(Spirit Lake)– The YMCA of the Okoboji’s has been awarded the 2023 Eagle Award for Excellence in Fundraising. CEO Andrew Fisher tells KUOO news it’s through the North American YMCA Development Organization…
“We were nominated as an organization that has had some success in fundraising over the past five years and the manner that we’ve done it through, annual campaigns like Strong Kids Campaign; some nice work with foundations as well as the Igniting A Healthy Legacy Campaign. We’re fortunate enough to be nominated by a previous winner and ultimately selected in the category of the size of organization that we are.”
Fisher says the YMCA of the Okoboji’s was one of only two recipients selected for the award across two countries…
“Our YMCA was selected in the $2 million to $10 million budget size category, and then the budget category of $10 million plus there is a separate winner for this year, and so we were one of two for 2023 to win this award. We’re only the second YMCA association in the state of Iowa to receive this award and so that’s a pretty cool honor as well for us.”
Fisher adds they’re grateful to everyone who made the award possible…
“It’s a huge recognition of the work of the YMCA and Camp Foster staff and the work that they’ve done to make this possible, but it’s an even bigger statement about the volunteers that we have in the Iowa Great Lakes community and the camping community and the funders to make that all possible as well. We’ve been very fortunate here in the Iowa Great Lakes to see philanthropy blossom across a number of organizations. We were just fortunate enough to be recognized for it by this particular organization.”
The Y was recognized at the North American YMCA Development Organization’s annual conference held recently in Houston, Texas.
(From L to R) Shelly McTighe-Rippengale, Andrew Fisher, Dr. Walter Mendenhall, Dalton Kidd, Zane Korytko
