The Joy of Shared Purpose at the YMCA World Council
This summer, the YMCA of Greater San Francisco joined 1,300 delegates from 80+ countries for the 21st Annual YMCA World Council. Held every four years, the gathering brought together leaders from every corner of the globe. Together, they reflected on a shared question: How can the YMCA continue to transform lives in a transforming world?
Delegates arrived with different languages, cultures, traditions, and lived experiences, but they were united by a common purpose: helping people and communities thrive.
Throughout the week, that shared purpose came to life in remarkable ways. New national YMCA movements in Ukraine and Niger were welcomed into the global network. Delegates shared songs, dances, stories, and traditions from their home countries. Every moment reflected the joy of discovering that while our communities may look different, the work that brings us together is shared.
One Vision, Many Communities
The theme of this year’s YMCA World Council was “A Transforming YMCA in a Transforming World.” As the global YMCA reaches the midpoint of Vision 2030, leaders from around the world gathered to reflect on a simple but profound question: What does it take to transform a life? And beyond that, what does it take to transform hundreds, thousands, or even millions of lives over generations?
The conversations didn’t point to a single answer. They pointed to a shared belief. Transformation happens when people experience connection, opportunity, and belonging. It happens when communities invest in one another and create the conditions for people to thrive.
While every YMCA responds to the unique needs of its community, the foundation is remarkably consistent. Across countries and cultures, leaders spoke about supporting the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. That shared commitment felt deeply familiar to the YMCA of Greater San Francisco, where community well-being serves as a guiding framework for strengthening communities.
World Council showed us how the YMCA can and is bridging divides — geography, hierarchy, ideology, faith, generational, political — a common thread that emerged is a shared focus on creating conditions that foster well-being for all people to live purposefully, authentically and find belonging. We learned that when we build from common values, difference and diversity becomes a strength and inclusive bond that brings us all together.
— Chad Nico Hiu, Head of Strategy, SVP
Contributing to the Conversation
Throughout the week, members of our delegation didn’t simply participate in conversations—they helped lead them. They facilitated discussions, shared ideas, presented their work, and offered practical examples of how local innovation can strengthen communities.
The YMCA of Greater San Francisco’s approach to strengthening communities sparked meaningful conversations throughout the conference. At its heart is a commitment to creating spaces where people feel connected, supported, and able to thrive. From reimagining spaces for multigenerational connection to forging partnerships that bring opportunity to more communities across the Bay Area.
Our delegation was led by Betty Sells-Asberry and included Dante Calloway, Precious Ogbonna, Richard Hillebrecht, Chip Rich, Derick Brown, Jamie Bruning-Miles, Chad Nico Hiu, and board members Dr. Gina Gregory-Burns and Josue Estrada. Together, their presence reflected a foundational characteristic of YGSF leaders. Showing up with humility, generosity, and a willingness to both teach and learn.
I had a wonderful time attending my first YMCA World Council in Toronto, Canada, and I’m returning home inspired, energized, and deeply grateful.
Throughout the week, we engaged in inspiring plenaries, meaningful workshops, governance conversations, cultural experiences, and countless opportunities to connect with YMCA leaders from around the globe. Every conversation reinforced the incredible power of the YMCA movement and our collective commitment to bringing Vision 2030 to life.
As Chief Advancement & Strategic Partnerships Officer for the YMCA of Greater San Francisco, this experience reaffirmed that philanthropy is about so much more than fundraising, it’s about building relationships, creating opportunity, and investing in healthier, more equitable, and sustainable communities where everyone has the chance to belong, grow, and thrive.
— Derick Brown, Chief Advancement & Strategic Partnerships Officer
Carrying It Forward
This year’s World Council was a reminder that transformation begins close to home. Despite spanning more than 120 countries, the YMCA movement remains deeply local. Each YMCA responding to the unique needs of its neighbors while contributing to a purpose far larger than itself.
The theme of “A Transforming YMCA in a Transforming World” reflected what leaders experienced throughout the week: meaningful change happens when people come together around a shared belief that communities are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to belong, grow, and thrive.
That shared purpose links a neighborhood YMCA in San Francisco with one in Toronto, Kyiv, or Niamey. It is what allows a global movement to remain fiercely rooted in local communities.
And it is what continues to guide the YMCA of Greater San Francisco as it works to strengthen communities—one relationship, one neighborhood, and one act of belonging at a time.
