• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Community Rec
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Community Rec
No Result
View All Result
Home In Print Cover Story

The YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties: Not Slowing Down

Brittany Howard by Brittany Howard
July 7, 2023
in Cover Story, In Print, Operations & Facilities
0
YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Navigating campaigns, mergers, renovations and community needs at the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties.

It’s not often someone gets the chance to run the old community center they used to play basketball in as a kid. But if that someone has a vision so compelling that it inspires people to see what could be, then it just might happen.

Zane Moore grew up across the street from what was then the Lower Bucks Family YMCA. During that time, he played basketball in the gyms and became a lifeguard. His dad even played basketball there. After college, his career took him down a path in fitness equipment manufacturing and opening his own health and fitness company. 

He always had a goal of serving the community and got an even better chance to do so while working with a YMCA in New Jersey on an expansion. He found himself drawn to the Y’s mission and passion, and realized how much he knew about the organization having grown up in one himself. Ultimately, he left his business and became a COO with the New Jersey Y for five years until making his way closer to home as the president and CEO of what was then the Central Bucks Family YMCA in 2011.

Taking the Wheel

Prior to 2018, the Bucks County community was comprised of three separate YMCAs: Lower, Central and Upper Bucks. Moore described each area as being so different they could be separate states.

The initial turning point for the future association came with the merging of the Central Bucks and Lower Bucks YMCAs to become the YMCA of Bucks County, led by Moore. He said the Lower Bucks County Y had been failing financially but was needed in the community. Central Bucks managed the organization for four years to get it stable before merging in late 2018. Shortly after this announcement, in early 2019 the Upper Bucks YMCA also merged to create one YMCA organization across all of Bucks County. 

“The most critical key to our success was setting our fundraising campaign up to be comprehensive in scope. Our vision wasn’t just about facilities or programs — it represented a significant commitment to better the lives of the families we serve and address critical issues facing our communities. This inspired many donors, as well as our volunteers, staff and leadership. It was a game changer with our funders who could see that by prioritizing the Y philanthropically they would achieve the impact they desired. We were strong stewards of those investments. The biggest takeaway I had as a fundraiser is to think big and listen. By listening to not only the needs of our community but also listening to our donors, we could bring together resources and address community needs all at the same time.” – Debbie Sontupe, Chief Development Officer 

While it was a turning point, the mergers were not smooth sailing at first. Moore recalled hearing from volunteers and board members on both sides who were against merging. “I heard things like ‘we’re not going to merge with that part of the county,’ and ‘our money is not going to this area,’ and ‘we’re not going to take money from that area,’” said Moore. “But we got them to realize they’re all volunteers for the Y because they truly believe in our mission. When they all met each other, I think they finally came to realize they are all just genuinely good people looking to serve their community, and a larger organization has the potential to provide greater impact.” 

Furthering its dedication to the community, the YMCA of Bucks County mergers coincided with the “For a Better Us” campaign. The campaign was a comprehensive response to community requests for updated facilities, as well as expanded programming for individuals and families with barriers to wellness and program opportunities. The campaign had an initial goal of $15 million and ended up raising over $30 million. Moore attributed this success to not only an amazing team but also to a compelling vision inspired by community needs.

Buckle Up

The former Lower Bucks facility – now the Fairless Hills branch – was one of two major capital projects supported by the campaign, the other being the Doylestown branch in Central Bucks. Moore shared an important piece to these projects was conducting community needs assessments.

“We conducted one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders to learn what the true needs of residents in Central and Lower Bucks County were,” said Moore. “We said forget about the Y for a second. What are these communities battling with? And then we did a real estate asset study. We looked at our facilities alongside the needs we learned and asked, ‘Do our facilities have the capacity to serve these needs? Do we need a renovation, should we move or consider shutting a location down?’ And that starts developing a vision.” 

Moore elaborated this vision of doing X because it’s going to solve Y and Z is how Fairless Hills came to life. They learned the mission there was very strong and the Y was subsidizing many programs and memberships for children, seniors and families, but not a lot of paying members were coming in because the building was outdated. “We asked if we rebuild it, will you come? They said, ‘Yes,’” said Moore.

“Leading up to the Fairless Hills renovation, we continued to prioritize our ‘here for you’ brand, valuing staff service delivery, membership engagement strategies, high-quality programs, clean facilities and new equipment. Even with our best efforts, our membership and program growth were crippled by an outdated, limited facility. The membership and program results we’re seeing today demonstrate the magic that occurs when an impactful YMCA brand meets a brand new, bright, fully functioning facility complete with new amenities that welcome and serve all. It feels so good to serve more with more.” – Trish Feinthel, Chief Operations Officer

Similar to the struggles of the first merger, Moore shared raising the money for the Fairless Hills project in Lower Bucks was a challenge at first, but the power behind the needs assessments helped. “Fairless Hills was a multi-million-dollar project being done in a community where membership was largely being subsidized, ” said Moore. “We were told from the beginning we would never raise the money there, but we thought our vision was so cool.”

The solution was combining both projects — Fairless Hills and Doylestown — into one shared vision focused on the impact both facilities would have on providing for the needs of the Bucks County community. “I learned people were so inspired by the project that not only were people from Central Bucks giving their money to Lower Bucks, but people came out of the woodwork in Lower Bucks who grew up in that community like I did,” said Moore. “We received seven-figure gifts from people who were first-time donors because they were so inspired by what was happening there. I learned your vision has to be so compelling it inspires people to see what could be in their community.”

Today, the Fairless Hills branch is close to 180% of membership retention as compared to pre-COVID-19 and is a thriving community center in Lower Bucks County. “Having grew up in this Y, cutting the ribbon was a very proud moment for me,” shared Moore. “The community came out in droves to support our venture.” 

Additional information collected from the community needs assessments were amenities people wanted to see in both projects. In Fairless Hills, features included a community gathering space, a big lobby and places for seniors to recreate. Additional amenities included a larger fitness center and renovated pool. In the Doylestown facility, the feedback emphasized more group exercise. One amenity huge to both projects was universal locker rooms. 

“The universal locker rooms were huge in both of those renovations because we serve a very large special needs population,” said Moore. “We serve people in our free Pathway programs, including cancer wellness, mental health and substance abuse recovery, diabetes prevention, Parkinson’s disease, teen health, senior health, veterans and Safety Around Water. We have people wearing wigs or who have body alterations from their disease. The amount of people we learned were uncomfortable in the regular locker rooms was staggering. And it just hit us. We’re doing all these great programs and we’re serving the community so well. However, when people are uncomfortable to change or to shower, then we’re really not that great. It was a huge motivator, and it just goes back to listening.”

And that’s exactly what Moore continued to do throughout the next milestones for the association. 

The Left Lane

Beyond the two mergers, the YMCA of Bucks County continued to grow. April 2021 brought the expansion of the Doylestown branch to life. A year later in April 2022, the Fairless Hills branch celebrated its fully renovated reopening. But that’s not all that happened in 2022.

The Hunterdon County YMCA in New Jersey and YMCA of Bucks County in Pennsylvania came together to create one YMCA across the two counties, operating as YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties, led by Moore as president and CEO. This new association is comprised of six membership branches, six youth education centers and two outdoor camp facilities serving over 50,000 community members each year and providing more than $5 million annually in charitable community benefit.

“Our association’s vision for the comprehensive campaign was contagious and critical to the community, donors and board members actively engaging, being inspired and part of something so significant in Bucks County. No other organization had brought the county together with such a bold vision, and it proved to be effective.” – Allen Childs, Chief Volunteer Officer

As a seemingly master of mergers, Moore elaborated he never set out to find these opportunities. Rather, he’s stayed open to conversations and upheld his responsibility of due diligence. “We’re part of a larger global and national movement here,” he said. “We hold a piece of the responsibility to preserve and uphold the Y brand. That means yes, we should consider mergers 100%. That doesn’t mean we’re going to go in blind or make decisions that are going to hurt our Y. We’re going to conduct significant due diligence.” 

Additionally, Moore stated if a merger can help then the organization should do it. “If it creates more job opportunities and more career paths, then that helps preserve the product we’re offering,” he said. “I think our product is awesome. But that’s only because I have great people. The only way to keep great people is to create more career opportunities, better salaries, better benefits and a better work environment. One way to do that is to continue to grow.” 

Having led a successful $30 million campaign and navigated multiple mergers and renovations, Moore’s best advice for other leaders is to surround yourself with an awesome team of staff and volunteers. “You have to be involved and you have to be engaged in the community to make it truly become part of your culture,” he said. “Being surrounded by such a high performing team allowed me the opportunity to focus my efforts with our donors.” 

That’s exactly what Moore plans to do. Over the next five years, he shared the Y is working on some very big ideas including capital development and renovation of the Upper Bucks facility, a whole new vision for the Hunterdon County region, and looking at underserved regions across the Y’s service area — and outside of the area — to see if there’s any other partnerships they can fulfill. 

Other priorities will include affordable childcare and being considered the most trusted childcare, camp and teen service provider in the area, chronic disease prevention and mental health, safety around water, and hunger prevention and food distribution. 

“I really don’t see us slowing down any time soon,” said Moore. “Our board and staff are inspired by our vision and mission, and our organization continues to be called to action, so we will continue to evaluate every opportunity that comes our way.” 

Photos by Steve Finkernagel.

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: capital campaignscommunity needscommunity recreationJuly/August 2023mergersYMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties
Previous Post

Preserving Trust with Praesidium

Next Post

Cracking the Code: A Column on Gym Attire

Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard

Brittany is the editor of Community Rec Magazine. Reach her at brittany@peakemedia.com.

Related Posts

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Leadership

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Names Adam Alonso as Next President and CEO

June 10, 2025
Missoula Family YMCA
Cover Story

Missoula Family YMCA: Immeasurable Spirit

May 21, 2025
YMCA of Greater Boston
Ask The Expert

Q&A on the Healthy Habits Program at the YMCA of Greater Boston

May 21, 2025
Upace
Brand Voice

Empowering Connections: The Story of Upace and its Mission-Driven Platform

May 21, 2025
Risk Management
Features

Building a Culture of Safety with Risk Management

May 21, 2025
AI
Features

How AI is Revolutionizing Community Rec Centers

May 21, 2025
Next Post
gym attire

Cracking the Code: A Column on Gym Attire

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Exposure Guide + Media Kit

May/June 2025 Issue

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Contact us at info@communityrecmag.com

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us

The Current Issue

The Latest from CO

  • Jason Kunzman on Navigating Societal Divides
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Names Adam Alonso as Next President and CEO
  • Daxko Announces Integration With GoFundMe Pro to Empower Smarter Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Food Education Program Promotes Healthy Lifestyles at Central Lincoln County YMCA

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.