What McGaw YMCA does

McGaw YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1885 and headquartered at 1000 Grove Street in Evanston, Illinois. It delivers a multi-vertical portfolio of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility programs serving individuals and families from infancy through senior years. Core product lines include membership-based fitness and aquatics (group classes, personal training, lap and recreational swim, competitive swim team MYST, pickleball), licensed NAEYC-accredited child care and preschool, afterschool programming, MetaMedia middle-school STEAM maker space, summer day camp and break camps, Camp Echo residential camp in Michigan, and a 156-bed Men's Residence providing supportive housing for men-identified individuals aged 18 and older.

The organization runs on a diversified subscription and fee-for-service revenue model spanning monthly memberships ($33-$140), weekly supportive housing rentals ($142-$186 plus tax), child care application and tuition fees, camp pricing ($130-$484 per week depending on program and member status), personal training packages, and tax-deductible philanthropic contributions processed via Blackbaud. Operational technology is built entirely on third-party SaaS platforms including MindBody for class scheduling and reservations, Active Communities for member management, Blackbaud for donor management, Wufoo for forms, CalendarWiz for events, SportsTek for swim team stats, and Zoom for virtual training check-ins. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, or public APIs are offered.

McGaw YMCA's go-to-market is primarily membership-driven, supported by institutional referral partnerships with Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Evanston/Skokie School District 65, the City of Evanston, and the Childcare Network of Evanston. Distribution operates through in-person sign-ups, online self-serve registration, and the nationwide YMCA membership reciprocity network. As of the most recent data, the organization has 101-250 employees, serves over 1,500 campers annually at Camp Echo, offers more than 80 free weekly group fitness classes, and is undergoing a $22.5 million capital campaign to renovate the 1930-built Men's Residence.

Name

McGaw YMCA

Legal name

McGaw YMCA

Website

https://mcgawymca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McGaw YMCA is a 140-year-old Evanston, Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating membership-based fitness and aquatics programs, NAEYC-accredited licensed child care and preschool, summer camps, and a 156-bed Men's Residence supportive housing community serving local individuals, families, and youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Recreation and Social Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Community recreation services
• Youth development programs
• Child care services
• Supportive housing services
• Fitness center operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Monthly membership fees ranging from $33-$140 per month depending on membership type (youth, teen, young adult, adult, couple, family). Includes access to fitness facilities, pools, group classes, and member discounts on programs.
2. Supportive Housing Fees: Weekly room rental fees for Men's Residence ranging from $142-$186 per week. Provides short and long-term furnished housing for up to 156 men-identified individuals.
3. Child Care and Preschool Tuition: Year-round full-day early learning programs for infants through preschool. Application fees of $100 for new participants and $50 for returning participants. Monthly tuition varies by program.
4. Camp Programs: Summer Day Camp fees of $440/week for members and $484/week for non-members. School's Out Break Camps at $130-$135/day for members. Camp Echo residential camp.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 36-2169194. Annual giving, capital campaign for Men's Residence renovation ($22.5 million goal).
6. Personal Training and Fitness Services: Additional fee-based personal training packages including Flex Packages ($222-$972), Power Packages ($184-$304/month), and Pilates Reformer sessions ($83-$713).
7. Program Fees: Fees for swim lessons, sports programs, afterschool programs, and other activities. Members receive discounted rates. Financial assistance available for eligible households.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

McGaw YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sells memberships and program access to its fitness facilities, pools, racquet courts, and group exercise studios. It also delivers licensed child care, preschool, afterschool, and Head Start programs; summer day camps and a residential camp (Camp Echo); youth and adult sports leagues; swim lessons and competitive swim team (MYST); personal training and weight loss programs; and supportive housing for up to 156 men at the Men's Residence on its Evanston campus.

Product overview

McGaw YMCA is a community-focused nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of health, fitness, aquatic, sports, child care, education, and housing programs. The core offering centers on membership-based fitness and wellness (group classes, personal training, swimming, sports), supplemented by youth development programs (child care, preschool, afterschool, camps, MetaMedia maker space), and supportive housing (Men's Residence for up to 156 men). Programs operate from the main facility at 1000 Grove Street, Evanston, and satellite locations including Camp Echo in Michigan. The organization emphasizes accessibility through financial assistance and serves as one of the largest licensed childcare providers in Evanston, NAEYC-accredited with partnerships at Northwestern University and University of Chicago.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YMCA Membership Tiered monthly memberships granting access to the McGaw YMCA fitness facilities, pools, group exercise classes, gym, racquet courts, and member discounts on programs. Available to youth, teens, young adults, adults, couples, and families.
• Group Fitness Classes Instructor-led group exercise classes in yoga, strength, cycling, Zumba, Pilates, HIIT, dance, and aqua fitness offered free to members with required reservations.
• Personal Training Customized one-on-one and partner training sessions delivered by nationally certified personal trainers. Includes package, monthly, and Pilates Reformer formats.
• YMCA Weight Loss Program Structured healthy weight loss program with weekly group meetings led by certified instructors using the national YMCA curriculum.
• Swim Lessons Group, private, and semi-private swim lessons for children and adults across skill levels.
• MYST Swim Team Competitive youth swim team (McGaw YMCA Swim Team) for ages 5-18 with local and national competition opportunities.
• Youth and Adult Sports Programs Recreational youth and adult sports leagues and classes including basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance & cheer, martial arts, pickleball, and preschool sports.
• Pickleball

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of members who complete an onboarding program like SMART Start remain active toward their goals 9 months later
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership providing McGaw YMCA families with access to NU scholarship funds and priority enrollment for child care and camps. McGaw Y employees receive training through University of Chicago and Northwestern partnerships. Northwestern-affiliated families receive free youth membership and approximately 10% tuition discount.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for teacher and staff professional development. McGaw Y staff complete extensive training hours in partnership with University of Chicago and Northwestern University.
• Evanston/Skokie School District 65coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing summer learning programs for K-8 students selected based on academic needs. Afterschool programs serve students across Evanston/Skokie from Kindergarten through 8th grade.
• City of EvanstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in MetaMedia Summer Experience (MSX) program for Black and brown middle school youth. Also partnered on Men's Residence Renovation funding through ARPA allocation.
• Childcare Network of EvanstonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for Head Start enrollment. Families can check eligibility and enroll by calling the Childcare Network of Evanston at 847-644-4328.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago operates a larger regional network of YMCA centers, camps, fitness, aquatics, and youth-development programs. It is comparable as a larger incumbent in the same YMCA health, recreation, childcare, and community-services model.
• KinderCare Learning Companies: KinderCare operates childcare and early education centers for infants through school-age children. It is comparable to McGaw's Children's Center and preschool/afterschool offerings, though it does not compete in fitness, aquatics, housing, or camps as a core model.
• JCC Chicago: JCC Chicago operates community centers, early childhood programs, camps, family programming, and wellness offerings across the Chicago area. It is comparable to McGaw as a nonprofit community platform combining recreation, education, camps, and family services.
• Life Time: Life Time operates large-format athletic country clubs with fitness, aquatics, group classes, kids programming, and camps. It is comparable as a broad commercial incumbent competing for family wellness memberships and premium recreational programming.

Emerging players

• Goldfish Swim School: Goldfish Swim School provides structured swim lessons for children through a specialized, franchised instruction model. It is comparable to McGaw's youth swim lessons and aquatics programming, but is a narrower specialist rather than a full community YMCA.

Direct peers

• YWCA Evanston/North Shore: YWCA Evanston/North Shore is a local mission-driven nonprofit with aquatics, youth programming, and community services. It is comparable because it competes for local community engagement, philanthropic support, and some family wellness/aquatics use cases in Evanston.
• Evanston Athletic Club: Evanston Athletic Club, part of Chicago Athletic Clubs, is a local health club offering gym access, group fitness, and wellness amenities. It is comparable on McGaw's core fitness-membership use case, though it lacks McGaw's nonprofit childcare, housing, and camp scope.
• North Suburban YMCA: North Suburban YMCA is a nearby community YMCA offering fitness, aquatics, youth programs, childcare, and camps. It is highly comparable to McGaw because it uses the same nonprofit YMCA community-center model serving families in the Chicago North Shore market.

Regional players

• The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Chicago: The Kroc Center Chicago combines fitness, aquatics, youth programming, community events, and social-service programming. It is comparable as a mission-oriented regional community center with a broad recreation-plus-services model, though it serves a different Chicago geography.
• YMCA Camp Tecumseh: YMCA Camp Tecumseh is a regional YMCA residential camp offering youth camps, outdoor education, retreats, and family programming. It is comparable to McGaw's Camp Echo as a YMCA-branded residential camp serving families and youth outside a traditional fitness-center setting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mcgawymca

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McGaw YMCA