The YMCA of Greater Boston
Founded in 1851 as the first YMCA in the United States,
the YMCA of Greater Boston now serves over 150,000 people each year across more than 55 communities
Nearly 7,000 youth take part in day and overnight camps and Summer Learning Academies,
while the Y delivers over $5 million annually in free or subsidized programs to ensure access for all
The YMCA of Greater Boston was founded in 1851 by a retired sea captain and a group of Boston evangelicals to offer a safe gathering space for socializing and prayer meetings.
Over the next 160 years, strong leadership, innovation, and a commitment to meeting the ever-changing needs of its community, led to the development of programs that are mainstays in today’s society – like self-improvement lectures, the national fitness movement, and childcare centers.
While the communities served have grown and become more inclusive over the last 160 years, the YMCA remains committed to investing in the future potential of the youth and adults of its community and to building a strong and bright future for Greater Boston. Now more than ever, the Y is committed to lifting up the most vulnerable through food and nutrition programs, nurturing healthy minds and bodies through gym memberships and early education and out-of-school programs, and providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive space for all generations to feel safe, strong, and healthy.
The Greater Boston YMCA now serves the communities of Charlestown, Hyde Park, Dorchester, West Roxbury, Chinatown, Roxbury, Brighton, Needham, Waltham, Woburn, Reading, Chelsea, and East Boston.
Since Partnering with The Lynch Foundation
The Lynch Foundation has partnered with the YMCA since 1999, providing annual support for over two decades. In addition to annual support and several major grants, the Lynch Foundation supported a multi-year pilot program to bring together the Y and Metco to provide camp scholarships to Metco students. The program provides life-changing summer camp opportunities to Metco students while diversifying the Y’s summer camp, helping them reach their goal of serving all children from the city of Boston.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the Lynch Foundation acted as a connector between the four visionary leaders – Robert Lewis of The BASE, Vanessa Calderon-Rosado of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, Amanda Fernandez of Latinos for Education, and James Morton of the Y – who launched the Community Learning Collaborative. The collaboration provided a safe place for students to learn and grow during the pandemic and the model had a profound impact on the students it served.