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SUPPORT OUR MISSION
At the Greater Scranton YMCA, we believe that every person — regardless of background, age or financial circumstance — deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. With our doors open to all, we bring together people from across our community and take on some of its most pressing needs.
We are proud to turn no one away due to an inability to pay. Last year, we awarded $1,172,791.48 in financial assistance to children, adults and families — ensuring that cost is never a barrier to belonging at the Y.
None of that is possible without you. Every gift makes a difference.
LAST YEAR, WE AWARDED $1,172,791.48
STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY WE LOVE
Each year, thousands of community members, families and neighbors turn to the Y for the resources and relationships they need to be healthy, confident and connected. Our Annual Support Campaign is how we ensure the Y remains accessible to all of them.
Your gift directly supports financial assistance for members and program participants who need it most — ensuring that cost is never a barrier to belonging. It strengthens our early learning programs, youth development initiatives, health and wellness offerings and so much more.
Where others see growing needs, we see opportunity. With your partnership, the Y will continue to meet our community where it is — and help everyone move forward.
Or donations can be mailed to:
GREATER SCRANTON YMCA
C/O Colleen Burns Ecklund
706 N. Blakely Street
Dunmore, PA 18512
For more information, contact Colleen Ecklund at [email protected] or (570) 828-3113.
REDIRECTING YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program allows businesses to redirect a portion of their state tax dollars to support approved nonprofit educational programs — rather than sending those dollars to Harrisburg. It’s a powerful way for our local business community to invest directly in children’s education.
The Greater Scranton YMCA participates in the EITC program through two approved educational initiatives:
QUEST
As staying mentally engaged during the three-month summer educational gap is crucial to the continued academic development of students, QUEST was created to help bridge the gap between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Certified teachers cover science, math, reading comprehension and more through hands-on projects and activities involving the arts, STEM, writing, diversity and inclusion, nutrition, gardening and more! The program is offered to Summer Day Camp participants in kindergarten through eighth grades and is integrated into their daily curriculum at no additional charge.
Summer Scholars
Summer Scholars, a YMCA of the USA Signature Achievement Gap Program, is a free research-based and proven six-week summer program offered to rising first, second and third graders at the Mid Valley & Dunmore School Districts. The program is a collaborative effort between the school districts and the Greater Scranton YMCA. Summer Scholars’ goal is to get participants on track to read at or above grade level by the start of their next school year. Participants’ days consist of 2.5 hours of literacy in the morning followed by lunch and enrichment in the afternoon. Breakfast, snack and lunch are provided.
Businesses interested in applying should note the following deadlines:
- May 15 — Business applicants renewing a 2-year commitment
- May 15 — Businesses in the middle of an active 2-year commitment
- July 1 — All other businesses, including new applicants and those submitting additional applications
All applications must be submitted electronically through DCED’s Single Application for Assistance. Additional information is available HERE.
We are happy to guide you through the application process. To learn more, contact Colleen Burns Ecklund at (570) 828-3113 or [email protected].
Current Greater Scranton YMCA EITC Donors:
We are deeply grateful for your investment in children’s education.
A SMARTER WAY TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY
Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) allows businesses to invest in approved nonprofit community projects and receive a significant credit against their Pennsylvania state taxes in return. The Greater Scranton YMCA has participated in the NAP program and is reapplying for fiscal year 2026-27 — this year, with a project centered on our early childhood education programs.
This year’s opportunity: The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) has designated access to affordable, reliable childcare as a top state funding priority for 2026-27 — qualifying projects for the Special Program Priorities (SPP) track. That means businesses that commit to supporting the Y’s childcare project are eligible for a tax credit of up to 90% of their contribution against Pennsylvania state taxes.
Put plainly: a $10,000 contribution to the Y’s childcare program could result in a $9,000 credit against your business’s Pennsylvania tax liability.
How it works: The Greater Scranton YMCA applies to DCED as the nonprofit. Approved business contributors make their contribution directly to the Y during the program year, then receive their tax credit certificate through the Department of Revenue. There is no grant application for businesses — your commitment form and Revenue Clearance Form are all that’s required on your end.
Your contribution supports the Y’s early learning and childcare programs — helping ensure that children in our community have a safe, nurturing place to grow, and that working families have the stability they need to move forward.
Eligible contributors include businesses authorized to operate in Pennsylvania subject to applicable state taxes, including Corporate Net Income Tax, Bank Shares Tax, Insurance Premiums Tax, and others. Pass-through entities including partnerships and S corporations may also be eligible.
Key dates — 2026-27 program year:
- Contributor Commitment Agreement Form and Revenue Clearance Form deadline: May 29, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
- All contributions must be received by the Y by: June 30, 2027
We encourage interested businesses to reach out as early as possible. Commitment forms must be submitted with our application, and we cannot add contributors after the May 29 deadline.
To learn more about supporting the Greater Scranton YMCA’s childcare programs through NAP, contact Colleen Burns Ecklund, Marketing and Development Director, at [email protected] or (570) 828-3113.
For general program information and contributor resources, visit dced.pa.gov.
ROUND-UP WITH WALMART!
Every time you shop online with Walmart, you can support the Greater Scranton YMCA simply by rounding up your order to the nearest dollar. It takes seconds to set up and adds up to meaningful support for our community.
Select the Greater Scranton YMCA as your charity of choice HERE , and your spare change will go directly toward strengthening our programs and ensuring the Y remains accessible to all.
A COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER
The Greater Scranton YMCA is forever with our community. We believe every child deserves the chance to start kindergarten ready to thrive, every family deserves the chance to grow stronger together, and every kid deserves the chance to learn to swim — regardless of what their family can afford.
That’s why each year, during the holiday season, we ask our community to come together for our Year-End Appeal and Giving Tuesday campaign. Every gift raised ensures that those who need the Y most can access it.
“My daughter loves the YMCA. Some days when I go to pick her up after work, she asks if she can stay longer because she is enjoying herself so much with the staff and her friends. I work 40 hours a week and need the YMCA to provide a safe, reliable, affordable and loving environment for my only child. I trust the staff at the YMCA and very much depend on the scholarship to help me provide my daughter with what she needs daily. I would never be able to provide my daughter with her basic needs and pay for good childcare without this scholarship.” — Greater Scranton YMCA Child Care Parent
Can the children and families we serve count on you?
Or donations can be mailed to:
GREATER SCRANTON YMCA
C/O Colleen Burns Ecklund
706 N. Blakely Street
Dunmore, PA 18512
For more information, contact Colleen Burns Ecklund at [email protected] or (570) 828-3113.
YOUR GIFT. YOUR LEGACY. YOUR COMMUNITY.
Leave a Lasting Legacy
A gift to the Greater Scranton YMCA through your estate plan is one of the most meaningful ways to ensure that the Y’s mission endures for generations to come. Planned gifts help sustain the programs and community connections that have made the Y a cornerstone of our region for more than a century.
There are several ways to make a planned gift:
Charitable Bequest The most common form of planned giving — simply ask your attorney to include the Greater Scranton YMCA in your will or estate plan. Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime, and your gift passes to the Y free of estate taxes.
Gift of Life Insurance Name the Greater Scranton YMCA as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy. You maintain control of your policy during your lifetime, and your estate receives a tax deduction.
Gift of Retirement Plan Assets IRA and retirement plan principal left to heirs can be subject to both estate and income tax. Directing those assets to the Y — and leaving other assets to loved ones — is often a more tax-efficient approach for both.
Charitable Income Plans A gift annuity or charitable remainder trust allows you to give assets to the Y while receiving income during your lifetime, along with an immediate income tax deduction.
To learn more about planned giving opportunities at the Greater Scranton YMCA, please contact Colleen Burns Ecklund at [email protected] or (570) 828-3113
INVEST WHERE IT MATTERS
Partnering with the Greater Scranton YMCA is an opportunity to invest in your community while connecting your organization to one of the region’s most trusted nonprofit institutions. Our sponsors help make it possible for the Y to serve thousands of individuals and families each year.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for:
- Healthy Kids Day
- The Harry P. McGrath Memorial Golf Tournament
- Summer Learning Loss Prevention Programs
- Individual Projects & Programs
Benefits may include logo placement, recognition across our marketing channels and meaningful visibility with our community of members, donors and partners.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Colleen Burns Ecklund at [email protected] or (570)-828-3113.
Current Greater Scranton YMCA EITC Donors include: Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank, UGI Utilities, Inc.; PPL Electric Utilities; Peoples Security Bank & Trust, Coterra Energy, Inc., The Dime Bank and Pride Mobility. We are SO grateful for your support of children's education!
Pride Mobility
The Dime Bank
