COMMUNITY
2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michelle Eldien, Board President - Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office
Jeff Botnen, Past President - Beyond Realty
James Hand, First Vice President - Fargo Public Schools
Kirk Carow, Second Vice President - JLG Architects
Sarah Knutson, Secretary - Microsoft
Chris Marvel, Treasurer - American Federal Bank
Beth Astrup - Retired
Mary Bressler - Retired
DJ Colter - DJ Colter Agency Inc. – American Family Insurance
Linette Dahl - Magnum Electric
Lisa Drake - Bell Bank
Aaron Hill - Goldmark Commercial Real Estate, Inc.
Susan Jarvis - Sanford Health
Todd Kadry - Ottertail Power Company
Jane McLandress - Retired
Kendra Olson - Pemberton Law
Senator Kristin Roers - North Dakota State Senate; Sanford Health
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Stephen Smith President and CEO
Aaron Fabel Vice President of Membership and Programs
Karen Mathison, CFRE Vice President of Financial Development
Katie McCormick Vice President of Marketing and Communication
Ely Mercil Vice President of Buildings and Grounds
Britt Selbo Vice President of Administration
Lorrie Thoemke Vice President of Learning Centers
Dear Friends,
At the YMCA, we believe community is built when people come together to support one another. And while there may be no “I” in team, there truly is no community without the Y. The YMCA plays an essential role in bringing people together: creating spaces where children grow, families find support, and individuals of all ages build healthier lives and stronger connections.
In 2025, that commitment to community was visible across the YMCA of the Northern Sky. We strengthened child safety practices by earning Praesidium Accreditation, partnered with schools and community organizations, and continued providing meals, programs, and opportunities that help our neighbors thrive. And thanks to the generosity of donors and supporters, giving to the Y grew by nearly 30 percent, helping ensure more families can access the programs that support healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility.
Throughout this report, you will see how our commitment to community comes to life: in the stories we share, the partnerships we build, and the lives touched by the Y every day.
Last year, our Board of Directors also adopted a new strategic plan to guide our work in the years ahead. On the opposite page, you’ll see the priorities that will shape that work. Throughout the report, you will also see our “Moving Forward” commitments, the goals that reflect how we will continue strengthening our communities in the years to come.
Because strong communities need places where people can connect, grow, and support one another. They need spaces where children discover their potential, families grow stronger, and neighbors come together around shared purpose.
They need the Y. Thank you for being part of it.
With gratitude,
Michelle Eldien Board Chair
Stephen Smith President & CEO
OUR
COMMITMENT
MOVING FORWARD
In 2025, the YMCA of the Northern Sky finalized and formally approved a new three-year Strategic Plan to guide our work through 2028. This plan builds intentionally on our longstanding history of strengthening spirit, mind, and body across our region. Shaped through months of data analysis, community listening, staff collaboration, and board leadership, it provides a clear framework to expand our impact while remaining grounded in who we are.
Our focus moving forward centers on five strategic priorities:
Transform Youth Development Impact
Strengthen early learning, after-school, teen engagement, and camp experiences.
Lead Community Health & Wellness Innovation
Expand evidence-based programs and advance preventative health partnerships.
Expand Our Community Reach
Deliver programs beyond our walls and grow access to the Y across the region.
Address Critical Community Well-Being Needs
Advance solutions for mental wellness, food insecurity, and social isolation.
Build Organizational Excellence
Invest in talent, facilities, governance and enhance brand strength, and philanthropy.
This roadmap ensures we honor our legacy while boldly preparing for the future.
OUR VISION
A healthier and connected community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and inspired to take meaningful action.
This impact report shows how the YMCA currently plays a vital role in addressing several critical community issues by leveraging a wide array of programs and services. As well as outlines OUR COMMITMENT to a healthier and connected community where everyone feels a sense of belonging and inspired to take meaningful action.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
At the Y, youth development means walking alongside children and families. It means creating safe places where young people can grow in confidence, character, and connection. From infancy through the school years, children learn and thrive in our early learning classrooms, schoolage programs, youth sports, aquatics and water safety lessons, and at Camp Cormorant. In each setting, caring adults encourage them to try, to lead, to learn, and to belong.
Across our region, children build resilience through youth sports, gain lifesaving confidence in the water through aquatics programming, and experience independence and growth at Camp Cormorant. In 2025, 903 campers participated, including 250 children attending on scholarship, opening the door for youth navigating financial hardship, foster care, and other seasons of instability to experience belonging, adventure, and confidence.
Because at the Y, youth development is about more than activities—it is about helping every child realize their potential.
SHAPING YOUTH FOR GENERATIONS
For Alyssa, that support began when she was a child navigating ADHD. School was challenging, but at the Y’s afterschool program she felt understood and successful. Leaders made time for her and recognized when she needed to move her body to focus and thrive. She later spent eight summers at YMCA Camp Cormorant, building friendships and life skills that still shape her today.
Now a mother to her daughter Nora, Alyssa sees that same support come full circle. During a difficult season in her life, the Y remained steady, providing care, encouragement, and consistency.
“I truly can’t imagine where we would be without the Y.”
Today, Nora is thriving! Curious, articulate, and confident, she’s supported by educators who partner closely with her family.
3,500+
Children received quality care through YMCA child care programs
88.9% reached ageappropriate Developmental Milestones
A reflection of intentional curriculum, strong family partnerships, and educators trained to support the whole child.
MEASURABLE IMPACT IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
INCREASED ACADEMIC PROGRESS
In partnership with the West Fargo School District, we track the long-term academic progress of children who attend our early learning programs. Results from our 2019 graduating class show that 30% of YMCA students reached third-grade proficiency compared to 18% of non-participants, with similar results for the 2020 and 2021 classes. These outcomes highlight the lasting impact of quality early learning, mentoring, and safe, enriching environments that build not only academic readiness but also confidence, social-emotional skills, and a sense of belonging. For families, choosing the Y means choosing a strong foundation for lifelong success.
SAVING LIVES
Swim lessons are more than recreation. They are a proven way to prevent tragedy. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1–4 in the United States, yet research shows that formal swim instruction can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88% for young children. Through our aquatics programs, the YMCA works to ensure more children have access to these lifesaving skills. In 2025, 3,253 children learned to swim through YMCA lessons, gaining confidence and the ability to stay safer in and around the water.
3,253 KIDS were equipped with life saving SKILLS & CONFIDENCE through Y swim lessons and water safety instruction
MOVING FORWARD
Achieve 90% kindergarten readiness among 3–5-year-olds in our early learning programs
Establish and enroll 50+ teens in workforce development programming.
OUR COMMITMENT TO
HEALTHY LIVING
From early-morning laps to late-night lifts, the Y is where wellness happens.
In 2025, members made more than 627,000 visits to our facilities. Members also stayed motivated through the energy of group fitness, with thousands of land-based and aquatics classes offered across our branches. Within each class, participants not only built strength and endurance, but also found their people. Social connection is just as powerful as cardio.
True healthy living extends far beyond the walls of the Y. It’s about building lasting habits that nurture body and mind every day. Whether taking on a fitness challenge, setting a new personal record in the weight room, or gaining confidence in the pool, our members find countless ways to stay motivated.
More than 5,426 SENIORS find belonging here through low-impact classes, strength-building workouts, and friendship-focused events.
1 in 4
adults
don’t get enough physical activity.
At the Y, members find the support and encouragement to move more.
With every stride, stretch, lap, or squat, members improve their own health while also inspire friends, family, and neighbors—amplifying wellness across our region.
MOVING FORWARD
Increase participation in evidence-based health programs by 20% over 2025 baseline.
Launch two chronic disease prevention programs with community health partners.
EGYM: CIRCUIT STRENGTH TRAINING
Members are also embracing new ways to train. In Fargo, 414 members were onboarded to EGYM, a personalized full-body strength circuit that uses smart technology to guide workouts and track progress.
New EGYM coming to Fergus Falls in 2026!
JAN’S STORY
ACTIVITY BUILDS FRIENDSHIP
When Jan Sinner joined the YMCA after her husband retired, she was simply looking for a place to stay active. What she found was something more.
“Staying healthy has always been important to me,” Jan says. “The Y makes it easy, and fun, to keep moving.”
A lifelong believer in the value of fitness, Jan now visits the Y several times each week. She enjoys SilverSneakers classes through the YMCA’s FOREVERWELL program, swims, trains on the EGYM strength system, and joins friends for a game of pickleball.
The EGYM system, available at the Fercho and Schlossman YMCAs, helps members of all ages build strength safely through personalized workouts designed to support mobility, balance, and overall health.
For Jan, staying active is only part of the story.
“Some days it’s the workout. Other days it’s seeing friends.”
OUR
COMMITMENT
TO RESPONSIBILITY SOCIAL
At the Y, social responsibility means showing up, especially when families face uncertainty. It means responding to immediate needs while building a foundation of safety, dignity, and trust.
Across our region, nearly 1 in 3 children qualify for free or reduced lunch, meaning that when school doors close for the summer, consistent meals often disappear. This past summer, the YMCA of the Northern Sky helped bridge that gap— providing nearly 97,000 breakfasts and lunches over nine weeks in 12 rural communities across west central Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, as well as in city parks throughout the FM area.
370 VOLUNTEERS
2,510 SERVICE HOURS
And when a period of government shutdown created sudden income interruption for many households, we expanded our response by mobilizing our facilities as trusted food distribution sites so families could access essential groceries without stigma or barriers. Because when stability is shaken, community must step in.
Community members stepped in all year long. In 2025, more than 370 volunteers contributed 2,510 hours of service—valued at over $87,000 —supporting youth sports, mentoring programs, special events, and mission initiatives across the region.
MOVING FORWARD
Increase food assistance reach to families and seniors by 15%.
Integrate mental well-being support into all Y programs and services.
That same spirit of generosity fuels the YMCA Giving Tree program, where volunteers help organize, adopt wish lists, and ensure gifts reach families with care. The program fills the gap of uncertainty and stress that the holidays can bring, by matching children with donors who provide thoughtful, personalized gifts.
Through YMCA Giving Tree, more than 1,400 children experienced the warmth of community.
IMPACT STORY
FOSTERING HOPE
On Christmas Eve, while many families were preparing for the holiday, our YMCA received an urgent call. A five-year-old enrolled at our Urban Plains Learning Center needed to move to a new foster home that very day. The transition was sudden and unavoidable.
With only hours’ notice, a new foster family opened their home. In a moment that could have been defined by fear and uncertainty, we were able to mark it with care and belonging.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and volunteers, Giving Tree gifts were quickly gathered and delivered directly to the family. There was no scrambling and no child waking up to an empty Christmas morning.
Instead, there was joy. There was relief for a family stepping into an incredibly brave role. And most importantly, there was a little girl who experienced warmth, celebration, and the reassurance that she was valued and not alone.
The program was honored with the 2025 Program Achievement of the Year Award at the Heartland YMCA Alliance Conference.
THANK YOU TO OUR GIVING TREE SPONSORS:
• Fargo Scheels All Sports
• Forum Communications Company
Responsibility also means protecting those in our care. In 2025, the YMCA of the Northern Sky earned Praesidium Accreditation®, affirming our unwavering commitment to safety, accountability, and proactive prevention.
• RDO Equipment
• Generous Community Donors
TO
BUILDING COMMUNITY OUR COMMITMENT
17TH ANNUAL VETERANS FISHING OUTING
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
- FM Muskies - FM Walleyes - Scheels
- West Fargo VFW / Arthur W Jones Post No. 7564
HERITAGE DINNER
35
Participated in Veterans Fishing
Each year, the YMCA of the Northern Sky presents the Charles Bailly Leadership Award to someone who exemplifies courage, vision, and selfless service. This year, Pete Fullerton was honored for his steady leadership and lasting impact. Through committee service, chairing the Endowment Board, guiding investments, and supporting major campaigns, Pete has helped shape the YMCA’s growth. A trusted voice of reason, his influence has strengthened both the YMCA and the broader community for generations to come.
THANK YOU TO OUR HERITAGE DINNER SPONSOR - Old National Bank- Fargo
120
Hoot Lake Participants
raised money to launch LIVESTRONG program in Fergus Falls
PAUL HOWRY MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
- Absolute Marketing Group
- Alerus Financial
- Bell Bank
- Beyond Realty, Inc.
- Construction Engineers
- Cornerstone Bank
- Family Wellness
- Glacier Snow Management Company LLC
- Herzog Roofing
- High Point Networks, LLC
- Kraus-Anderson Construction
- Life Fitness
- Marsh & McLennan Agency
- MBN Engineering, Inc.
- McGough Construction
- Nilles Law Firm
BURN THE BIRD 5K/10K
1, 207 Burn the Bird Participants
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
- Fergus Home & Hardware
- FM Bank
- Lake Region Healthcare
- Old National Bank- Fergus Falls
- Otter Tail Power Company
- Quality Toyota
- Service Food
- Vector Windows
Event proceeds grew the Paul Howry Endowment Fund to $426,083
helping to fund sunshades and a new year-round cabin with accessible bathroom at Camp Cormorant.
- Old National Bank- Fargo
- Precor
- RD Offutt Company
- Sammons Financial
- Valley Imports
- Zerr Berg Architects, Inc.
- Choice Bank
- Ecore
- Traction Rec
INSPIRING A SPIRIT OF GIVING
Thank you 2025 Sir George Williams Society Chair’s Roundtable, and Leadership Circle Donors! Your support continues the legacy of Sir George Williams, founder of the YMCA movement. Your impact will be seen and felt throughout the Northern Sky region.
SIR GEORGE WILLIAMS
DONORS BY LEVELS:
Sir George Williams Society
($10,000 and above)
Corwin AutomotiveDrew Corwin, Tanner Corwin, Tim Corwin, Dan Wilson
Dell Charitable Trust
Essentia Health
Yvonne Hanley
Olaf Anderson & Son Construction
Susan Schatz
United Way of Cass-Clay West Central Initiative
YMCA of the Northern Sky Foundation
Platinum Chair’s Roundtable
($7,500 and above)
Kiwanis Club of Fargo
Gold Chair’s Roundtable
($5,000 and above)
Bell Bank
Dr Julie Blehm
Steffen Christensen
Thomas & Georgia Dawson
Doug Burgum Fund
Mary Ferguson
Forward Foundation
Curtis Gudmundson
Patrick Hanley
Carol Hanson + William Hunter
Thomas Kingston
Lundeen Foundation
Charles MacFarlane
Jane McLandress & Steven Eriksson
Old National Bank
We are in deep gratitude for all our donors who financially supported our efforts of all sizes.
Stephen & Marianne Smith
Richard & Jo Ellen Solberg
The Barry Foundation
Ben & Peggy Underwood
Richard & Mary Warner
Silver Chair’s Roundtable
($2,500 and above)
Jane Amdal
Joyce Bjorklund
Jeff & Kathy Botnen
Cass County Electric
Cooperative Foundation
Dakota Medical Foundation
DMF Paul Finstad Legacy Endowment Fund
Fargo AirSho, Inc.
John & Judy Gunkelman
Harold & Dorothy Madson Foundation
Heat Transfer Warehouse
Lanny & Jackie Hendrickson
Peter Hoff
Innovations for Aging
BJ & Sarah Knutson
Elizabeth & John Lyngstad
Bruce & Sherri Money
Bill Nelson
David C. Nelson
Nokomis Endowment Fund
North Dakota Community Foundation
Kendra Olson
Ed & Marla Patrias +
Beverly Richter
Ken & LuAnn Regan
Solemotion Race Management Services LLC
Richard Walstad
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative
Y’S Folks
Bronze Chair’s Roundtable
($1,000 and above)
Dan & Shelly Armbrust
Richard Barsness +
Brian Becker
Jonah Bergstrand
Big Cormorant Lake Association
Barbara Bigwood
Robert Bigwood & Jonathan Torkelson
Amber & Joe Branca
Mary & Glenn Bressler
Matt Bushard
Larry Carlson
DJ & Jen Colter
Construction Engineers
Curtis Christopherson
Susan Davenport +
Stephanie Dean
Lisa Drake
Jeffrey Duerr
Michelle & Terry Eldien
Roger Erstad
Richard & Deborah Felstul
Fergus Falls Noon Rotary
FM Bank
Bruce Furness
Walter & Verna Gehrts
Paul Greving
Brian Hayer
Allen Haugrud
Heartland Trust Co
Family of Jane Hella
Mark & Catherine Helland
Kerry Hicks +
Michael Howell
Dan Jacobson
Susan Jarvis +
Gary & Denise Johnson +
Alison & Aaron Jones
Doug Kjellerup *
Raymond Kotchian
Lake Area Docks & Lifts, Inc
Lifesmiles Dental LLC
Mary Lundeen
Robert Lyngstad
John MacFarlane
Paul Madson
Diane & Chris Marvel
Karen Mathison
Maverick Payments
Katie & Jordan McCormick
Ely & Lisa Mercil
Mid America Steel
Raymond Myers
Bruce Nilson
Old National Bank
Mary Anne Phelps
Richard Pickett
Jonathan & Brandon Pontius
Kathleen & Kevin Riley
Gloria Ronning
Robert & Susanne Ronning
Britt Selbo
Dean Scheeler
Brad Schlossman
William Schlossman
ShoreMaster
Sam Skaff
Patricia Skognes
Chad & Jennifer Stark
Scott Swanholm
Leland Swanson
Lorrie & Jerry Thoemke
Jeff Thomas & Susan Solheim
Marcia Ubbelohde
Rebecca Ulven
Kimberly & Michael Vannett
Walmart #1627
Walmart Supercenter #2957
Bob Welle
Mary Worner
EXTRAORDINARY GENEROSITY. GENERATIONS OF IMPACT.
While every gift strengthens the YMCA, some contributions stand out for the lasting ways they shape the future of our communities. In 2025, two extraordinary acts of generosity demonstrated how creative, forward-thinking giving can expand opportunity and strengthen the YMCA of the Northern Sky for generations to come.
ONE COUPLE’S COMMITMENT TO FERGUS FALLS
In fall 2025, a remarkable legacy gift from an anonymous Fergus Falls couple strengthened the future of the Fergus Falls YMCA. Their six-figure donation held with the YMCA of the Northern Sky Foundation and dedicated specifically to Fergus Falls, will expand scholarships for childcare, swim lessons, camp, and youth programs. By establishing an endowment that will provide support year after year, this couple’s quiet generosity ensures that more local children and families will have access to the programs and opportunities that help them learn, grow, and thrive.
THE FERCHO FAMILY'S LEADERSHIP IN FARGO
In December 2025, the YMCA of the Northern Sky began a new chapter thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Fercho family. Through their remarkable support, the YMCA now owns a nearby building across from the Fercho YMCA . This uncommon and impactful form of giving strengthens the organization’s ability to serve the community for years to come. The YMCA had previously leased one floor of the six-story building for administrative functions. Owning the property now creates new flexibility for the YMCA to think creatively about how the space can support programs, operations, and future opportunities to serve the community. This moment where mission, stewardship, and timing aligned reinforces the organization’s long-term stability while advancing priorities outlined in the YMCA’s strategic plan.
UNIQUE GIVING
Leadership Circle
($500 and above)
Elizabeth Alberty
Elizabeth Anda
Roy & Ellen Anderson
Angie Baumann
Jolene Beckman Sternhagen
David & Kathy Bjork
Greg & Nancy Bjerke
Marcella Blikre
Chans & Ashleigh Brown
Rick & Janette Buresh
Kirk & Kelly Carow
Tracy & Thomas Clow
Linette Dahl
DMF Garrity Axness Fund
Anna Drenth
Charles Dunnell
Mark Eriksson
Fargo Scheels All Sports
Jeff Ficek
Cynthia & Jay Forster
Pete Fullerton
Larry Grothe +
Stephanie Grow
Brian Hastings
John Henningsgaard +
Victor Jr. Lundeen
Stephen & Taylor Lyngstad +
Jack Marcil
Dorwin & Carol Marquardt
Larry Mathison
Rock & Brenda Messerschmidt
Matthew Mohr
Laura & Kaveri Morris
Brent Nerland
James Noren
Jim Nyhof
Ottertail Coaches Inc.
Park Region Telephone
Sandra Pearson
Peterson Mechanical, Inc.
Richard Portmann
Kenneth & Jan Promersberger
Quality Toyota
Myron & Laura Rader
Kenneth & Marcia Retzer
Lance Sateren
Greg & Pamela Selbo
Michael Vipond & Loraine Shellito
The Nines
West Acres Development, LLP
Andy & Erin Westby
Mark & Sue Winkelman
Tania & Don Zerr
Donors marked with a + are new to our Chair’s Roundtable in 2025
*In Memoriam
We do our best to ensure that the donor list is accurate; we apologize for any errors or omissions. We are truly grateful for your support and if you are not presented correctly, please let us know so that we may accurately acknowledge your gift in the future at give@ymcanorthernsky.org.
YOUR GIFTS CHANGE LIVES
As a charitable organization deeply rooted in our region, every dollar you give stays right here: fueling programs, strengthening partnerships, and providing financial assistance that helps our neighbors learn, grow, and find connection and belonging. The Y is a place where differences fade and community spirit shines. Your support helps remove barriers and open doors to opportunities like these:
MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Ensuring individuals and families can access the YMCA regardless of their financial circumstances. Because one fee doesn’t fit every story, we tailor support to remove barriers, so people of all ages can focus on their physical and mental well-being while finding connection and community. More than 1,500 individuals each month access the Y through membership assistance.
MISSION PROGRAMS
Connecting families across our region with essential resources through programs including mobile food pantries, the YMCA Giving Tree, Project Play in cooperation with Churches United for the Homeless, the Summer Rural Meal Program and more. Because when families have the support they need, individuals and communities can truly thrive.
BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL AND EARLY LEARNING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE
Helping working families access safe, high-quality care and learning opportunities for their children. In 2025, the YMCA awarded more than $556,000 in childcare financial assistance, helping ensure families could access care regardless of financial circumstances.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Engaging our community through programs like the launch of Youth in Government this year where 15 youth from the Fergus Falls branch participated in the inaugural program, building leadership skills and civic engagement. Through experiences like these, the Y is helping young people understand their role in shaping stronger communities.
The thoughtful investments of our donors are what have made the work of the Y this past year possible, and the generosity of our donors is what will guide us forward.
For more information on how to become a part of this distinguished group of donors, please contact Karen Mathison at 701.364.4115 or mathison@ymcanorthernsky.org.
BY MAIL
talents and interests for the betterment of our community. Email give@ymcanorthernsky.org
2025 FINANCIALS
$10.1mm
ENDOWMENT VALUE as of December 31, 2025.
$1.174mm
IN DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE provided to those in need to ensure access for all.
847
STAFF MEMBERS (202 full, 645 part time) employed strengthening our communities.
400 1st Ave S Fargo, ND 58103
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
FERCHO YMCA
FERGUS FALLS YMCA
SCHLOSSMAN YMCA
YMCA CAMP CORMORANT
ymcanorthernsky.org
632,750 MEALS & SNACKS
The Y served over 632,750 meals and snacks to youth and seniors in 2025. Recognizing the increasing need in rural communities, we expanded our program again by doubling our rural meal program sites and serving an additional 97,000 meals to children in 13 rural communities in 2025.