1966-2011               Coming Summer 2011

Recently the YMCA of the USA announced a Brand strategy designed to honor the legacy of 160 years of outstanding service to kids and families while still presenting to the public a face that is fresh and contemporary.  As a part of this national strategy which we will embrace in Dallas, our official name remains the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.  But we will acknowledge publicly what most people now call us anyway…we are the Y.

What stays the same?    The mission of this YMCA remains the same:  We put Christian values into practice through programs that build healthy spirit mind and body for all.  We continue to use that powerful message as the foundation of our work.

What will change?   We will change the logo the organization has used since 1967 which is the 6^th logo in our history.  The new logo incorporates the YMCA inverted triangle to represent a more contemporary look to the familiar logo recognized for the last 40 years.  A variety of colors will be used to represent our diversity and our scope of services.

When will this happen?  YMCAs across the country have the flexibility to develop their own transition schedule over a five year schedule.  In our YMCA we expect to begin staff training and planning through the first quarter of 2011.  Our plan is to incorporate the new messages and the logo into our promotion for the summer of 2011.     

Why are you doing this? Over the last twenty years, YMCA staff and volunteer leadership has recognized a widening gap between our inherent understanding of the impact of the YMCA compared to that of the general public and key influencers locally and nationally.  While we know intimately how YMCA programs affect lives, the vast majority of those people outside of our “YMCA family” believe us to be primarily a gym/swim organization, more focused on activities than truly driven by a cause.

At the same time, our organizational culture has excelled at proudly sharing the amazing scope of our work.  We use compelling individual stories…many of those stories with names and faces of people you recognize in your communities.  But we lack the data to describe how the scale of those programs directly affects the foundation of our community life by attributing the affect of those programs to the key social issues facing our communities.

Beginning this summer, we will more closely align the impact of that work while still focusing our core strength which is to help individuals reach their fullest potential as we help them grow physically, spiritually and mentally.  To support our efforts to make that strategic shift, we will also strengthen the ability of the YUSA to align local YMCA work with this broader mandate. 

You will see a gradual change in the public face of the YMCA through an expanded national and local branding initiative.  Among other things, this change will be seen in a more contemporary logo with more flexibility in the choice of colors.  However, the core and the mission of who we are remains the same.

Many things important to us all, like the YMCA Mission, the Vision and the Values are unaffected and they remain central to our work and our messaging.  These changes will provide a fresh look to the YMCA logo but they will retain the strength of the inverted Triangle to connect us to our 160 year legacy.  With this vital connection to our legacy, it also provides more flexibility in its representation and its use.

For over 125 years of service in Dallas, the Y has been integral to strengthening the foundation of our communities and we will continue to do that as we nurture the development of kids, energize healthy living for all people and stimulate social responsibility in our neighborhoods.  As YMCAs across the country work together with one voice in the interpretation of these messages, we will have the opportunity to speak more powerfully about the national impact of the Y in our country.