“Annual Report”
The YMCA of Greater Whittier celebrated 91 years of building strong kids, strong families and a stronger, healthier community in 2006. The fiscal year just completed was a remarkable year in the life of our Association reflecting substantial progress toward our strategic goals and objectives which were approved by our YMCA Corporate Board of Directors on October 29, 2005.
This report chronicles some of the achievements of the YMCA of Greater Whittier during the past year. We have experienced solid growth and are stronger now than perhaps at any time since the founding of our Association in 1915. Here are just a few of the highlights:
In 2006, of the thousands of people who walked through our doors, 15,670 individuals signed up and participated in one or more of the hundreds of different Y-Programs that our YMCA makes available to the community. This is a 23% increase in participation over the previous year. Of the 15,670 people who participated, 8,979 chose to become a member of the YMCA of Greater Whittier which is an increase of more than 13% and a strong indication of people’s desire to strengthen their spirit, mind and body through involvement in our Association’s healthy lifestyle programs which are designed with “health seeker’s” needs of all ages in mind.
Speaking of all ages, 40% of our membership in 2006 was age 18 and under and 12% were adults 55 and older. Every individual, no matter what their age, had the opportunity to build the relationships, knowledge and confidence to make healthy choices to improve their spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.
In regards to our dedication to being good stewards of all the resources that God provides, our YMCA continues to operate “debt free” and the total assets on our Association grew by 9% in 2006 to $11,792,560. In addition, our annual Current Support Campaign fundraising grew by 7% in 2006 achieving 104% of our campaign goal and raising $366,520 which enabled us to provide financial assistance to literally hundreds of youth, adults and families. This support came from 2,324 individual, business and foundation contributors, demonstrating broad support from the communities we serve.
But the size and financial strength of our Association, detailed on page 3 of this report, are not the primary measure of the value of the YMCA to our members and the communities we work with. The best and truest measure of our success is found in the positive difference the YMCA makes in individual lives. Stronger individuals make for stronger families and stronger families make for a stronger community for us all.
As we seek to expand the reach of our YMCA in the years ahead to all that might have need, we truly realize our mission as “An Association of all people united in a common effort to put Judeo-Christian principles into daily practice and to enrich the quality of the spiritual, mental, physical and social life of our families, our community and ourselves”.
On behalf of our 46 board members, over 300 staff members and thousands of Y-Volunteers, thanks for your faithful support of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Greater Whittier in the year gone by. May God richly bless you and yours in the year ahead.
In His Service,
Mike Blackmore
President & CEO