YMCA of Greater Dayton Introduces Shared Services Partnership with Independent Area Ys

Dayton – 03/28/13 – The YMCA of Greater Dayton has announced that it has entered into a Shared Services Partnership with the Clinton County, Fayette County and Sidney-Shelby County YMCAs to share staff resources between the four YMCA Associations. The Clinton County, Fayette County and Sidney-Shelby County YMCAs are all independent, single location YMCAs and are smaller than the YMCA of Greater Dayton which has multiple branch facilities. Independent YMCAs often face the challenges of having a smaller staff and a lack of access to resources available to larger YMCA associations. In order to assist these Ys to be more effective in the delivery of their mission, the YMCA of Greater Dayton has agreed to lead the new shared services operation to help all four YMCA’s better utilize their resources.

The shared services agreement began at the beginning of 2013 and includes marketing support, IT services, employee benefits purchasing, facility maintenance consulting, payroll and accounting assistance. In a few short months, the partnership between the Ys has provided the following:

• Purchasing savings
• Joint software updates and training
• Shared personnel support and training
• Collective marketing and branding awareness through common campaigns and marketing materials
• Pooled IT resources and equipment.

The four YMCA’s involved in this new partnership have agreed to work together in order to achieve the following goals:

• Provide professional, high quality shared services for partners which enable local YMCAs to focus on their mission.
• Maximize the effectiveness of YMCA partners in serving their communities through common efforts.
• Provide efficient economies of scale for each YMCA partner.
• Foster community partnerships with other organizations which advance the YMCA mission.

The desired outcome of this new partnership looks to build the strength and capacity of each Y in order to reinforce each YMCA’s mission effectiveness through board and volunteer leadership development, marketing, and fundraising. Coordination of Human Resource efforts will assist each YMCA to attract, retain, and develop the right talent for mission success. Financial Management efforts will provide comprehensive, professional, financial management services which assure standard, accurate, and cost effective financial solutions. The new collaboration will allow greater program development and the ability to share membership best practices which enhance local YMCA program delivery. Working together on Facility Management and Purchasing will maximize cost reduction in buildings, other physical assets, equipment, and consumable purchasing.

Tim Helm, President and CEO for the YMCA of Greater Dayton shared “this new partnership is an exciting development that is providing a model for YMCA’s throughout the nation to study. As YMCA’s seek to maximize limited resources, working in partnership with other YMCA’s makes great financial sense and allows us all to deliver better services to the communities we serve.” When asked if the YMCA of Greater Dayton is now operating these three other YMCA’s, Helm reiterated that “all four YMCA’s remain independent from each other in terms of maintaining separate Board of Directors and each will continue to employ their own local YMCA CEO, but this creates a dynamic way for our YMCAs to maximize resources to better deliver the YMCA mission.”

Currently, the YMCA of Greater Dayton has ten YMCA branches and one residential camp in Montgomery, Greene, Preble and Northern Warren counties.

About the Y

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,687 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. The YMCA of Greater Dayton was established in 1870 and now offers eleven locations throughout the Miami Valley.