Why the Y is Tax-Exempt

Become A Member Full access to 10 Family Center Y's in Central MD (association-wide memberships only)

— Advanced priority registration for programs
— Reduced fees for programs and camp
— A.W.A.Y. — use your Y membership at over 600 Y's at little or no charge.
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It’s simple. At the core of all we do, is one central focus - our mission:

The Y of central Maryland is a charitable organization dedicated to developing the full potential of every individual through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

The Y of Central Maryland is a charitable organization…

Technically speaking, we are a 501(c)3 classified tax exempt, not-for-profit organization. Remove all the jargon and labels, and we are simply an organization that believes in giving back to the community in the form of resources, expertise, programs and passion that enable children, families and adults to reach further, dig deeper, and accomplish more.

At the Y, individuals have an opportunity to make themselves healthier and make their community healthier too. All in all, with the help of dedicated individuals and partners, we are able to reinvest a full third of our budget in providing programs and services to those who otherwise cannot afford them. Contributions stay in your community if you choose, so the benefits touch those in your own backyard. In the end, the Y gives back what you give to the Y.

…dedicated to developing the full potential of every individual…

Often times, joining the Y and participating in Y programs serve as a means to a larger end:

The woman suffering from Multiple Sclerosis who joined the Y to use the pool for therapy finds herself as a community organizer on behalf of those with MS, using her talents to collaborate with the Y and spearhead Maryland’s first swim program for people with MS.
The hundreds of under-served children in Baltimore City and County, perhaps considered a statistic, find themselves breaking barriers in Y Head Start programs, testing more school ready than other low income children across the state.
The thousands of elementary and middle school students across Central Maryland who put their dreams in motion to become future artists, writers, dancers, chess champions, legislators, and scientists in Y after-school programs.

These are not fictitious stories, but real accounts of real people who are living up to their full potential through membership and involvement in Y programs and services. These outcomes may not be the reasons they chose the Y, but are the reinforcement that they made the right decision.

…through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Y programs range from health and wellness to child care, youth sports to mentoring, aquatics to youth obesity intervention, from camp to social clubs. All Y programs and services are infused with the Y’s four positive character values: Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. The same values many instill in their children, their homes, and their lives.