YMCA of Metro Atlanta

What it reported doing in 2025

Afterschool & day camp: all out of school activities have an intentional focus of fostering social-emotional development. Children and youth can try new activities and explore ideas in a safe environment, set and manage goals, and build upon their developing passions. For example, on the ropes course, students work together as a team to challenge and support each other to complete course elements. Through group activities, youth build self-awareness, improve communications, and learn critical relationship skills. Counselors guide teens through self-reflective conversations, ask introspective questions and encourage them to think about their strengths and areas for growth without judgment. As a result, children and teens in y out of school programs gain the knowledge and skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, experience and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. The y has provided high-quality afterschool programs since the late 1970s. These programs began as a safe place for children to go during the critical hours between when the school day ends and when the typical workday ends. Currently at more than 50 schools across 8 school systems, the ymca of metro atlanta works closely with school personnel and school district leadership to ensure our afterschool programs meet the unique needs of students and provide programming that is additive, not duplicative, with the school-day curriculum. In addition to homework assistance, we provided hands-on steam learning, healthy snacks, and opportunities to participate in physical activities to over 11,000 students in 2025. At 19 summer day camp sites and two residents camps across the greater atlanta area, the y reached over 5,800 youth in 2025, engaging them in fun activities that develop values, leadership skills, and life skills, while creating lasting friendships and memories. Focusing on social-emotional development, ymca of metro atlanta day camp also provides an exciting, safe community for young people to explore the outdoors and build self-confidence while giving working parents an ease of mind that their children are in a safe and caring environment during the summer out of school months. Fees are offered on a below cost basis to parents that are unable to afford full camp costs. Most camp counselors are former ymca campers who often decline alternative higher-paying jobs to become role models for younger campers thereby positively impacting a child's life in a similar manner as they were impacted during their camp participation years. In 2025, 48% of participants in both programs received financial assistance.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89.6%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 82.7%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $15.55 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Limited
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • 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: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -7.4%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.96; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.8%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 5th percentile among comparable filings