2020 Gratitude Report

A YEAR IN RESPONSE GRATITUDE REPORT

In this season of giving and gratitude, we take this time to thank you.Â

A LETTER FROM OUR CEO

Dear Friends, As we reflect on the many obstacles and opportunities we’ve faced together in 2020, we once again count ourselves incredibly fortunate for the consistent and overwhelming response of donors like you.

In March, when an EF-3 tornado devastated our community and caused $1.6 billion in damages, the YMCA immediately became a community response center, opening YMCA branches to serve as shower locations, donation distribution sites and volunteer hubs.

You helped our hardest-hit residents clean up and rebuild after the storm.

Two weeks later, COVID-19 forced the closure of YMCA facilities and public schools. In response, the Y quickly pivoted to increase the capacity of our anti-hunger program, serving emergency meals daily in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and bridging a gap for thousands of families during school closures, summer, and the fall semester. Your gifts bolstered the Y’s food program during a season of greater food insecurity for many.

Additionally, the Y opened seven Emergency Response centers, turning membership facilities into emergency child care sites for healthcare workers, first responders and

other essential workers serving on the front lines to keep us safe.

Your early giving helped launch our partnership with the state’s Department of Human Services. Thanks to the initial impact and success of that partnership, public support will continue through yearend, allowing families to access free child care in our Fun Company before- and after-school program and at Camp Widjiwagan’s virtual learning center for students in hybrid school models.

Finally, while continuing to offer these essential services, we were able to safely begin a phased reopening of our membership centers in May thanks to federal funding, grants, and your faithful support.

It’s helped provide the necessary supplies and enhanced safety protocols that allowed our members to come back to the Y. Your gifts are helping individuals and families return to their healthy routines and tend to spirit, mind and body during this difficult time.

For 145 years, volunteers and supporters like you have made it possible for the Y to rise to meet the community’s greatest needs, and this year is no different. More than ever before, your support

is nourishing kids, bringing hope to families in tough circumstances, and providing the Y with more resources to serve those most in need. Together, we are bringing health and belonging to all who seek it. We are strengthening our community.

As always, we offer our deepest thanks for your steadfast partnership with the Y. We hope this report serves as evidence of the immense impact your gifts have had on our friends and neighbors in 2020.

With Gratitude,

Dan Dummermuth President & CEO YMCA of Middle Tennessee

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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IMPACT 602 DAVIDSON COUNTY STUDENTS,

3,125 CHILDREN

got outdoors and discovered the magic of Camp Widjiwagan.

More than

1,000 CHILDREN OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS accessed free emergency child care each week this summer.

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whose schools had not yet reopened, attended the Y’s 13 virtual learning centers.

80% OF LITERACY STUDENTS

receiving online tutoring increased their reading by at least one text level.

YMCA beforeand after-school programs resumed in over

90 SCHOOLS IN 4 MIDDLE TENNESSEE COUNTIES.

ANTI-HUNGER INITIATIVES Children and families in crisis following the tornado and the onset of the pandemic received more than

104,000 NUTRITIOUS MEALS and 10,622 SNACKS from the YMCA from March through July.

OUTREACH SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS IN NEED Even though the school year ended early for our graduating seniors, their pursuit of educational goals continued. The support of Y counselors helped our YMCA Black Achievers and Latino Achievers receive

$749,470 IN SCHOLARSHIPS

to help them go after their college and career goals.

175 YMCA EMPLOYEES

experiencing hardship as the result of the March 3 tornadoes and the pandemic received direct support from their Y family through the YMCA Hope Fund employee assistance program.

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2019 ORDER OF THE RED TRIANGLE David Wilds For 2019, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee presents the Order of the Red Triangle—its top volunteer honor—to David Wilds. As chair of the finance committee, David’s critical and steady leadership is seeing us through one of our most difficult years.

In addition to his financial acumen, David’s heart is in it, too. He leads by example, always wanting to be the “first in” to support YMCA campaigns for critical initiatives. Thousands of children will experience the transformational impact of camp thanks to the campership David established in the YMCA’s endowment fund.

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While the pandemic prevented us from honoring David in person, our gratitude for his support and leadership is not diminished.

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KRISTIN’S STORY Caring For Those Who Care For Us Kristin and her husband are full-time essential workers in the healthcare and food service industries. When schools first closed due to the pandemic, the family was left without child care for their two young sons.

View Kristin’s Story 7

When Kristin learned the YMCA was offering emergency child care to kids of essential workers, she felt a sense of relief. “It just meant everything that the Y provided this opportunity,” she says.

“It took the burden off of us having to schedule child care, find babysitters, or coordinate family.”

“It took the burden off of us having to schedule child care, find babysitters, or coordinate family.”

In YMCA child care, Kristin’s kids engaged in active play, participated in STEM activities, and enjoyed nutritious meals—all at no cost to their parents. Kristin felt comfortable knowing that her six- and nine-year-old boys would be cared for and nurtured in a safe environment—not just sitting in front of screens all day.

In a time of uncertainty, Kristin felt reassured by the Y staff’s warmth. “Everyone always has a smile and asks how we’re doing when we walk through the door,” Kristin shares. “The staff answered any questions we had right away. Our kids are always talking about how much they love their Y leaders.”

We are proud to care for the kids of essential workers like Kristin—and we couldn’t do it without your willingness to respond to the needs in our community. By giving to the YMCA, you bring hope, relief, and solace to our friends and neighbors.

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2020 H.G. HILL JR. PHILANTHROPIC AWARD Lawson Allen It’s the YMCA of Middle Tennessee Foundation’s distinct privilege to present its highest philanthropic honor to Lawson Allen. Lawson is an extraordinary leader and passionate advocate for the Y and other important causes in our community. His work has helped build essential community assets like Camp Widjiwagan and continues to ensure that YMCA programs throughout Middle Tennessee are accessible to all in need.

This philanthropic award perpetuates the memory of H.G. Hill Jr., an instrumental leader for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee for more than 50 years.

Typically presented in person at our annual Celebration of Philanthropy, we’ll celebrate Lawson virtually this year.

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HIGH IMPACT PARTNERS Corporate leaders are telling us that, more than simply “writing a check,” they want to give their employees meaningful opportunities to engage in the community and connect with important causes.

In response, we have developed a High Impact Partnership program in which philanthropic companies give, volunteer and advocate on behalf of our highestneed children and their families.

Employees of our High Impact Partners give their time to create meaningful relationships with our kids—reading, helping with learning stations, throwing holiday parties for the kids, and serving nutritious meals during after-school programming. The Y is grateful to the following businesses for the deep impact they are making through this program.

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CASEY’S STORY Providing A Healthy Respite For Families Every morning, it seems, Casey’s kids are asking her if today is the day they get to go to the Y. “It’s something all five of us look forward to,” Casey says.

A few times a week, Casey and her four kids—ages 2, 3, 5, and 6—pile into the car for a visit to the Y. It’s a welcome break from their normal routine which, lately, involves a lot more time at home.

“It feels like a reset in our day. We all kind of feel better and more energized afterward.”

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“We all feel better and more energized after being at the Y.”

Casey appreciates the chance to work up a sweat and take an hour for herself to recharge from the demands that come with a happy, hectic household of four young children.

View Casey’s Story

Meanwhile, the kids are safely playing and learning with Y-Play staff members they know by name. Staff are attuned to her kids’ personalities and interests—whether they want to draw or play with trucks or simply have someone read them a story.

“It’s not just a child care where I drop them off,” she says. “I feel like my children are really well loved and cared for while they’re here.”

Thanks to your support of the Y’s efforts to safely reopen this spring, families like Casey’s can now find respite, exercise and fun at their home away from home.

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IN MEMORIAM In late 2019 and in 2020, we mourned the passing of these friends, and we remain ever grateful for their generosity to our organization. Their legacy will live on through the individuals and families who benefit from their contributions for generations to come.

HOMER GIBBS JR. NANCY MIERS BETTY JO WEMYSS 16

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HELPING FUTURE GENERATIONS THRIVE While we are focused on serving immediate needs, we remain committed to the future of our community. We look beyond today to ensure our work will be sustainable and our Y will be here for generations to come.

YMCA FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

THE HERITAGE CLUB

The YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee holds nearly $10 million in endowment assets. Each year, the income generated by the Foundation's endowment funds is poured back into local neighborhoods in the form of YMCA facilities and the programs and services our communities need in order to thrive—both now and in the future.

The Heritage Club recognizes the generous donors who have made a planned gift to the YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Foundation is honored to have more than 500 individuals choose to leave a lasting legacy by including the YMCA in their estate plans.

For members of the Heritage Club, a charitable bequest or other estate gift to the Foundation passes on their family's values and ensures the Y serves other families for years to come. Their lasting impact has helped make the YMCA of Middle Tennessee what it is today.

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Thanks to Mary and Lee Barfield, and other generous friends, for making this report possible.

YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE