Executive Compensation at the YMCA (2016)

The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) is a worldwide (119 countries) organization based in Geneva, Switzerland (World Alliance of the YMCA). Within the United States, there are approximately 2,700 YMCA’s serving 10,000 communities that rely on the YMCA of the USA (that is also known as the National Council of YMCA’s of the USA) that in turn relies on The World Alliance of the YMCA).  In the most simplistic terms, the YMCA is organized as follows:

World Alliance of the YMCA

125 National Associations (including The YMCA of the USA/National Council of YMCA’s of the USA)

Alliances (typically geographic) and Local Chapters (including 2,700 YMCA’s in the USA)

In the USA, each local chapter is a separate 501 (c) (3) that files its own IRS Form 990 as is the YMCA of the USA, a national resource entity based in Chicago, Illinois  that seeks to strengthen local YMCA’s through grants and program services.

The most recent IRS Form 990 (2016) for the YMCA of the USA reports the following key pieces of information:

$57 million in compensation was given to 479 persons (an average of $119,000 per employee).  180 individuals received more than $100,000 in compensation.

The 8 mostly highly compensated employees received $3.3 million (an average of $413,000):

• $662,893:  Kevin Washington, President and CEO
• $451,157:  Kent D Johnson, EVP, Chief Operations Officer
• $410,507:  Rebecca Bowen, EVP, Chief Development Officer
• $393,481:  Andrew Calhoun, Sr VP, Large YMCA Resources
• $377,947:  Angela F Williams, EVP, General Counsel, and Chief Administration Officer
• $368,606:  Jacqueline E Gordon, SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer
• $353,425:  Jonathan A Lever, EVP, Chief Membership and Programs Officer
• $325,000:  Nancy L Owens, Sr. VP and CFO

Of the 8 most highly compensated employees, 4 were men and 4 were women.  Of the 4 most highly compensated employees, 3 were men and 1 was a woman. Of the 4 lowest on the highly compensated list, 3 were women and 1 was a man.

The organization also reported paying $109,756 in compensation to Neil J Nicole, President Emeritus (was president and CEO from 2006-2014).

The YMCA of the USA pays for first class or charter travel and travel for companions. The travel for companions was for Mr. Washington’s spouse to attend key events and meetings and was treated as reportable compensation ($6,951) on Mr. Washington’s W-2.

$811,000 was paid in organizational dues (appears to be to the World Alliance of the YMCA).

To find out the executive compensation of an alliance local YMCA, the specific IRS Form 990 must be consulted.

To read the IRS Form 990 (2016), click here.