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National Council of Young Mens Christian Assns of the USA

EIN 36-3258696 · Chicago, IL

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood71 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) is the national resource office for the nation's 2,600+ Ys, which strengthen community by nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living for all and fostering social responsibility. Collectively, the Y serves 6.6 million youth under the age of 18 and 10.3 million adults.

Income
$198.4 million
Spending
$169.7 million
Spent on programs
91%
Reserves
2.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 49%
Employees
336
Volunteers
2,848
Highest pay
$892,142, president and chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 24% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 30% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    91% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (human services, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    28 of 28 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $64.8 million spent. Social Responsibility: for nearly 175 years, the Y has responded to our nation's most pressing social needs and has supported those who need it most. Today, 1 in 5 children in the United States do not know where their next meal is coming from. In response to that, the YMCA works in communities across the country to ensure children are receiving the nutritious meals and snacks they need to reach their full potential. In 2024, the Y served 2.3 million kids nutritious meals and snacks through their programs. New American Welcome Center Ys continued their work to support newcomer immigrants in 2024, providing English language classes, employment assistance, citizenship classes and more. Additionally, 433,000 military personnel and families received support through child care, education, health programs, financial and employee assistance.
  2. $56.3 million spent. Youth Development: at the Y, we believe America's young people are changemakers with the skills, commitment and resources necessary to create the communities that we all want to live in. We also believe success depends on our collective ability to reach and inspire this next generation to be globally minded, civically-engaged problem solvers. The Y's youth and government program continued to provide thousands of teens nationwide with the opportunity to immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement and practice democracy in their communities. The Y provided this support to millions of children through its many youth offerings, including afterschool programs, child care, head start programs, sports, swim lessons and more. These activities provided a healthy outlet for children to gain new skills, develop relationships, exercise social-emotional learning and connect with positive role models.
  3. $33.1 million spent. Healthy Living: the Y is committed to improving the nation's health, which is why Ys provide a variety of chronic disease programs-in-person and virtually-designed to help people reduce their risk for or manage chronic diseases. Collectively, Ys served more than 230,000 participants at more than 355 associations in programs such as the YMCA's diabetes prevention program, YMCA's blood pressure self-monitoring (blood pressure management), Livestrong at the YMCA (cancer survivorship), healthy weight and your child (family weight management), and enhancefitness (arthritis management). Nationally, the Y continued developing its community care model of mental health and refining mental health tools that help Y staff care for themselves and their community.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 1983.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.