Community Outreach and Impact
Helped 5,696 youth grow through sports
Supported 1,700+ students daily through afterschool care
Taught 3,615 individuals essential swim & water safety skills
Serving as a community safety net is woven into the DNA of the YMCA. Over the past 12 months, this organization has demonstrated that commitment through meaningful investments in scholarships, food and basic living support, health and wellness programs, and opportunities that strengthen children and families. More than a gym or a place to swim, the YMCA ensures that every community it serves has a trusted place to connect, gather, and receive support when it matters most.
Over 1.3 million check-ins engaging members in our Y facilities
In 2025, the Y provided more than $2,578,966.86 of support through direct scholarships, in-kind programs and discounts.
Fort Worth’s Vision 2025 Plan
The conclusion of 2025 marked the completion of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth’s Vision 2025 Strategic Plan. It was a plan developed during a time when certainty was scarce and stability was still being rediscovered across communities.
Committing to a five-year strategy in the aftermath of disruption required courage, flexibility and humility. Not every initiative reached full completion, and not every path unfolded exactly as imagined. Yet progress was never defined by perfection. Progress was defined by movement.
Vision 2025 represented a deliberate decision to move forward rather than remain paused — to replace uncertainty with action and hesitation with learning. The YMCA recognized that returning to the marketplace unchanged would not serve the community. A renewed direction was necessary to empower leaders, engage partners and reestablish the Y as a trusted safety net.
At its core, the strategy was built on listening to:
From those conversations, six organizational targets emerged. Together, they guided a period of recalibration that strengthened leadership confidence, restored community trust and expanded the YMCA’s role as both gathering place and community support system.
Targets
Target 1 – Leadership
Strengthen organizational leadership by reshaping team structures, investing in development and reinforcing expectations tied to results and accountability.
To move forward, the YMCA first invested inward — recognizing that empowered leaders create empowered communities. The focus was not simply on training, but on creating a culture where learning, innovation and shared responsibility became daily practice.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• Town Hall Leadership Meetings Established
Regular association-wide leadership gatherings strengthened alignment, celebrated success and connected leaders to community voices and organizational priorities.
• Sustained Academy Leadership Program
More than 50 leaders graduated from the internal development program, strengthening succession planning and building consistent leadership competencies across branches.
• Innovation Institute & The Catalyst Programs Launched
Twenty leaders and frontline staff learned to design and implement new initiatives from concept to execution, fostering entrepreneurial thinking at multiple levels.
• Strategic Operator Development
Direct reports to senior leadership completed focused training on translating strategy into operational execution, improving accountability and consistency.
• Coaching for Development Culture Introduced
Forty-five leaders engaged in structured coaching training, embedding mentorship, performance growth and staff retention into leadership expectations.
Target 2 – Volunteers
Strengthen volunteer leadership and align governance, donors and community advocates as active mission partners.
The YMCA recognized volunteers not simply as supporters, but as co-owners of the mission. The goal was to elevate engagement from participation to partnership.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• Board Governance Alignment
Training informed by BoardBuild and the Carver Governance Model improved strategic clarity and strengthened board effectiveness.
• Community Advisory Board Activation
Branch advisory boards became more visible in fundraising, advocacy and local engagement efforts.
• Board Certification Implementation
All new board members completed certification before service, increasing preparedness and accountability.
• Technology-Enabled Volunteer Engagement
Platforms such as Volunteer Matters and Govenda streamlined recruitment, scheduling, training and tracking — enabling scalable volunteer growth.
Targets
Target 3 – Innovation
Advance the YMCA’s ability to turn ideas into action while delivering consistently excellent experiences.
As a long-standing organization, innovation required both patience and persistence. Systems did not change overnight — but meaningful groundwork was laid to ensure relevance in a changing community.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• Improved Customer Feedback
Net Promoter Scores increased by 3%, reflecting improved member satisfaction and experience consistency.
• Accreditations Achieved
Praesidium Safety Certification, American Camp Association Accreditation and TRS Rising Star ratings reinforced program quality and safety standards.
• Digital Engagement Expanded
Launch of a new mobile app and redesigned website improved accessibility, communication and program discovery for members and non-members.
• Facility Renewal – Eastside YMCA Reimagined
Following the 2021 winter storm devastation, the Eastside YMCA reopened as a modern community hub featuring fresh food access, wellness resources and youth enrichment programs.
• Fundraising Event Evolution
Events were redesigned to emphasize storytelling, accessibility and broader community participation.
Target 4 – Communities
Strengthen the YMCA’s role as a place of belonging and expand its presence beyond facility walls.
The YMCA worked to ensure that belonging extended beyond membership — positioning the organization as a connector across seven counties and nearly three million residents.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• Brand Research & Messaging Development
A comprehensive post-pandemic brand study guided more authentic communication and strengthened public understanding of YMCA impact.
• Community Outreach Engagement
Participation in civic events, parades, service clubs and local gatherings expanded visibility and trust.
• Recognition & Awards
Community-selected honors including multi-year DFW Best Of and DFW Child Best for Parents affirmed increased public awareness and confidence.
Targets
Target 5 – Partnerships
Expand impact through collaboration with organizations that share community goals.
Partnerships became a strategic priority — allowing the YMCA to amplify outcomes rather than duplicate services.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• City of Fort Worth – Eastside Pool refurbishment expanded public aquatic access and safety programs
• City of Bedford – Training center established for YMCA staff development
• Gladney Center for Adoption – Foster care and adoption education resources integrated into programming
• Crowley ISD – $6.5M aquatics center collaboration
• Boys & Girls Club of Tarrant County – Summer swim access for 1,500 youth
• Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD – Expanded afterschool programming
Target 6 – Friendraising
Strengthen philanthropic relationships through engagement, stewardship and shared ownership of the mission.
Fundraising evolved from transactions to relationships — emphasizing participation, awareness and long-term connection.
Demonstrated Movement & Impact
• Introduced Sponsor Opportunities to Annual Community Luncheon
Moved from an expensed event to a self-sustaining underwritten event that also provides funds toward scholarships, services and impact in the community.
• Impact Invitational Golf Tournament Launched
Introduced new supporters to the YMCA mission while generating scholarship support.
• Fort Worth Turkey Trot Relocated Downtown
A bold move that welcomed record participation and significantly increased scholarship funding while reinforcing the YMCA’s visible community presence.
14,550 friends helped advance our mission further by engaging in association-wide events
Looking Forward
Vision 2025 was not about checking every box, it was about breaking inertia.
The YMCA chose movement over comfort, learning over certainty and collaboration over isolation. Those decisions allowed the organization to move beyond the paralysis many institutions experienced after COVID and reestablish its role as a trusted community safety net.
The
work is ongoing.
But the direction is clear.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth has stepped forward alongside its leaders, volunteers, partners and neighbors to ensure that every community it serves has a place to connect, gather and belong.
Financial Summary
Revenue Expenses
Board of Directors
Ellen Buck, President
Eric Guy, Treasurer
Buddy Puente
Carol Murray
Chase Iles
Chris Chavez
Chris Lokey
Cindy Milrany
David Campbell
Diann Smith
Dr. Antoinette Oliver
Dr. Di Ann Sanchez
Erayne Gee Hill
James King
Jason Beaty
Jermaine Watson
Kenneth Spears
Kris Canfield
Kristin Comer
Lisa Wenske
Mario Garza
Melissa Harris
Regan Hasley
Sanel Thomas
Steve De Leon
Vernon Evans
YMCA Endowment Board
Robert Molloy, President
Allan Howeth
Arthur Anderson
Joyce Norris
Lynn Montgomery
Steve Boma
Terry Schultz
Vernon Evans
