Nonprofit Organization: Young Mens Christian Association - Essay Example

Non-profit Organization: YMCA Introduction Young Men's Christian Association or YMCA is a community of people with the main thrust of providing community service through programs that espouses the Christian values. It is considered as one of the largest non-profit organization in America. It is also a very popular Christian organization worldwide. It came about with all local associations and national movements from different countries, twenty-two in all, federating into one organization ("YMCA National Profile"). As of the present and in America alone, YMCA caters to more or less 20.1 million individuals, including women and children, in almost 10,000 communities. It approaches the heart of many communities all over the world ("About the YMCA", 2006). The local YMCAs in the different countries identify with each other in terms of a common direction and an overall strategy for the organization. However, the different YMCAs vary in terms of the programs and services implemented. The programs have to depend on the needs of the local communities that an organization caters to (Zald and Denton). One remarkable aspect in YMCA is that it encourages membership. Even if YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association, it does not mean that the doors are closed to those who are not young, Christian men ("About the YMCA", 2006). Most local YMCAs would accept non-Christian members and give them opportunities to participate and lead (Alexander). This was policy from the time when the organization started 150 years ago. It was even regarded as unconventional because back then, the demarcation among different classes and churches is very strong, particularly in England. This unusual trait made YMCA focus on the strength of openness they know that the effort to gather different people together is very important for the society. YMCA also provided assistance for those who cannot afford to pay through their financial policies. 'Y' then became something that stands for everybody, with no regard on the race, age, faith or income of the people who come to the organization ("About the YMCA", 2006). YMCA associations are operated by the volunteers and through them the various services are implemented. In North America, most people think of YMCA as a sports facility for the community because of its resources. However, the range of services YMCA provides is very broad. It includes child care, physical fitness, camping and overnights, conference halls and activity centers, employment preparation programs and educational activities. These are all utilized to instill and encourage positive values. ("YMCA", 2006). 2004 U.S. Statistics YMCAs 2,594 Members 20.1 million Facility members 11 million Program members 9 million Under age 18 members 9.7 million Over age 18 members 10.3 million Male members 10.1 million Female members 9.9 million Volunteers are also crucial in fulfilling the mission of YMCA. Through the volunteers, every YMCA is able to meet the needs of the community it serves. Volunteers 613,430 Program 559,044 Board 54,386 Source: www.ymca.net History of YMCA The history of YMCA can be traced in England. It started from an organization founded by a certain Sir George Williams in 1844 in London. He was 23 years old then, an aristocrat who is known for dedicating his efforts in promoting the health and welfare of boys. He was also helped by his friends who are mostly businessmen. Their endeavor was to give an active response to the impending dangers brought about by the social conditions and realities faced in big cities in Great Britain at the time. This period was the end of the Industrial Revolution. YMCA aimed to put an end to the lazy and mischievous behavior of the young men. They were encouraged to again take Bible studies and enroll in different classes. YMCA was able to recruit more or less 2,700 members in their twenty-four associations. Great Britain witnessed this just within seven years (Vodrey, n.d.). The success of the group in Great Britain led them to spread the effort into other countries. North America and the rest of Europe were targeted next. By December 29, 1851, the first YMCA in America was founded. This was in Boston, Massachusetts. After three years or by 1854, 26 other YMCA associations were formed in the rest of the United States and Canada. The end of the 1800's witnessed the introduction of conducting competitive team sports as essential to encourage positive attitude among young men. Team sports are said to be effective in encouraging teamwork, self-sacrifice and obedience among the players. Thus active participation in team sports helps in fulfilling the mission of YMCA. Through this attitude of the YMCA, the organization became more secular in its policies and programs (Vodrey, n.d.). The onset of the Civil War had decreased the number of members in YMCA in the United States as the young men went off to battle. Fifteen of the remaining YMCAs volunteered and formed the U.S. Christian Commission. They were tasked to assist the troops, as well the prisoners of war. Due to the active participation of the YMCA in the society, it was later endorsed by President Abraham Lincoln. One of its 4,859 volunteers was the famous Walt Whitman, the American poet. The group was also able to give away more than one million Bibles to the men fighting in the war. This paved the way for YMCA to start its commitment to work with soldiers and sailors. Up to today, the Armed Services YMCA continue to fulfill this commitment ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", n.d.). The end of the Civil War left only 59 Ys. Still a quick rebuilding ensued and within four years, 600 more people joined. YMCA then focused on preaching, be it on a saloon or a street corner. There were Christian boarding houses, libraries and meeting halls rented and used to support the effort on saving souls. The New York YMCA that was very influential back in 1866 adopted a fourfold purpose: 'to improve the spiritual, mental, social and physical condition of young men' ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", n.d.). The YMCA then depended hugely on their volunteers. They had a few paid staff that maintained the cleanliness and order of the place and sometimes functioned as secretaries. However, YMCA felt the need to put up more buildings in 1880's. This opened up to employing more people who will work full time ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", n.d.). This was also the time that structures like gyms, swimming pools, big auditoriums and bowling alleys were built for the use of the volunteers and members. There were rooms with bathrooms in every new building of the YMCA that served as residences or dormitories. The rented rooms generate good income to support other activities of the YMCA ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", n.d.). YMCA also organized summer camps for boys. There are different sets of exercise drills in classes. The drills included the use of wooden dumbbells, heavy machine balls and the Indian clubs. They served as the counterpart of modern day aerobics. The college boys were mobilized to take social action. They invented the basketball and volleyball games. They also provided services to special needs like the railroad men who have to find a place to stay when the train is at the end of the line. The 1890's then witnessed how the earlier fourfold purpose of the organization evolved into becoming the triangle of spirit, mind and body ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", n.d.). Delegates of various YMCAs convened in Paris, France in 1855. From here, they adopted a common vision and mission for the national YMCAs. The resolution of the 'Paris Basis' was that the federation will always keep its focus on Christian values and this must be resorted to in cases of minor disagreements within the movement. To highlight this thrust of the 'Paris Basis,' the delegation adopted as motto for the organization the Bible verse "that they may all be one," from John 17:21. It was also remarkable that the focus of the conference emphasized the individual members - to help the young men to 'build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all' ("YMCA", 2006). By the 20th century, it was apparent among the YMCA member countries that the association will be open to also to the female population. However, the designation YMCA will have to be retained considering the strong recall of the name. There were even some countries where YMCA served as the first organization that implemented the very strict policy of equal representation between the genders in the national boards and committees. This is best illustrated when in 1880, Norway adopted such policies ("YMCA", 2006). YMCA also experienced difficult times during the Great Depression as the incomes in general dropped. The stock market crashed and there were problems still regarding employment. In 1933, the direct relief was taken over by the state. YMCAs together with other non-profit organizations were released from their welfare obligations and tasks. YMCA was forced to review once again the mission of the movement. The difficult times and the pressures from the students fueled the demand. YMCA then became more aware of the social realities and had to confront the problems. The mission and the programs were reevaluated as well. They also considered and actually engaged in partnerships with other social welfare organizations and agencies. Some of these efforts resulted in coming up with joint projects, renewed emphasis on group work and the community, and more organized activities through classes and lectures ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). When the World War II came, the National Council of YMCAs, today known as the YMCA of the USA, joined efforts with Ys in other countries. This was crucial as they provided assistance to prisoners of war in 36 nations affected by the war. This period also paved the way in the formation of the United Service Organizations or USO that ran centers providing service for the people and sent performers in different countries to entertain the troop members. YMCAs also gave aid to refugees and displaced persons. They also sent workers and money to other countries when the war was over to help in rebuilding the damaged buildings of the organization ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). The end of the war gave way to further changes within the organization. The barriers within began to fall. More or less sixty-two percent of the federation was admitting women. Family became the new focus of the organization. All races and religions are welcome to join the organization at all levels, be it in membership or leadership. Some YMCAs abandoned the old buildings that are not anymore as efficient and needed as before. The trend then for most YMCAs was to move and establish in the suburban areas ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). In 1970's, the federation adopted a more globalized view. They adopted the 'Kampala principles' in 1973. This reinforced the previous policies of the YMCA. However, this time, it was expressly stated the a global framework is most necessary thereby pushing the organization to make and take political stands and be active even in the international context ("YMCA", 2006). Later on, there also came the world conference held in Germany. This was in 1998 when the 'Challenge 21' policy was adopted. This basically upholds the need to give more attention to global issues like sustainable development and equality among genders. Topics such as war and peace, racism, HIV and AIDS are considered as the challenges to the will of God that must be confronted by a conscientious Christian organization ("YMCA", 2006). It is also a thrust of the YMCA to cater to the needs of the youth. Especially when it is a time of need, there should be no fuss on the gender, faith, race or capability of the young person. What YMCA does to focus on young people is to provide programs that will encourage the growth of the mind, body and spirit. The programs are provided by the local YMCA associations or otherwise called as member YMCAs. At present, there are almost 140 member YMCAs that comprise the whole YMCA movement in England alone. There are also some additional operating units that support the mission of the organization ("Structure"). It is also very important to have a good idea of the various activities implemented by the YMCA to further comprehend the thrust of this strong organization. Basically, there are four categories among the YMCA activities: spiritual, parent and child, physical fitness and education ("YMCA", 2006). Spiritual The spiritual aspect is fundamental to YMCA as a Christian organization. Bible study was the main concern of the very first YMCA in existence. Today, the organization employs a more holistic attitude when it comes to spirituality. Taking into consideration the Paris conference in 1855, the objective of the organization was made clear by the goal of Christian discipleship cultivated through religious activities (Binfield 1973:265). Parent/child The focus on parent child programs stems back in the 1926 when activities were first organized towards this goal. In the United States, parents and children were given opportunities to bond and grow together through camping, community activities and fellowship. The activities even include arts and craft0making to cater to younger children ("YMCA", 2006). The founders of the most notable activities under this category are Harold Keltner, a director of St. Louis YMCA and Joe Friday, a hunting guide. Up to the present, they are remembered through the patch awards given out to distinguished YMCA volunteers. This is to honor the legacy of the two men. There were even some programs that award these patches to kids who are able to achieve their goals in activities like nature hiking. This is to further encourage the children to give their best in the activities ("YMCA", 2006). Physical fitness There is also a big emphasis given in physical activities, especially in its crucial role among the youth. It is very usual to find weight rooms and sports facilities in a YMCA building. This also led some YMCA instructors to develop basketball, volleyball and racquetball. They also prioritized to have swimming pools built in the vicinity. There were even claims that just before the organization opened up to girls and women, boys simply swam naked in the pool ("YMCA National Profile"). It was even actually encouraged for boys to swim naked for this will avoid having the loose materials of swimsuits in clogging the filter system of the pool. This was regarded as a normal setting. There is nothing wrong, as long nudity is limited in the proper places like the pool and the shower room and that there are no females around (Zald and Denton; "YMCA", 2006). Education YMCA also helped in founding some colleges and universities. The Springfield College came about as an international training school in 1885, initially for YMCA Professional. The Sir George Williams University was founded to provide night courses at Montreal before it later became the other half of what became the Concordia University today. The Franklin University today was first the YMCA School of Commerce and the Northeastern University in Boston was the known before as the YMCA in Boston ("YMCA", 2006). Another remarkable contribution of the YMCA is in pioneering the night schools that give opportunity even to individuals who work full time. There are also alternative schools, day cares, summer camps and ESL programs that are led by the YMCA. In United States, the high school students are given the chance to join YMCA Youth and Government. This is where kids represent YMCA communities in an annual convention to their state legislature to 'take over for a day.' Through this, the kids are able to learn how the real world works and they get a good idea on how they can have civic participation. These active efforts in the educational field and institutions clearly display the commitment of the YMCA in developing the minds and intellects of the youth ("YMCA", 2006). Contributions of YMCA YMCA has its World Service program. This started out in 1889 known then as the Foreign Service. Many people benefited from this as the officials and volunteers of YMCA devoted their time and effort to share the ideals and principles to people in different corners and points of the world ("YMCA World Service History"). The Gideon organization, known for making Bibles available in hotel rooms was also founded as a result of YMCA efforts. This is not to say that the YMCA itself founded it. It is only through the support in such activities that YMCA became instrumental for the Gideon organization to materialize ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). YMCA is also known for making a definite stand when it comes to crucial issues. They were clearly against the Apartheid. They are also against the Middle East issue. In 2002, YMCA called for a peaceful resolution of the crisis faced by the different countries in a world conference held in Oaxtepec, Mexico ("YMCA", 2006).YMCA also gave a big contribution in the sports field. The volleyball enjoyed by many today was invented in 1895 in YMCA Massachusetts or Holyoke. A YMCA instructor, William Morgan thought that basketball may be too much for his group. HE came up with the game mintonette that combined basketball, handball and tennis. This later on became 'volleyball' when people watching the YMCA exhibit games in 1896 described the movement of the ball ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). Future trends and challenges The organization witnessed how people regained interest in the different physical fitness programs implemented by the organization through the years. It was in 1866 that the New York City YMCA has added a physical fitness component to its current programs to add to its intellectual, social, and spiritual works. In 1885, the first YMCA swimming pool was opened and by 1887, the YMCA International Committee had established a department called Physical Education to have a hand in managing, coordinating, and standardizing the physical fitness aspect of YMCA situated in North America. Basketball was invented in 1891 by a YMCA instructor, and a lot of other improvements and additions to its physical fitness components were added further. By 1980 up to 1983, YMCA also witnessed how families came to have a great need for child care assistance. This was informally done in the previous years. However, because of the great demand, it later became a source of income for the organization. Given that the society today continues to advance and parents are busy ever in working to support the family, YMCA may very well give this aspect a special attention. Programs that will focus on child development and giving ample opportunity for participation of the parents will definitely help in upholding the family ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). It is most likely that YMCA will still be challenged in defining and molding the character of the organization and its members as the world and the environment continue to change. The family has the main responsibility in instilling moral values to a child. However, the development of a character and certain virtues may still be influenced by the organization through encouraging activities and programs. At this point, YMCA may consider developing programs that will respond to the specific needs of the families in their respective localities at the same time upholding the core values of the organization: honesty, care, respect and responsibility ("A Brief History of the YMCA Movement", 2006). YMCA and its being a Christian Movement YMCA, as its name connotes, is a movement catering to Christian values and spirituality. But over time, they are shifting to a more general approach towards youth work and nonsectarian discipleship. With this being the case, a subject of debate would be whether to change the organization's name or not. In an instance documented in 1914, the Baptist Standard demanded that the organization drop "Christian" from its name (Ivy, 2003). Their reason - not everybody affiliated and supporting the movement is into Christianity and living as a Christian should. But if the movement dropped "Christian" from its name, it will cease to become what it used to be. The organization would undoubtedly deviate entirely from the definite Christian values which it would like to promote. But then again, there have been a lot of changes within the movement. Not only has it now has a questionable "Christian" attribute; it has accepted women in the organization over time, thus making it not an exclusive male club any longer (Winter, 2002). Right now, the issue of the YMCA being a Christian or a men's movement is not the question. The issue lies on the necessity of YMCA to change its name so as to cater what it has become. Relatively, that should be a very simple thing to do, considering the simple legal process of name change. But people behind the organization are not sold into that idea because YMCA has become such a powerful brand name. Changing its name would definitely take the organization back to its grassroots and has to work hard to start gaining popularity again (Winter, 2002). YMCA and its being a tax-exempt institution The YMCA enjoys a tax-exempt status as an organization, and this is especially applicable to the physical fitness gyms it constructed. What this means is that they are getting a cost advantage over their non-tax-exempt competitors to as much as 33%. With that, they can give gym services to customers on a much lower price. They certainly have the ability to take their competitor's business out, and this is the main concern of the tax-paying gyms (Barnes, 2001). The main solution to this dilemma is to critically look into the individual YMCA fitness clubs that have gym services. YMCA gyms that are functioning similarly to that of a commercial gym should be analyzed deeply by the government to determine if the institution should be freed of their tax-exempt status so as to be fair to their tax-paying counterparts. This has happened to a lot of YCMA's in different cities; they lost either all or part of their exemption privileges mainly because of practicing the same way as commercial gyms are (Barnes, 2001). References "A Brief History of the YMCA Movement" 2006. YMCA. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/history_of_the_ymca.html "A Brief History of the YMCA Movement" n.d. West End_YMCA. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.westendymca.org/history.html Alexander, J. June 10 2006. Love, Compassion and Justice are our guiding principles. Christian News. Retrieved 26 May 2006 fromhttp://www.christiantoday.com/news/south-asia/love.compassion.and.justice.are.our.guiding.principles.mr.j.alexander.national.ymca.president/146.htm "About the YMCA" 2006. YMCA. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/ Barnes, David W. (2001) "Understanding Business: Process". London: Routledge Ivy, James D. (2003) "No Saloon in the Valley: The Southern Strategy of Texas Prohibitionists in the 1880s". Texas: Baylor University Press. "Structure". 2006. YMCA England. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymca.org.uk/bfora/systems/xmlviewer/default.asparg=DS_YMCA_ABOUTART_21/_page.xsl/9 "YMCA" 23 May 2006. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YMCA "YMCA National Profiles." 1997. World Alliance of YMCAs. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymca.int/index.phpid=45 Vodrey, Catherine S. n.d. History of the Y. East Liverpool Area YMCA. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymcanet.org/history.html "YWorld Service History"2003 The National YMCA Fund, Inc. Retrieved 26 May 2006 from http://www.ymcaworldservice.org/history/ Winter, Thomas. (2002). "Making Men, Making Class: The YMCA and Workingmen, 1877-1920". Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Zald, Mayer N. and Patricia Denton. Sept. 1963. From Evangelism to General Service: The Transformation of the YMCA. Administrative Science Quarterly, 8 (2), 214-234. Read More