Typically from the time volunteers initially gather to the day a full-facility YMCA grand opening, is about 6-10 years (according to the YMCA of the USA).
Volunteers gathered in 2005 initially to look at the possibility of bringing a YMCA to Northfield. We’ve worked diligently these last 5 years to follow best practices in the evaluation of whether a Y can be brought to Northfield. Those steps include developing collaborative partners and building our business model, raising funds annually to ensure no one is turned away because of inability to pay, building our volunteer base and conducting a market research study and a fundraising feasibility study (just to name a few).
The next stage of the Y’s growth and development is the construction of a building in which to expand programs and activities. On Monday, June 14th, the YMCA formally presented a possible partnership to the Northfield School District to build a YMCA on High School property.
Feedback from the school board as well as from the community will be collected over the next several months to ensure the best possible collaborative decisions are made in support of the needs in our community.
More information can be found on the YMCA website and in the following Northfield News article.
