This final section of the Industry Report will examine the responses of those working for YMCAs, YWCAs, JCCs and Boys & Girls Clubs—those nonprofit facilities that provide a broad array of programming for a wide range of ages. Respondents in this group made up 6.4% of the respondents in 2024, similar to 2023’s number (6.8%).
Respondents from Ys were most likely to be located in the Midwestern states, with 39.5% of these respondents indicating they were from the Midwest. Another 20.9% make their home in the Northeast, and the same number (20.9%) call the South Central region home. Some 11.6% of Y respondents were from the South Atlantic region, and 7% were from the Western states. 
The largest number of Y respondents in 2024—44.2%—were from rural communities. Another 32.6% were located in suburban areas, and 23.3% were from urban communities.
On average, Y respondents are reaching 20,800 people per year. The median population size for Y respondents is 6,350.
Y respondents in 2024 managed an average of 3.2 individual facilities, down from six in 2023. They were much more likely than other respondents to report that they manage just a single facility. Nearly half (49%) of Y respondents said they manage just one facility, compared with 28.7% of non-Y respondents. Another 17.6% of Y respondents manage two to three facilities. More than a quarter (27.4%) manage between four and nine facilities, and 5.9% said they manage 10 or more individual facilities.
Respondents from Ys are always among the most likely to form partnerships with other organizations. In 2024, 96.1% of Y respondents said they had partnered with outside organizations, compared with 84.6% of all other respondents. This is down slightly from 2023, when 97.5% of Y respondents had formed partnerships.
Ys were, in fact, more likely to engage with every kind of partner measured in the survey than all other respondents combined. The most common partners for Ys in 2024 were: local schools (86.3% had partnered with schools vs. 58% of non-Y respondents); nonprofit organizations (68.6% vs. 54.7%); corporations and local businesses (68.7% vs. 45.2%); other Ys (64.7% vs. 19%); and colleges and universities (52.9% vs. 35.9%). (See Figure 65.)
Ys were also much more likely than others to partner with healthcare or medical facilities (41.2% vs. 22.1%) and the military (19.6% vs. 9.2%).
Respondents from Ys were most likely to report that the primary audience for their facilities is made up of all ages. Well over half (58.8%) of Y respondents said they primarily reach all ages, compared with 47.4% of non-Y respondents. Another 19.6% of Y respondents said they primarily reach children ages 4 to 12. Smaller numbers of Y respondents said they primarily serve adults (9.6%), seniors (5.9%), teens (3.9%) or infants and toddlers (2%).
Revenues & Expenditures
Ys continued to recover from the impact of the pandemic on revenues, with two-thirds (66.7%) reporting their revenues
increased in 2023 over 2022. This is up from 50.2% who saw revenues increase in 2022. Another 19% of Y respondents said their revenues in 2023 remained unchanged (down from 32.3% in 2022), while 14.3% reported a decrease (down from 17.5%). (See Figure 66.)
In 2024, slightly fewer Y respondents—61.9%—are anticipating that their revenues will increase year-over-year, while 23.8% expect revenues to remain unchanged, and 14.3% expect a decrease. And in 2025, 63.4% of Y respondents are expecting increasing revenues, with 29.3% anticipating no change and 7.3% expecting a decline.
In 2024, Y respondents spent an average of $5,363,000 on their operating expenses. The highest reported annual operating cost was $48 million, and the median was $1 million.
The median operating cost for Ys is expected to increase 25% in 2024, to $1,250,000. A further increase of 36% is expected in 2025, to $1,700,000.
Y respondents report that they recover 72.8% of their operating costs via revenues, on average. The highest reported cost recovery rate for Ys was 100%, and the lowest was 4%, with a median cost recovery rate of 82%.
The way Y facilities are funded was different from other facility types, with Ys being among the most likely to receive funds through membership fees. Some 93% of Y respondents said they were funded via membership fees, compared with 62.9% of non-Y respondents. At least two-thirds of Y respondents said they also received funding for their facilities through private donations from individuals (86% of Y respondents vs. 31.6% of non-Y respondents), private grants (76.7% vs. 24.2%), corporate donations (76.7% vs. 21.5%), and government grants (67.4% vs. 35.2%). (See Figure 67.)
Y respondents were somewhat more likely than others to indicate that they had taken action to reduce their operating costs over the past few years. Some 88.1% of Y respondents said they had taken such action, compared with 82.8% of non-Y respondents. This is up from 86.1% of Y respondents in 2023 who had taken action to reduce their operating costs, but still below the numbers reported for 2022 (89.4%) and 2021 (97.4%).
The most common methods Y respondents turned to in order to reduce their costs included: increasing their fees (61.9% of Y respondents, compared with 49.8% of non-Y respondents); improving energy efficiency (47.6% vs. 38%), putting construction or renovation plans on hold (40.5% vs. 33.7%); reducing their hours of operation (35.7% vs. 27.2%); and reducing staff (33.3% vs. 27.3%).
Buildings & Amenities
Ys saw a dramatic turnaround following the pandemic, with a large majority reporting that the number of people using their facilities is on the rise over the past few years. While 91.2% of Y respondents saw a decrease in usage during the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, they quickly recovered, with more than eight in 10 respondents reporting an increase in usage in 2022 (84.4%) and in 2023 (81.6%). Some 8.2% of Y respondents said they saw no change in the number of people using their facilities in 2023, and 10.2% reported a decline. (See Figure 68.)
Similar numbers of Y respondents are expecting to see the number of people using their facilities increase in 2024 (81.3%) and 2025 (80%), while 12.5% and 15.6%, respectively expect no change in usage. Just 6.3% of Y respondents are anticipating a decline in attendance in 2024, and 4.4% expect a decrease in 2025.
Respondents from Ys in 2024 were more likely than at any point in the past five years to indicate that they had plans for construction at their facilities over the next few years. Some 78.7% of Y respondents in 2024 have construction plans, up from 67.1% in 2023, and 74.5% in 2022. More than half (55.3%) of Y respondents said they had plans to renovate their existing facilities, up from 43.4% in 2023. Another 36.2% said they were planning additions to their existing facilities, up from 21.6%, and 29.8% said they were planning new construction, up from 27.6%. (See Figure 69.)
Y respondents in 2024 were planning to spend an average of $16.7 million on their construction plans, but this average is thrown off by a high cost of $200 million. The median construction budget for Ys was $3,250,000.
The 10 features most commonly found in Y respondents’ facilities in 2024 include: locker rooms, classrooms and meeting rooms, fitness centers, indoor courts for sports like basketball and volleyball, exercise studio rooms, childcare centers, indoor aquatic facilities, Wi-Fi services, playgrounds, and community or multipurpose centers.
Y respondents were more likely in 2024 to report that they had plans to add features at their facilities over the next few years. Some 45.9% of Y respondents in 2024 said they would be adding features, up from 41.3% in 2023. This compares with 47.1% of non-Y respondents in 2024 who are planning to add features at their facilities.
The most commonly planned additions for Y respondents in 2024 were:
1. Splash play areas (28.6% of Y respondents with plans to make additions were planning to add splash play)
2. Outdoor sports courts (28.6%)
3. Playgrounds (25%)
4. Synthetic turf sports fields (25%)
5. Community or multipurpose center (25%)
6. Fitness trail or outdoor fitness equipment (21.4%)
7. Park shelters (21.4%)
8. Walking/hiking trails (21.4%)
Programming
As usual, 100% of Y respondents said they offer programming of some kind at their facilities. This compares with 94.9% of non-Y respondents.
The programs most commonly offered at Y respondents’ facilities in 2024 include: holiday events and other special events (provided by 93.8% of Y respondents); day camps and summer camps (93.8%); educational programs (81.3%); group exercise programs (79.2%); youth sports (79.2%); fitness programs (77.1%); mind-body balance programs such as yoga and tai chi (77.1%); programs for active older adults (72.9%); swimming programs (72.9%); teen programming (68.8%); personal training (68.8%); and arts and crafts programs (68.8%).
Over the past few surveys, the number of Y respondents who plan to make program additions at their facilities has been on the rise. In 2024, 62.5% of Y respondents said they had plans to add programs at their facilities, up from 51.9% in 2023 and 42.6% in 2022. This compares with 42.3% of non-Y respondents in 2024 who had plans to expand their programming lineup.
The 10 most commonly planned program additions for Ys in 2024 were:
1. Sport training, such as golf instruction or tennis lessons (up from No. 9 in 2023)
2. Nutrition and diet counseling (down from No. 1)
3. Adult sports teams (down from No. 2)
4. Arts and crafts programs (did not appear in this list in 2023)
5. Fitness programs (did not appear in 2023)
6. Environmental education (down from No. 5)
7. Special needs programs (down from No. 6)
8. Trips (did not appear in 2023)
9. Youth sports teams (did not appear in 2023)
10. Performing arts programs (down from No. 8)
2024’s survey saw four additions to the list of top planned programs: arts and crafts, fitness, trips and youth sports. They replace educational programs, teen programming, sports tournaments and races, and aquatic exercise programs from the top planned programs list in 2023.
Top Challenges
Ys were once again far more likely than other respondents to name staffing as a top concern for their facilities, and in fact, were even more likely to call staffing a top issue than in 2023. Some 76.2% of Y respondents said staffing issues were a top concern for their facilities, up from 74.6% in 2023. This compares with 53.9% of non-Y respondents who said staffing was a top issue for their facilities, down from 58.8% in 2023.
The next most commonly named issue of concern for Ys was equipment and facility maintenance, with 50%
of Y respondents calling this a top
concern. RM
