Ballmer Group awards $20 million in funding for Washington’s YMCA youth programs

WENATCHEE - Washington State Alliance of YMCAs was the recipient of a three-year contribution of over $20 million from the Seattle-based Ballmer Group. 

The Ballmer Group, founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, commits funding to leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to implement initiatives that align with the group’s mission to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States. The contribution to the Washington State Alliance of YMCAs will empower the YMCAs to significantly expand their programs for low-income youth aged five to 17 years old.

“This vital funding is an investment in the resilience and potential of the next generation, helping today’s young people explore their options as shapers and stakeholders of tomorrow’s strong communities,” said Karen Hedine, Washington State Alliance of YMCAs Chair, and CEO of the Walla Walla YMCA, in a press release.

The contribution will be distributed among the Washington State Alliance of YMCAs, which leverages the collective strength of 14 independent 501c3 nonprofit YMCA associations, including Wenatchee Valley YMCA.

“I know that the other Y’s are as excited as we are that we're being recognized as a youth service provider of excellence…It's amazing just being recognized by them, but more importantly, in their help in wanting to help us bring more efforts towards serving low income families,” said Dorry Foster, CEO Wenatchee Valley YMCA. “We can breathe a little bit and be able to explore what else we can do to expand that mission.”

The Wenatchee Valley YMCA will receive about $467,000 of the contribution over the next three-years, which will go towards supporting the Y’s teen outreach initiatives, which includes its two teen centers that are available free to every middle school student in the valley, its gang prevention work in Eastmont School District, youth sports, and its Extreme Teen camps.

“Our guarantee is that no child ever is ever denied access or participation due to the inability to pay, so it helps us with that guarantee,” said Foster.

According to Foster, the YMCA has yet to allocate the contribution to specific initiatives, but she is hopeful that the news of the contribution will remind Wenatchee Valley families that the YMCA is there for support.

“I hope it brings awareness…We have an enormous, passionate board that helps us assess the community at any given level. But if this allows others to know that we're here for them and they want to come to the table and help us expand that, I think ultimately that would be probably all of our goal, is to be able to serve better, and we can do that with awareness,” said Foster.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media