CLIENT STORY: YMCA OF GREATER PITTSBURGH

From Debt Crisis to Community Champion: How the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Rebuilt Its Team, Renewed Its Finances & Reignited Its Impact

The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh stood at a crossroads that could have led to the end of its more than 100-year legacy. How does an organization recover from bankruptcy and mounting debt while simultaneously trying to launch a $26 million campaign? These were the seemingly impossible challenges facing the Y when they turned to DBD Group for support.

What happened next became a masterclass in organizational transformation. Through financial restructuring, leadership coaching, and innovative campaign solutions, we helped the Pittsburgh Y not just survive—but emerge stronger, more unified, and more community-focused than ever before. For DBD Group, celebrating 20 years means celebrating partnerships like this—where the right guidance transforms crisis into opportunity.

This is the story of how one of America's most historic YMCAs turned a difficult chapter into a bright future—and became a beacon of hope for its entire community.

The Client: YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh

The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh is one of the oldest YMCAs in the country, with a legacy of serving diverse communities across the region. The organization is now led by President & CEO Amy Kienle, a lifelong YMCA advocate with over 25 years of experience, and Chief Development Officer Carolyn Grady, who first came to the Y as a parent seeking childcare and has since built a 14-year career in financial development.

Serving urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods, the Pittsburgh Y offers far more than fitness. Their work also includes affordable housing, innovative youth programs, family camps, arts initiatives, and mobile outreach units that deliver services directly to communities in need.

Background: Why Their Work Matters

For well over a century, the Pittsburgh Y has been an integral part of its community—adapting, evolving, and meeting needs as they emerge. "I think what's amazing and what drew me to the Pittsburgh YMCA is the variety of programs and services that we offer,” said Amy. From ice hockey rinks to maker spaces, from one of the only family camps in the Y movement to affordable housing, the Pittsburgh Y serves as both a safety net and a launching pad. "You help people's dreams come true,” said Carolyn. 

The team’s heart for their community would prove essential in the face of challenges.

Before Working With DBD Group: A Perfect Storm of Crisis

By 2022, the Pittsburgh Y had weathered an unprecedented series of challenges that would have broken many organizations. Amy arrived as the new CEO to find two key interconnected problems that threatened the Y's survival.

• The Financial Crisis: Years of unsustainable debt had left the organization trapped in "special assets" status with its lender since filing for bankruptcy in 2018. "We really could not sustain the debt service," Amy recalls. "They were not willing to re-amortize our historical long-term debt, and it was an unserviceable situation." Making matters worse, just months into Amy's tenure, their lender said they would not renew their bond. They had to find a new lender.
• The Infrastructure Challenge: The board had already launched an ambitious capital campaign for the historic, yet aging Allegheny branch—a nearly 100-year-old facility housing 89 residents who would otherwise be homeless. It was in need of major renovation to continue serving this community.

“I will say Amy’s extreme positivity was really helpful,” Carolyn continued. “I think we’ve been sort of a little bit down in the dumps. So it was really like a breath of fresh air blew in from Georgia. Amy promised me, she said, ‘It’ll be so much fun!’ And it has been! And I think it was just so necessary that we get somebody from the outside who was able to say, ‘You know, guys, this is going to be difficult. There’s going to be some hard work, but hard work is work.’... It was great when Amy arrived. Finally, there was somebody who was looking at me and saying, ‘You’re not crazy. It’s wrong.”

Amy’s fresh perspective and positivity were a breath of fresh air to the team, but in her wisdom, she also knew they couldn't tackle these challenges alone. Having worked with DBD Group on projects in previous roles through Y network connections, she turned to DBD Group for help. 

Ultimate Goal: Stabilize, Rebuild & Thrive

The Pittsburgh Y’s goals were as ambitious as they were essential:

• Financial Stability: Refinance the crippling long-term debt and establish a new banking partnership that would free up resources for mission work rather than just survival.
• Campaign Success: Navigate the complex $26 million Allegheny Y renovation, which required a sophisticated funding stack including New Market Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, federal and state funding, local foundations, and individual donors—what Jim Mellor called "one of the most complicated capital stacks" he'd ever seen.
• Cultural Transformation: Move from a siloed organization to one characterized by transparency, collaboration, and bold thinking. 
• Leadership Rebuilding: Create a strong senior leadership team, particularly in finance, that could support sustainable growth rather than constant crisis management.

Solution: Comprehensive Partnership 

DBD Group stepped in with what Carolyn describes as a "full 360 degree perspective"—not just addressing immediate crises, but building long-term organizational strength. Our approach included:

• Financial Restructuring, including leading the search for a new banking partner and negotiating completely new debt terms.
• Interim Leadership, including interim CFO services through DBD Group consultant, Gib Butler, who kept operations running and helped clean up financial messes left behind.
• Campaign Expertise, including sophisticated counsel on the complex capital stack and New Market Tax Credits. 
• Cultural Coaching, including guiding the team on how to move from a fear-based culture to one that was built on trust and collaboration. 

Amy and Carolyn found confidence in DBD's proven approach, but appreciated that it was also tailored to their specific needs. “DBD listened,” said Amy. “They understood where our organization was, the challenges we were facing, and the complexity of the challenges.

Process: From Confrontation to Collaboration

Turning around the Y began with a deliberate process of truth-telling and relationship-building. It was Jim’s patient, impartial fact-finding that helped the board create a foundation of trust.

That trust became the basis for an overhaul of financial management, as the Y faced urgent debt and a nearly paralyzed capital campaign. Carolyn cleverly described DBD Group as the “guide by your side, not the sage on the stage." Our consultants helped the team translate complex options into clear decisions, guiding the board and staff through a painstaking refinancing process and providing interim financial leadership. 

Collaboration deepened as they continued to overcome challenges. When the multi-million-dollar capital campaign stalled, Jim suggested an innovative solution—adding a telehealth exam room—to unlock new funding and better serve the community. Carolyn recounted, “It was Jim who said, ‘You know, you might want to consider putting into the ground floor... a patient exam room.’” Initially skeptical, Carolyn was amazed when the idea not only solved local health needs but also helped secure an additional $4.5 million for the project through New Market Tax Credits.

As they rebuilt the team and their financial stability, their culture improved. “Our culture has changed. Now it is very much an atmosphere of collaboration and partnership,” Carolyn reflected. This shift was visible throughout the organization, from finance offices now physically side by side to decision-makers gathering regularly for honest, forward-thinking discussions. 

The process, anchored by transparency and sustained by innovative thinking, set the stage for the impact that followed.

Outcome & ROI: Lasting Results & New Momentum

The partnership brought measurable results—financially and beyond.

• With a new lender, the Y is saving over $1 million each year. “That’s a very tangible outcome of the relationship with DBD Group,” Amy stated, emphasizing that the savings now go directly into people, facilities, and the mission itself. 

• “The project is underway,” said Carolyn, referring to the renovation for the Allegheny Y after a $26 million campaign. “It’s going to open. It will be a major success. But most importantly, it will serve the community for another 100 years!”
  
  
• Staff and leaders describe a sense of renewal and outward focus. “We were very turned in on ourselves. Now I feel like we have turned outwards and we’re facing back out towards the community again... the Y’s shown up!” Carolyn exclaimed. 

• The cultural shift enabled community programs, including LIVESTRONG for cancer survivors and a free Veterans Wellness Initiative. “If we did not have this better financial outlook, we would not be able to reinvest in our mission and in our communities like that,” Amy noted.
  
  
• The Y’s restored credibility has opened new doors with funders and partners. “It repositioned us in the community with confidence that we did not have before. Now we are seen as a real community partner and community leader,” Amy shared.

Asked about the personal impact, Amy shared, “DBD Group and Jim Mellor not just transformed the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Jim Mellor transformed me as a leader, and I could not be more grateful!”

Key Learnings & Discoveries

The Pittsburgh Y's journey offers powerful lessons for any organization facing complex challenges:

1. Expertise + Heart Matter Most: "Technical expertise is really only half of the battle, but having courage, integrity, and leadership matter just as much, if not more," Amy discovered in the process of rebuilding their finance department. Additionally, the combination of DBD's technical skill and genuine care made all the difference.
   
   
2. Don't Go It Alone: "Don't try to go at it alone. It requires a whole team of people," Amy advises other organizations. Particularly those with complex financial and fundraising challenges. Having expert guidance during a crisis can make all the difference!
   
   
3. Trust the Right People: As Carolyn learned, "I think a lot of us feel that we're sort of personally responsible to find the solution to every problem. But sometimes my job is really, actually to find the right person for the job." 
   
   
4. Overcoming Fear is Liberating: "There's also an intangible value that I think comes to the organization when you realize that you overcame that boogeyman. You know, it's like, well, we did that. What else can we do now?! So that really is liberating," Carolyn reflects.

Conclusion: Partnership That Transforms Everything

The Pittsburgh Y's story is ultimately about more than financial restructuring and successful campaigns—it's about the power of partnership to transform organizations and entire communities.

“Jim Mellor didn’t just fix the numbers; he actually reinforced the desired culture that we wanted in our organization, in everything that he touched, in every conversation that he had internally with volunteers externally. It truly put us in the direction in which we wanted to go culturally,” said Amy. “He empowers the staff to think differently, to think critically, to build a network of people that can help solve the problem.”

For organizations facing their own seemingly impossible challenges, Amy says, “If you’re looking for a partner who understands both the financial complexities and the heart of nonprofit work, you can’t go wrong with DBD Group.” Carolyn adds, “Working with them, they actually can sort of help you address your current situation, and you are where you want to be. That puts you in a place where you can dream a little bit more boldly for your community. And after all, that’s what we’re supposed to do. That’s why we’re here—to dream a little bit more boldly for our communities.”

For DBD Group, celebrating 20 years means celebrating transformations like this—where partnership creates renewed hope and stronger communities. 

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