment to YMCA Calgary's Endowment, there is sustainability for the future of
Annually, RBC Philips, Hager & North Investment Counsel Inc., in consultation with the Audit and Investment Committee of the Board of Directors, manages the YMCA Calgary Endowment Fund.
increased
our organization. ANONYMOUS DAL MCCLOY
new
2021 ENDOWMENT FUND AND DISBURSEMENT
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 4
NEW MEMBERS
Camp Chief Hector YMCA Endowment Fund supporting camp operations: $24,000
Amy and Howard P. Miller Memorial Fund supporting low-income youth: $5,700
Lorne and Pat Larson Fund supporting immigrant and indigenous educational programs: $36,500
2021 ENDOWMENT FUND IMPACT
Camp Chief Hector YMCA Counsellor Bursary supporting the educational pursuits of a returning summer camp counsellor was not allocated due to closure restriction on summer camp
Unrestricted YMCA Calgary Endowment Fund supporting child, youth and adult membership and program registration subsidy: $580,000
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 5
J. Fish Memorial Fund supporting low income youth to attend Camp Chief Hector YMCA: $5,800
Tom Perkins Memorial Fund supporting YMCA staff in pursuit of continuing education: $4,800
Mike Dodds Memorial Fund supporting low income youth to attend Camp Chief Hector YMCA: $975
Community Need Donations Recieved
Conversations we had throughout the next few days surrounded choices, respect, responsibilities, and substance misuse. As the days went on, Rebecca felt more and more comfortable opening up about her struggles with substance use and how her school had her in a program to address it specifically. I took this opportunity to ask her perspective on this, and she was angry she was in it, but could see how her school cared enough to try it. Without much prompting, Rebecca spoke up about more stress in her life that she referenced as the reason for her substance use. Rebecca discussed stress around having been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. She didn’t want to take her medication and found using substances with friends was a “good” way of coping We discussed both the positives and negatives of this as she saw it. By the end of the conversation, Rebecca couldn’t really see the “positives” outside of the escapism aspect and realized that she was putting herself in more and more danger with the escalation of the “dumb things” she would do when intoxicated. These were things like intoxication at school, to getting into the vehicles with people who were also intoxicated, and Rebecca saw a pattern of escalation I had Rebecca write out a realistic course of where this might take her in 1 to 5 years, and she wasn’t very happy with her outcome. She identified friends who had started experimenting with more dangerous drugs, and she was afraid that she might have a bad day and fall into the peer pressure and begin doing them as well.
Rebecca, a grade 11 student, came to the Alternative Suspension program around the end of her first semester at school She had gotten in trouble quite a few times relating to smoking on school grounds, drinking and doing drugs. On a few occasions, she had come to school intoxicated and was found drinking during a lunch break. It was then her school suspended her and referred her to Alternative Suspension.
Impact Story Alternative Suspension
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 8
When Rebecca first arrived at the program, she presented with an attitude of not wanting to be in the program and refused to speak with me I set her up with the homework that her school had sent over and she began her work. At some point, she noticed the mug I was using that had a picture of a video game character on it. She initially made fun of it, but then opened about how she also likes that game. We chatted for a while about video games, movies and tv shows. At lunch she played uno and chess with me and soon became comfortable with being there for the day. Now that she was more invested in getting to know more about me and the program, I started the conversation about what the program was about, and what type of work we would be doing for the next few days. Rebecca was apprehensive, but willing to try it.
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 9
After her time in the program, Rebecca went back to school with a positive mindset and a new plan As the next month progressed, I kept in contact with the school about other students but was always given a quick update on Rebecca. Outside of a few minor things like skipping a class here and there, the updates were all very positive. At the one month mark, I had a meeting with the school to sit down with Rebecca to see how things were going. Rebecca was very happy to announce that since her stay in the program, she had kept her promise to work on herself and that she had not used any substance since being in the program She told me that she stopped spending time with the negative friends in her life, and as time went on realized how bad they were for her. She was honest with her times of struggle but noted that the school program she was still enrolled in provided her with in school support that she had grown to really rely on and trust. Rebecca was happy to be where she was and was very optimistic about the future.
On Rebecca’s last day in the program, instead of traditional workshops, we put together an action plan on what she can do to avoid these negative outcomes. Rebecca identified she needs to take her sobriety more seriously and made a note to keep up with the programming put in place by her school Rebecca mapped out what friends are positive and negative in her life and was able to point out which friends would support her changes and that would be okay with her reaching out to remove herself from situations where she might be tempted to get intoxicated.
Impact Story Alternative Suspension
Written by a YMCA Youth Worker, South Calgary
Mental Health
Stay tuned for more information as we are set to launch a capital campaign that will support aging infrastructure and programming at camp.
YMCA CALGARY PAGE 10
increase our reach Enrich our impact improve access Ensure sustainability to support the changing needs of Calgarians
Camp Chief Hector YMCA Capital Campaign
We know that the YMCA is unique in that it serves people at every age, and through every stage, of life. With four foundational questions guiding our work, YMCA Calgary’s 10 Year Strategic Direction, Navigate, sets out to discover how we can:
Diversity & Inclusion
Enrichment and expansion of community-based youth programs
KEY PRIORITIES FOR 2022
In consultation with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, YMCA Calgary is on a journey of learning and growth. We strive to strengthen our relations with Indigenous peoples, learn from our past and develop a greater understanding all in service to reconciliation and creating a collective future together.
Community based programs were able to consistently maintain its services throughout the pandemic. It was a much needed service then and a growing need today and into the future. YMCA Calgary is working towards addressing rising and emerging needs of youth in our city.
YMCA Calgary’s Vision is to help build communities that are happy and healthy. As a focus of our 10 year strategic plan, we will collaborate with agencies and organizations to tackle mental health issues in the city.
We have a 15+ year partnership with YMCA Ukraine and are working to support the humanitarian needs of our partners in Ukraine as well as support efforts and resources for Ukrainian refugees in Calgary.
YMCA Calgary is committed to a safe and respectful workplace and aims to continuously improve our approach in promoting personal wellness, fostering growth and development, and ensuring equal access and participation for all individuals.
Truth & Reconciliation
Support for YMCA Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Calgary
A trusted charity first.
For more information of YMCA Calgary's Endowment Fund please contact: Jennifer Walker, Vice President, Philanthropy jennifer.walker@calgary.ymca.ca 403-351-6667
