YMCA Calgary

About

Since our inception in 1902, YMCA Calgary has evolved into a vibrant charity which, at its core, is all about community. For 121 years, the YMCA has connected people through diverse and shared experiences, helping achieve their greatest potential. Each year, thousands of Calgarians are involved through health and wellness programs, leadership and community outreach programs, childcare, and day and overnight camps.

Our impact is more than gym and swim. YMCA Calgary offers a growing hub of programming & services to address the needs of our community including isolation, child-care shortages, language and cultural barriers, mental health challenges, financial barriers, and more.

We believe in people. We see their potential. We see strengths in our differences and inspiration in our diversity. We are the neighbour you can count on, a place for everyone; a space to play, to challenge yourself, to build resilience and to grow. The journey may start with a splash, a bounce, or a crunch under your boots; and if we do our part, it will lead to a healthier, more vibrant community. Your YMCA exists so that everyone has an opportunity to belong.

YMCA Calgary is a place for everyone and our 10-year strategic direction, Navigate, is our guide to delivering our promise to the community in the years ahead through our five strategic priorities:

A trusted charity: Sharing our story  
Exceptional experiences: Creating moments that matter  
We can’t do it alone: Leveraging partnerships  
A place for everyone: Journeys that start with child/youth development  
Here for the long term: Building a sustainable future

Our Impact

YMCA Calgary has six operating health and wellness facilities, six child development centres with licensed childcare, two outdoor camps, and over 40 community program sites serving all of Calgary. Our reach across the city allows us to deliver programs, services, and opportunities to help Calgary communities connect with each other, build life-long skills, and keep active and healthy.

In addition to our recreation programs, our community outreach programs for youth offer rich experiences for personal learning, skill development, and community building. These programs include:

Enabling academic achievement for children and youth through tutoring and mentorship
Support and programming for the urban Indigenous community
Empowering new Canadians through programs that welcome them and support their integration into the community
Developing future leaders through values-based programs that stimulate personal growth

How your gift will be used

As a charitable organization, philanthropic support is critical to deliver programs and financial assistance to our communities. When you donate, you help ensure no one is turned away from a YMCA experience.

Your gift can provide impact in the following areas:

Greatest Need – This allows the YMCA to adapt and address the highest need priorities in the community.

Financial Assistance – Provide financial assistance to hundreds of children and adults who have financial barriers to participating at the YMCA.
Outdoor Camp Experiences – Help thousands of children experience everything the natural world can offer through outdoor camps and programs.
Youth Empowerment Programs – Bring youth together to learn new skills, a new language, connect with Indigenous culture, and have stronger voices for change in their communities.

Your gift can be directed to immediate needs or the YMCA Calgary Endowment.

Gifts for immediate needs are used right away while a gift to the YMCA Calgary Endowment is invested in perpetuity and a portion of the annual investment income is used to fund programs and financial assistance at the YMCA.

Your planned gift will create a lasting impact, ensuring everyone can access YMCA programs that support their physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing.