Capital Campaign – Youth Enrichment Services for Boston Kids

The Future of YES

Support our capital campaign to build a new state-of-the-art headquarters named the Richard Williams Youth Development Center and help inspire more Boston youth through outdoor experiences and leadership opportunities! Opening in Fall 2026!

Make a Donation Make a Pledge

We have outgrown our current space and need your help!

YES’s current site on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston’s South End impedes our effectiveness in serving young people due to:

Overcrowding
Insufficient equipment storage space
Unsafe pick-up/drop-off location for youth on busy Mass Ave.
Not located in any of YES’s target neighborhoods: Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, or Jamaica Plain

The completion of our new home will allow YES to:

Serve over 500 more Boston youth in the first three years
Serve over 700 more Boston youth in the first five years
Serve more youth in YES’s primary neighborhoods of service: Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain
Expand and enhance activity-based programming for Boston’s young people
Grow leadership, college preparation, and career curriculum for Boston teens
Have on-site parking spaces, a dedicated bus lane, and pull-off for two coach buses – increasing youth safety while getting on and off the bus.
Be closer to two-family housing developments, schools, other outdoor/sports-based nonprofit organizations, and nearby green spaces like a skate park, playground, running track, and more.

The slideshow below contains renderings of the new facility and its neighborhood location. Use the side arrows to move forward and backwards.

The Ski Shop
Wall Climbing
Boston Youth Receiving Instructions
Rendering of the New Headquarters’ Neighborhood
Level 1 Floor Plan
Level 2 Floor Plan
Level 3 Floor Plan
Mezzanine Level Floor Plan
YES’s New Headquarters!

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About the Campaign for the Next 50 Years

16,000 Square Ft, three story building named the Richard Williams Youth Development Center in honor of our founder will include:

activity space,
classrooms,
rock climbing boulder,
ski rental shop,
outdoor mezzanine, and
equipment storage.

A snapshot of this exciting project is below.

BY THE NUMBERS
Total Cost: $15M
Sale of 412 Mass Ave (Current Building): $3M (approximate)
Fundraising Goal through Capital Campaign: $12.8M
Raised to Date: $10.6M
Amount Left to Raise: $2.2M
KEY DATES
Breaking Ground: January 2025
Beam Raising: October 2025
Construction Completion: September 2026
Ribbon Cutting & Grant Opening: October 2026
Open Houses for the YES Community: November & December 2026

Major Milestones

Help Us Reach Our $12.8 Million Goal

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Capital Campaign Investors and donors, YES has already raised $10.6 million as of September 1, 2026. We still need to raise $2.2M to fund the project.

YES is more. Support our Campaign for the Next 50 Years and donate today!

Give Now!

The Future of YES

We have outgrown our current space and need your help!

The completion of our new home will allow YES to:

The Ski Shop

Wall Climbing

Boston Youth Receiving Instructions

Rendering of the New Headquarters’ Neighborhood

Level 1 Floor Plan

Level 2 Floor Plan

Level 3 Floor Plan

Mezzanine Level Floor Plan

YES’s New Headquarters!

About the Campaign for the Next 50 Years

Major Milestones

Help Us Reach Our $12.8 Million Goal

Join Us in Empowering Boston’s Youth

Youth Enrichment Services (YES)

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