Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA: Building Brighter Futures for Siouxland Families

See how Capital Campaign Pro’s tools and coaching helped the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA raise $5 million to expand childcare and youth programs.

For more than a century, the YMCA has been a cornerstone of the Siouxland region, strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA, a 62,000-square-foot facility located in South Sioux City’s Scenic Park, opened in 2008 and has continued to grow in response to community needs.

In 2025, the Y celebrated the opening of its expanded Early Learning and Youth Development Center: a 12,000-square-foot addition designed to address Siouxland’s childcare shortage and provide programs for children from six weeks through high school.

The Challenge:

Siouxland families faced a pressing need for accessible, high-quality childcare and youth programs. The Y’s existing space was at capacity, leaving many families without support. At the same time, the organization needed to raise $5 million to fund the expansion; an ambitious goal for a YMCA where the CEO, Rhonda Robson, also served as the sole development staff.

“As a CEO overseeing a YMCA where the development department and the fundraising department is just myself, I knew I needed help.”

Rhonda Robson, Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA CEO

The Solution:

Working with a dedicated Capital Campaign Pro advisor during the early phases, Robson gained the structure and confidence to move forward. As the campaign matured, she transitioned to our Essentials membership, making full use of the Online Toolkit, weekly peer support calls, and online trainings.

This combination of personalized guidance and flexible tools empowered Robson to lead the campaign while juggling her many responsibilities. The Toolkit provided ready-to-use resources that could be customized for the Y’s brand and community, while peer support calls gave her the ability to network and bounce ideas off of other fundraisers who are working through their campaigns.

“The information in the Online Toolkit is superb, and it’s great to be able to pull that information down and tweak it to our own branding. I just really appreciate that.”

Rhonda Robson, Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA CEO

With strong community partnerships, including a lead grant from the Gilchrist Foundation, the Y kept momentum building until the finish line.

The Impact:

In May 2025, the Y officially cut the ribbon on the new Youth Development Center, celebrating with donors, families, and community leaders.

The campaign surpassed $5 million, funding:

• Four new early learning classrooms serving infants through preschoolers
• Expanded after-school and teen programs
• A large indoor playground, Explorer’s Cove, designed by former Nebraska football star Eric Crouch
• Additional childcare openings and program flexibility to meet the needs of working families

“It’s an incredible milestone for our Y, and I want you to know how much your coaching and guidance throughout this campaign helped us reach this point. Thank you again for walking alongside us during this campaign—your support and steady guidance made a real difference.”

Rhonda Robson, Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA CEO

With the expansion complete and the campaign essentially fully funded, Robson and her board are already turning their attention to future opportunities, including a potential new “express Y” and ongoing facility upgrades. The Y’s journey illustrates how a determined leader, the right tools, and a supportive community can accomplish big things together.