La Crosse Area Family Y M C a Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Our Mission: The La Crosse Area Family Y is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching our community by promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being for all.
- Income
- $14.6 million
- Spending
- $15.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 87%
- Employees
- 1,134
- Volunteers
- 727
- Highest pay
- $299,197, ceo/executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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)
- $8.0 million spent. Youth Development Youth development remains a cornerstone of the YMCA's mission. During 2025, the YMCA recorded 12,435 youth program registrations across sports, aquatics, gymnastics, arts, family programming, inclusion services, and camps. Youth sports programs served approximately 1,285 participants, providing opportunities for skill development, teamwork, character building, and physical activity. Arts-based programs, including martial arts, dance, and related activities, engaged approximately 1,307 participants. Family-centered programs served an additional 547 participants. Gymnastics remains one of the YMCA's largest youth programs, serving 3,583 participants during 2025. More than 100 gymnasts participated on the competitive team, while the annual Spook Hollow Invitational hosted 281 gymnasts from throughout the region. The YMCA remains committed to ensuring that all youth have access to meaningful experiences regardless of ability. Inclusion programming served 394 participants and provided individualized support services that enabled children and youth with varying needs to fully participate in YMCA programs. Childcare and School-Age Care The YMCA is one of the region's largest childcare providers. During 2025, 1,895 unique children participated in YMCA childcare, school-age care, summer camp, and early childhood education programs. The YMCA's licensed Early Childhood Center provided care and educational experiences for infants through four-year-old children. Programming emphasized school readiness, social-emotional development, physical activity, and enrichment experiences such as swimming, music, art, and outdoor learning. The YMCA's before- and after-school care program operated at 15 school-based locations throughout the La Crosse, Onalaska, and Holmen school districts and served more than 800 children during the academic year. During the summer months, nine YMCA day camp locations provided full-day care and enrichment opportunities for working families throughout the region. Through a partnership with La Crosse County, the YMCA also provided nine one-to-one support staff positions during the 2025-2026 school year to ensure children requiring additional assistance could successfully participate in childcare and school-age programming. Community Youth Development The YMCA Community Youth Center continued to provide a safe and welcoming environment for youth who benefit from positive adult relationships, structured activities, academic support, and social connection. During 2025, the Youth Center served 198 unique young people and recorded average daily participation of approximately 18 youth, with attendance reaching as high as 30 participants on some evenings. The Youth Center hosted Community Nights that engaged 529 participants and introduced specialized boys girls' groups designed to foster leadership development, relationship-building, and personal growth. Twenty-nine volunteers contributed their time and expertise to support these efforts.
- $4.9 million spent. Healthy Living The YMCA remains one of the region's largest providers of health and wellness opportunities. In 2025, more than 141,000 participations were recorded in group exercise classes, reflecting the YMCA's role as a primary provider of preventive health and wellness programming in the Coulee Region. The YMCA offered nearly 6,900 group fitness classes throughout the year, including strength training, yoga, cycling, water exercise, functional fitness, and specialized senior wellness programs. The YMCA's three indoor pools provided 13,806 hours of aquatic access and programming. Aquatics staff delivered 4,437 swim lesson sessions and welcomed more than 164,000 visits to aquatic facilities. The YMCA also offered more than 800 water fitness classes, adaptive swim lessons, lifeguard certification programs, CPR and First Aid training, and competitive swim opportunities through the Wave Swim Team, which served 177 athletes. Older adults remain a significant focus of YMCA programming. More than 3,900 adults age 55 and older participated in YMCA membership and program opportunities during 2025. The YMCA launched FOREVERWELL, a healthy aging initiative designed to promote physical activity, social connection, and lifelong learning. In addition, 413 members achieved "200 Club" status by visiting the YMCA 200 or more times during the year, demonstrating exceptional commitment to healthy living. The YMCA also operates evidence-based health interventions designed to improve long-term health outcomes. These include LIVESTRONG and YOUTHSTRONG cancer survivorship programs, the Diabetes Prevention Program, adaptive wellness initiatives, and physician-referred wellness opportunities developed in collaboration with local healthcare providers.
- Social Responsibility and Community Outreach The YMCA's charitable outreach programs address some of the community's most pressing challenges, including food insecurity, homelessness, social isolation, and barriers to health care. The YMCA Food Access Program continued to experience substantial growth during 2025. The program provided 466,626 meals and snacks, distributed 459,650 pounds of food, and served more than 10,600 youth and 4,400 adults. Mobile food distribution services reached approximately 250 households and 900 individuals each month through the Mobile Market program. Since the program's launch, more than 600 individuals have successfully graduated from the Mobile Market initiative, including 298 graduates during 2025 alone. The YMCA's Community Health Worker program served 98 individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Staff assisted 12 families in securing housing and completed approximately 400 pathways related to employment, medical care, transportation, education, food access, and other essential services. The YMCA also contributed more than 350 hours of coordinated case management through regional homelessness response efforts. The YMCA's Wellness Warriors program served 67 military veterans through an evidence-based wellness curriculum focused on physical, emotional, social, occupational, intellectual, environmental, spiritual, and financial wellness. Forty-four participants were new to the YMCA and many continued their engagement through monthly veteran support activities following program completion. The YMCA remains a significant community gathering place and source of civic engagement. During 2025, more than 2,000 college students from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College held YMCA memberships. The YMCA also provided 2,658 rides to youth participating in Community Youth Center programming, helping reduce transportation barriers and increase access to supportive services. The organization's charitable impact is strengthened by substantial community support. During 2025, the YMCA raised more than $1.39 million through donations, grants, sponsorships, special events, and community partnerships. These charitable investments support financial assistance, youth scholarships, membership assistance, food access initiatives, health interventions, and outreach programs designed to ensure that all individuals have access to YMCA services regardless of their ability to pay. Collectively, these efforts demonstrate the YMCA's unique role as both a health and wellness organization and a community-serving charitable institution. Through its facilities, programs, partnerships, volunteers, and donors, the La Crosse Area Family YMCA continues to improve health outcomes, strengthen families, support youth development, address food insecurity, assist vulnerable populations, and build a healthier, more connected community.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 October 13, 2026.
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 November 6, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1944.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 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.