What Gaston County Family YMCA does

Gaston County Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1956 and headquartered in Gastonia, North Carolina. It operates three branch locations — Warlick Family YMCA (Gastonia), McGill Family YMCA (Belmont, formerly Stowe Family YMCA), and Cherryville Family YMCA — serving residents of Gaston County with programs centered on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Its core offerings span membership-based facility access (fitness centers, group exercise classes, 24-hour access at select branches, aquatics including swim lessons and Safety Around Water), structured programs (youth sports, summer day camp, afterschool care, teen leadership, senior programming), evidence-based wellness interventions (LiveStrong, EnhanceFitness, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring, Moving for Better Balance), and social responsibility programs (Summer Meals, Financial Assistance, child safety).

The underlying technology stack is composed of off-the-shelf third-party platforms: YMCA 360 for on-demand and livestream digital programming accessible across mobile, tablet, laptop, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, and Fire TV; Daxko for membership and operations management; GroupExPro for class scheduling; and Qualtrics for anonymous reporting. A custom mobile application supports branch information, fitness challenges, scheduling, and workout logging. The organization also holds Praesidium Accreditation for child safety, distinguishing it as one of only two accredited YMCAs in North Carolina.

The business model combines recurring membership fees (individual, family, corporate, and senior tiers), program fees (swim lessons, personal training, summer camp, afterschool care, sports leagues, nutrition counseling), philanthropic donations through the Annual Giving Campaign and the McGill Capital Campaign, and facility rental revenue. Distribution is regional, direct-to-consumer across the three branches, with digital extension through YMCA 360 and the mobile app, supplemented by corporate wellness partnerships, community program partnerships (Gaston County Schools, City of Gastonia, Cramerton Parks & Recreation, Kintegra Health), and need-based financial assistance to ensure accessibility regardless of income.

Name

Gaston County Family YMCA

Legal name

Gaston County Family YMCA

Website

https://gastonymca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gaston County Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating three branch locations in Gaston County, North Carolina, delivering membership-based fitness, aquatics, youth development, and community programs to local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Fitness and Wellness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Child Care Services (6244), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Community fitness services
• Youth development programs
• Aquatics and swim lessons
• Nonprofit wellness center
• Childcare and day camp

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Recurring membership fees from individual, family, corporate, and senior membership tiers. Members receive access to fitness facilities, group exercise classes, and select programs.
2. Program Fees: Fees for specialized programs including swim lessons, personal training, summer camp, afterschool care, sports leagues, and nutrition counseling services.
3. Annual Campaign Donations: Philanthropic donations through annual fundraising campaign supporting community programs including summer camp scholarships, LiveStrong cancer survivor support, Safety Around Water, afterschool programs, senior memberships, and summer feeding programs.
4. Facility Rentals and Event Hosting: Revenue from birthday party packages, facility rentals, and special event hosting including venue access for community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gaston County Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that delivers health, fitness, youth development, and social responsibility programming across three branch locations in Gaston County, North Carolina. Its core offering is a recurring membership program granting access to fitness facilities, group exercise, aquatics, youth sports, summer camp, afterschool care, senior programs, and evidence-based chronic disease prevention programs. Specialized paid services include personal training, swim lessons, nutrition counseling, facility rentals, and birthday parties, while community programs such as Safety Around Water and Summer Meals are supported by donations and partnerships.

Product overview

Gaston County Family YMCA is a community-based organization operating as a multi-branch fitness and wellness center offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services. The core offering centers on YMCA Membership providing facility access across three branch locations (Cherryville Family YMCA, McGill Family YMCA, and Warlick Family YMCA). The organization delivers health and wellness programming through structured fitness classes (Group Exercise), personal training, and evidence-based Wellness Programs (LiveStrong, EnhanceFitness, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring). Aquatics programming includes swim lessons for all ages, Safety Around Water free water safety education, and competitive Swim Team. Youth development encompasses Summer Day Camp, Afterschool Programs, Teen Programming, and extensive Youth Sports leagues. Family services include Childwatch, Parents' Night Out, Birthday Parties, and Facility Rentals. Digital member experience is provided through YMCA 360 platform for on-demand and livestream classes. Additional services include Nutrition Healthworks dietitian services, Active Older Adults programming, Financial Assistance for income-based access, and Summer Meals Program addressing community food insecurity. The organization holds Praesidium Accreditation for child safety and operates under YMCA USA standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YMCA Membership Recurring membership providing individuals and families access to fitness facilities, group exercise classes, pools, youth programs, and amenities across Warlick, McGill, and Cherryville branches with options for individual, family, corporate, and senior tiers.
• YMCA 360 On-demand and livestream digital fitness platform offering yoga, group exercise, youth sports, and senior programming accessible across multiple devices for YMCA members.
• Wellness Programs Evidence-based health intervention programs including LiveStrong cancer survivor support, EnhanceFitness, Moving for Better Balance, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring, and Weight Loss Program for members managing or preventing chronic conditions.
• Group Exercise Classes Scheduled group fitness classes including Zumba, Yoga, BodyCombat, Barre, Boot Camp, and Cycling offered to members with hundreds of class options.
• Personal Training One-on-one certified personal trainer sessions offering personalized fitness plans, strength training, and coaching at Stowe and Warlick Family YMCA locations.
• Swim Programs Comprehensive aquatics programming including group and private swim lessons for all ages, infant/parent-child classes, Safety Around Water, Swim Team, Aquatic Leaders Club, Water Fitness, and Lap Swimming.
• Safety Around Water Free water safety program for children ages 5-12 teaching floating, treading water, swimming techniques, and water safety rules to prevent drowning.
• Lifeguard Certification Red Cross lifeguard certification training program preparing individuals for aquatic safety supervision roles.
• Youth Sports Programs Youth sports leagues including Basketball, Flag Football, T-Ball, Lacrosse Clinic, Soccer, and Sports Sampler for children of various ages.
• Adult Pickleball Adult pickleball programming and social events including Dinks and Drinks Pickleball Social gatherings for members.
• Summer Day Camp Summer day camp offering outdoor adventures, sports, arts and crafts, character development activities, and themed weeks for children during summer break.
• Afterschool Program After-school childcare programming providing academic support, physical activities, and supervised fun in a safe environment.
• Childwatch Supervised child care services for YMCA members while parents utilize facility amenities.
• Summer Meals Program Free summer lunch program for children 18 and under, delivered in partnership with Gaston County School Nutrition to provide meals during summer break.
• Birthday Parties Facility rental packages for birthday party celebrations hosted at YMCA branch locations.
• Facility Rentals Rental of YMCA facilities including meeting rooms, gymnasiums, and outdoor spaces for community events and gatherings.
• Nutrition Healthworks Registered dietitian services offering weight management, medical wellness, sports nutrition, metabolism testing, customized meal plans, and individual coaching at Warlick Family YMCA.
• Active Older Adults Programming Fitness and social programming designed for active older adults including low-impact exercises and senior-specific activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 190 children learned water safety skills through Safety Around Water program (2022)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PraesidiumcoreOthersPraesidium is the leading innovator of scientifically based solutions for sexual abuse prevention. The Gaston County Family YMCA partnered with Praesidium to assess all aspects of their programs and implement best practices for child protection. The YMCA achieved Praesidium Accreditation as only the second YMCA in North Carolina.
• Gaston County Schools - School NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer summer feeding locations supported by Y staff and volunteers. The Summer Meals Program runs Monday through Friday during summer months, providing meals for all children 18 years and under in the community at McGill, Warlick, and Cherryville YMCA locations.
• Mount Olive Pickle CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the summer feeding program, helping provide healthy meals to local children during summer months when school nutrition programs are unavailable.
• First Horizon BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner$10,000 Safety Around Water sponsor. First Horizon Bank's contribution helped make the water safety education program possible for local children, providing lifesaving skills and preventing drownings.
• City of Gastonia - Lineberger City PoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity pool partner hosting Safety Around Water sessions. The partnership extends water safety education beyond YMCA facilities to reach more children in the Gaston County community.
• Cramerton Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity pool partner at Cramerton Community Pool hosting Safety Around Water sessions, expanding water safety program reach to the Cramerton community area.
• Kintegra HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated behavioral health services at Stowe and Warlick Family YMCA locations. Kintegra provides free behavioral health services including counseling for chronic conditions (Diabetes, Hypertension, Cholesterol), mental health support (anxiety, depression, stress), and developmental concerns. Services available through office hours at both locations.
• YMCA of the USAcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational YMCA affiliation provides access to YMCA 360 digital platform, YUSA Child Protection and Aquatics Safety Membership Qualification Standards, and national program frameworks including LiveStrong and Safety Around Water.
• North Carolina Alliance of YMCAsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through CDC Active People, Healthy Nation initiative supporting community walk audits and efforts to increase pedestrian safety and walkability in North Carolina communities.
• American Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlood donation drives hosted at YMCA locations. The YMCA connects members with Red Cross blood donation opportunities to support community blood supply needs.
• The Blood ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlood donation drives hosted at YMCA locations. Alternative blood donation organization providing community blood collection services at YMCA facilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crunch Fitness: Mid-priced national gym chain offering group fitness, personal training, and family memberships. Comparable group exercise and family programming at commercial price points.
• Equinox: Premium fitness operator offering group exercise, personal training, spa, and lifestyle programming. Represents the premium end of the commercial fitness spectrum against which the YMCA's premium tiers must compete.
• Life Time Fitness: National premium fitness chain operating large-format centers with fitness, group exercise, aquatics, youth programs, and family amenities. Overlaps with the YMCA on programming breadth but operates as a for-profit commercial model.
• Planet Fitness: Largest low-cost commercial gym chain in the US with broad geographic footprint. Competes for budget-conscious fitness consumers who might otherwise choose a YMCA membership.

Emerging players

• Peloton: Connected fitness platform offering on-demand and livestream classes. Competes for member engagement hours and complements/partially substitutes for in-person group exercise, particularly relevant given the YMCA's YMCA 360 investment.

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit network providing youth development programs including afterschool, summer camp, and sports leagues. Comparable nonprofit, mission-driven model targeting youth and families in local communities across the country.
• Jewish Community Center Association (JCC): Community-based nonprofit centers offering fitness facilities, aquatics, youth programs, summer camps, and cultural programming on a membership basis. Closely analogous multi-program community hub operating model.
• YMCA of Greater Charlotte: Largest neighboring YMCA affiliate serving the Charlotte metro region with a comparable multi-branch, membership-based model offering fitness, aquatics, youth development, and community programs. Directly comparable operating model and member value proposition.

Others

• American Red Cross: Partner organization providing lifeguard certification curriculum at YMCA locations. Adjacent nonprofit ecosystem participant with overlapping aquatic safety mission rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• City of Gastonia Parks & Recreation: Municipal recreation provider in the same geographic market, already partnering with the YMCA on Safety Around Water (Lineberger City Pool) and competing for local recreation spend and aquatic programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ymcagaston
• Facebookfacebook.com/gastonymca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaston-county-family-ymca

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Gaston County Family YMCA