MathWorks kicks off capital campaign for Ashland YMCA with $2.5M

Photo | Grant Welker Mathworks' headquarters is located in Natick.

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By Timothy Doyle

Natick software developer MathWorks donated $2.5 million to build a new regional YMCA in Ashland.

The new YMCA would serve Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Sherborn, and beyond, according to a Friday press release from MathWorks.

It will be located on the Boston Marathon route in Ashland on 12.5 acres of donated land near the regional train station. The plan for the new YMCA includes a STEM center, a center for early childhood education and care, an aquatics center, a center for healthy living, and gymnasium.

“The YMCA is an exceptional organization that strengthens families and empowers communities across the country,” Jeanne O’Keefe, MathWorks senior vice president and CFO, said in the press release. “Supporting our local community is a core company value, so we were excited to collaborate with the non-profit organization to build an inviting place for thousands of children and families within the area.”

This lead gift is the first step in a capital campaign expected to continue through 2024, according to the release.

The announcement comes a month after the company announced it would donate $2.4 million to Lincoln-based Mass Audubon to protect and care for climate-resilient lands across Massachusetts.

Specifically, the funding will help Mass Audubon conserve four properties – including Porcupine Woods in Princeton and the Minery Family Lands in Sandisfield and Otis – all of which are connected to expanses of existing protected land. In addition to that connectivity, the state has designated each property as a critical natural landscape, and three are also designated as important habitats for rare species, according to a Feb. 4 press release from MathWorks.

Founded in 1984, MathWorks employs more than 5,000 people in 16 countries, with headquarters in Natick, according to the press release.