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2010 President's Letter
July 28, 2010
Dear Friends and Board Members:
These are exciting times at Old Colony Y! Over the past year, we have renovated facilities, started new programs, and served countless children and families within our branches, programs, and camps. The following is a brief overview of our recent work to strengthen the families and communities we serve:
Operations Outlook:
Membership for All
Our "Membership for All" income-based membership pricing is being utilized more than ever by families struggling in this tough economy. Although we have certainly felt the effect at our suburban branches, our urban operations in Brockton are particularly impacted, and we have again seen an increase in the number of requests for financial assistance at our childcare locations, branches, and camps. It is at times like these that we are most proud of our mission to serve all.
Strong Kids Campaign and Fundraising
What a successful year for our Strong Kids Campaign! To date, donors have given $750,000, which is $50,000 more than was raised last year! As these challenging financial times continue, it is amazing to see the community support for the Y and our work. Our deepest appreciation goes out to the many dedicated campaign volunteers and generous donors who supported this effort!
There are many ways to support the mission of the Y. The East Bridgewater Endowment Fund recently received a donation of $77,000 from the estate of Elizabeth Dennett. This generous bequest will help sustain our efforts in that community far into the future.
Our Stoughton operations received a generous donation of land from a generous benefactor, Jay Cashman, which increased our overall footprint by more than 27 acres! We are currently utilizing the donated land to expand our outdoor programming, and are developing a master plan for full use of the property.
This branch continues to increase the reach of YMCA services into Stoughton and nearby communities, offering comprehensive health and wellness services, early learning and childcare programs, and a summer day camp. On June 30, 2009, we had 2438 membership units, or approximately 5,600 different people. Those numbers have increased to 2982 membership units/7163 people, a testament to the hard work and outreach efforts of our Stoughton staff.
Capital Campaigns
Our capital campaign in Plymouth is forging ahead, and campaign volunteers are actively seeking lead gifts. We look forward to welcoming new members and friends into a full-service facility in that community.
New construction and renovation work was completed in September 2009 for the significantly expanded Middleboro branch. These changes have translated into a net increase of 861 new memberships since the grand opening. If you have not done so already, please take the opportunity to stop by the site and see the wonderful improvements!
Grants and Contracts
The Old Colony Y is here to serve everyone. To that end, we continue to explore ways to extend YMCA services to more at-risk youth and families through private grants, and local, state, and federal awards. Here is a small sampling of the awards we have received over the past year:
- Brockton Workforce Investment Board (COMMCorp / WIA Funds) - $280,000 in two contracts for community outreach and workforce development programming for youth
- City of Brockton - $194,000 in two contracts to provide Street Outreach and Gang Diversion services
- Department of Early Education and Care - $590,956 to provide specialty child care services to priority populations, including teen parents, limited English speaking families, and others
- Department of Youth Services - $1,695,000 to provide Community Services for at-risk youth and families involved with DYS throughout the Southeast Region
- Department of Labor (Federal) - $100,000 for a "Green Jobs Initiative" program to train youth in our YouthBuild Fall River program
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development - $165,240 to provide "Continuum of Care" services and housing to families experiencing homelessness
Please note that the list above is a small sampling. Overall, we have successfully secured more than $18.2 million dollars in grant and contract funding over the past year! While this certainly speaks to our ability to prepare great applications, we believe it is much more reflective of our reputation for providing high quality services in a responsible and compassionate way to those deemed most at risk. Put simply - they know the Y gets it done!
More Good News!
Once again, an anonymous Boston-area funder has chosen to support our Youth Focus program by awarding us $130,000 to continue offering tutoring, sports and recreation, arts and humanities, field trips, computer lab time, and other educational services to children and families residing within four Brockton Housing Authority neighborhoods. We are currently in on our 5th year of providing Youth Focus programming and services to these Brockton families. We are so grateful for this continued funding, as we know that Youth Focus may be the only opportunity some of these children may have to experience all that the YMCA has to offer.
Back in October of 2008, our Easton branch opened their new childcare center serving 38 children. The program has been wildly successful, which generated an expansion and renovation of additional space to serve more children. We anticipate opening the doors in August 2010 with a licensed capacity of 55 children. Great job!
Outlook for the Summer
Summer is a critical time for many of the youth and families we serve. Our staff works diligently to provide healthy and stimulating activities throughout the hot summer months, as we want to make certain kids are offered positive opportunities for development and growth when they have so much idle time on their hands.
In addition to our highly successful "Brockton After Dark" collaboration that serves more than 1,100 youth during summer evenings, we are offering:
- Midnight Basketball for young adults in collaboration with the City of Brockton and the Brockton Boys and Girls Club
- expanded services and outreach efforts at the Fairfax Gardens Housing Development in Taunton
- longer hours and additional services at our Youth Focus sites in Brockton
- fun activities and field trips through our Summer Fun Clubs held most branches and child care sites
- traditional day camp in Brockton, East Bridgewater, Middleboro, Plymouth, and Stoughton
Summer program and camp enrollment is going well...this is shaping up to be a great summer!
Looking Forward:
Technology Improvements
In order to improve our service to members and constituents, we continue to invest a significant amount of time and energy into technology improvements across the Association. On March 1, 2010, the Commonwealth enacted a strict "Massachusetts Security Law" to help protect personal information. As a result, our IT department has implemented tight data security and encryption processes throughout the Y. In addition, we recently enhanced our bank processing and authorization system to allow for easier and more efficient credit card and electronic fund transfers. While these enhancements were somewhat transparent to our members, the new state-of-the-art Online Registration system that will launch in August 2010 will be a noticeable improvement. This new system is designed to ease the registration process and improve the overall online experience for our members and participants.
Activate America
The Middleboro and East Bridgewater Branches have completely immersed themselves in the Gulick Initiative. Named after Luther Gulick, an early YMCA health and wellness pioneer, the goal of the initiative is to re-engineer the way YMCAs work with prospective and current members to promote healthy living.
We are particularly focused on attracting and retaining health seekers - people who want to get fit but have been frustrated by diets or fitness programs that do not meet their needs. The Gulick Initiative is a practical way to introduce Activate America into Branch Operations. We have completed the "trainer of trainers" protocol and we intend to roll out the Gulick effort at all of our branches in September 2010. In addition, we are now maintaining Association-wide Dash Boards as benchmarks on key indicators of our performance in key areas at all branches.
Brand Revitalization
On July 12, YMCA of the USA announced the massive national brand revitalization effort, which is now underway. This is all part of a branding strategy designed to ensure that our members, donors, and the community fully understand the mission, values and impact the organization makes in the community so that more people will take advantage of the Y's unique capacity to foster lasting personal and social change.
The red and black YMCA logo, which had been in place since 1967, is one of the top three most recognized logos in the world. So, you may be wondering, "Why in the world would Y-USA change it?" After several years of extensive research, they concluded that while the Y has long been a respected nonprofit, research proved that our cause and impact are not fully understood. This national brand revitalization, and the updated logo and messaging system we are adopting, will change how we present our organization to the world. Since the Y is a diverse organization of men, women, and children with a shared commitment to strengthening communities, our logo should reflect that diversity and vibrancy.
While the Old Colony YMCA may appear differently to you visually, please be assured that our mission and core values have not changed. The YMCA was founded on Christian principles and remains committed to this heritage, as evidenced by our mission statement: to put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. We provide the community with a much-needed safety net through programs and services that help individuals to develop character and leadership skills, instill a strong sense of positive values, strengthen family and community life, and support and encourage peace through international and cultural diversity.
Watch for more information over the coming months!
Upcoming Board Meeting
I am pleased to report that we concluded our fiscal year ending on June 30, 2010 with a positive bottom line, continuing our history of sound financial stewardship. We also recently completed the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Process. We would like to thank the Finance Committee for their tireless efforts in reviewing the budget, which was approved by the board at the Picnic in June. I want to particularly express my gratitude to Bill Daisy, our treasurer, for his leadership of this process.
The next board meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 20, 2010. We look forward to catching up with you then, but in the meantime, have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Vincent J. Marturano, MSW, ACSW
President & CEO
Old Colony Y
