The YMCA Retirement Fund Modernizes Support Operations to Benefit Members | Financial Services

11/4/2025

RRD’s secure, digital-first solutions streamline communications for historic nonprofit organization

CHALLENGE

The YMCA Retirement Fund is a historic organization that provides retirement benefits to roughly 120,000 employees from more than 700 participating YMCAs throughout the country. Marcela Deitrich, Senior Vice President of Operations and Customer Service, explains that in the Fund’s over 100-year history, “Account balances have never gone down, even during periods of extreme market volatility. Nor has the Fund ever missed an annuity payment, including after 9/11, when its offices stood just a block from the World Trade Center.” 

“Our purpose is to provide financial security for employees of the YMCA,” says Deitrich, “so that they can focus on doing good things in their communities without having to worry about financial stability in retirement.”

In 2023, the YMCA Retirement Fund conducted a review of their support operations, including how paper-based member communications were processed and handled. The distribution of annual benefits statements to constituents was especially important, since members rely on these materials to track their financial health. In response, the Fund sought to streamline their vendor relationships and open doors to new efficiencies that could relieve burdens from their in-house resources.

SOLUTION

After entering into a partnership with RRD, leadership felt assured that the privileged financial information in its member statements was protected, thanks to RRD’s enhanced compliance infrastructure. Equipped to adhere to strict regulatory requirements, RRD is able to keep the YMCA Retirement Fund’s financial communications moving smoothly, allowing the Fund to navigate a highly regulated environment with confidence.

In a swift expansion of services, RRD deployed their comprehensive logistics network to host an off-site mailroom for the Fund. In this capacity, RRD handles all incoming mail for the Fund, a service which includes the scanning and secure digital transmission of all mail pieces to recipients.  

The most innovative solution that RRD and the YMCA Retirement Fund have collaborated on so far involves the Fund’s annual board member elections, previously conducted by mail-in ballot only. RRD digitized the process, creating a microsite to facilitate online voting. “We didn’t know that online voting was even within the realm of possibility,” says Deitrich. “Our conversations about paper ballots evolved into this incredible voting platform created by RRD.” The 2024 online voting initiative saw the highest member turnout for elections to date. 

Recently, RRD began introducing new ideas for how the Fund’s new member kits are assembled and distributed. With RRD’s participation, welcome kit folders and materials are becoming more customized, with details tailored to the individual. Flexibility is also a key component of the partnership, said Katie Seifert, the YMCA Retirement Fund’s Director of Education and Communication, noting that “RRD is able to pivot with us as our needs and requirements change.”

Shifting such tasks to an agile partner has freed up valuable bandwidth for staff at the YMCA Retirement Fund, who can now turn their attention to higher-level tasks and invest their skill sets into other areas of the organization. 

RESULTS

The YMCA Retirement Fund has a fiduciary duty to its membership, making cost efficiency not only helpful for the non-profit’s budget but a paramount responsibility. RRD’s innovative solutions have created cost savings, introduced efficiencies, and helped create an environment in which the YMCA Retirement Fund can focus on the future. 

Says Deitrich, “RRD has helped us improve our customer experience, modernize our processes, and become a more progressive, forward-thinking organization in the eyes of our constituents.”   

Among the outcomes of RRD’s partnership with the YMCA Retirement Fund:

• Significant cost savings and enhanced operational efficiency 
• Improved client experience 
• Streamlined processes through automation
• More effective deployment of skilled staff
• Annual board election participation doubled year over year
• Collaboration increased the security of private information and government compliance