Partnerships

A group of smiling adults and children pose for a photo. YMCA partners help us build a healthier Canada.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
– African proverb

At the Y, we know that by working with others, we can extend our reach and provide vital programs and services to even more Canadians. Through partnerships with government, corporations, NGOs and other charities, we are finding new and innovative ways of building healthier communities.

YMCAs across the country collaborate with hundreds of partner organizations each year on initiatives that have allowed us to expand into new program areas, support underserved populations and address critical health issues.

By sharing our expertise, knowledge, resources and infrastructure with each other, we achieve more than we could alone.

Featured National Partners

Our national partners featured below are just six of the many organizations who are playing a significant role in helping us build a healthier Canada.

See a full list of our National Office partners

4Rs Youth Movement

YMCA Canada is proud to be a partner for the 4Rs Youth Movement, a collective of young leaders and allies from ten national organizations, committed to changing Canada by changing the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.

The dream is of a new way forward: meaningfully changing the relationships and discourse of First Nation, Metis and Inuit Nations. Through the values of respect, reciprocity, reconciliation and relevance, 4Rs is carefully supporting and creating spaces for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to come together in conversation.

4Rs hosts experiential training, workshops and gatherings to help young people express, explore and communicate with each other and build respectful relationships. Over time, this will have a significant, measurable effect, not only on the educational, economic, political and social outcomes of Indigenous youth, their families and communities - but for all Canadians.

YWCA

As one of the longest-serving charities in Canada, we are proud of our long history of partnership with the YWCAs in Canada, and continue to work together on pressing issues facing all young people across the country. While the YMCA and the YWCA in Canada were established as separate and independent organizations, we have worked together on many occasions to better support our communities.

Today we have 5 joint YMCA-YWCA operations who work directly together to serve their communities. The YMCA and YWCA also work together on national projects such as the Strong Girls, Strong World program, empowering young women across the country through ten local, youth-led projects, funded by Status of Women Canada.

United Way

YMCA Canada is proud to partner with United Way Centraide Canada to tackle significant community issues, through programs such as the 4Rs Youth Movement, to  build a healthier Canada. Many YMCAs across Canada are proud to recognize local United Way Agencies for their generous support of healthy living and community development programs.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities

The YMCA and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities proudly work together to help more Canadian kids live healthy, active lives. Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities provides much needed funding for children in communities across Canada who otherwise would be unable to access sports and recreational programs.

In many communities across Canada, local YMCAs help faciliate the application process for families in financial need so they can receive funding to help with registration fees, equipment and/or transportation.

Social Change Rewards

We are proud to partner with Social Change Rewards, developers of the Carrot Rewards app, a healthy living platform that aims to improve Canadians' well-being. The app is anticipated to launch in British Columbia in early 2016, and then expand to other provinces and territories in the future. Canadians will receive their choice of loyalty points for participating in health promotion activities.

YMCA Canada has been asked to play a leadership role in this initiative by serving on their National Leadership and Guidance Council, alongside organizations such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

“YMCA Canada views this partnership as a tremendous opportunity to reach even more Canadians with our message about the importance of active, healthy living,” said YMCA Canada President and CEO Scott Haldane. “We are delighted to join our health partners and Social Change Rewards in this innovative approach to rewarding healthy lifestyles.”