The YMCA (Y) is a nonprofit, “cause-driven organization that is for youth development, for healthy living and for social responsibility” (Y-USA, 2012). The Y was founded in London in 1844 and currently has a presence in 10,000 communities across the United States. The Y offers programs, services, and initiatives focused on the unique needs of the communities it serves (YUSA, 2012).

The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has 19 branches and three camps and is committed to serving the greater Pittsburgh area by ensuring that the Y is accessible to all people, offering financial assistance to individuals and families who cannot...

In this chapter, we present key sustainability challenges that are common among nonprofits and identify promising practices to address issues these challenges. Specifically, we discuss challenges related to establishing financial sustainability and, in turn, supporting programmatic or organizational success: (1) reliance on external funding, (2) the nonprofit “brand,” (3) external expectations of partnerships, (4) expectations of value and accountability, and (5) community engagement and leadership. Again, this review is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to be a higher-level discussion of common challenges identified in the nonprofit field.

In contrast to for-profit organizations, nonprofits in the United States depend...

As highlighted in the previous chapter, financial sustainability is a challenge that most nonprofit organizations must address: maintaining financial security in an evolving funding landscape, contending with “competing” nonprofit organizations while establishing collaborative partnerships, demonstrating value and accountability to funders and investors, and maximizing the contribution of leadership within the community. However, these challenges become exacerbated, if not overshadowed, by other factors for nonprofits serving those communities most in need. Nonprofit organizations serving high-need or low-income, and sometimes minority, populations are faced with balancing multiple community challenges on multiple fronts that reach far beyond the mission of the organization (e.g.,...

Sustainability for nonprofit organizations has long been of interest to organization leaders, funders, and the communities in which nonprofits reside. However, in the face of the recent economic downturn and increased expectations of mission impact and accountability, nonprofit organizations face a myriad of challenges in establishing and defining sustainability in the long term. These challenges are particularly salient for nonprofits serving vulnerable, high-need, and low-income populations because of the need to juggle a higher reliance on external funding streams (e.g., grants and contracts) with a range of economic, cultural, and social demands that go beyond the social mission of the...