YMCA of Southern Maine

Legal name: Young Mens Christian Association of Southern Maine

Overview

Mission

Building an inclusive, healthy community for all, regardless of ability to pay. Social Responsibility:** Giving back and providing support to our neighbors. Opportunities for All For All - these simple but profound words sum up our mission and our commitment to our community. We are strongest when we make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the Y. For All - these simple but profound words sum up our mission and our commitment to our community. And while it is critical that our YMCA provide access to services that is free from discrimination, our work calls us to go far beyond this. We commit to inclusion by promising to make membership available to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity...

What it reported doing in 2024

Healthy living: our ymca approaches health through a comprehensive lens that extends far beyond physical fitness. We foster well-being in spirit, mind, and body by creating supportive communities where people connect while improving their health. Our programs address whole-person wellness through evidence-based initiatives like cancer recovery, water safety education, and mental health support. Over 30,000 community members benefit from these services, with some facing health challenges that require specialized attention. Remarkably, one in two members participates at our y because of our financial assistance program. We prioritize accessibility by setting membership and program fees to cover costs rather than generate profit, supplementing with financial assistance that ensures our health resources remain available regardless of economic circumstance. This community-centered approach allows us to address broader social determinants of health while serving individuals at every life stage and ability level.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 79% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 86% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010211568
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Portland, ME, USA
Phone
2078741111
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.8%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.55 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 90%; rating input score 90; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -13.5%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.75; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.65; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.2%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 92.8% of revenue deployed · 81.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $6.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $237K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 47 of 48 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Helen Brena (CEO): $237,157 total reported compensation
  • Meaghan Woodsome (Chief Admin Officer): $122,822 total reported compensation
  • Elena Casey (Chief Financial Officer): $58,738 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.