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Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
Saving Lives and Responsibly Stewarding Donor Dollars
For More Than a Century

We are very proud of our impact on America’s youth. Today more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4 million young people throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide.

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs have changed and saved young lives. We provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by some 54,000 trained, professional staff. Some 200,000 board and youth development volunteers provide vital financial and program support. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach.

The number of Clubs, as well as the revenue generated in support of Boys & Girls Clubs, has doubled in scope during the past decade.

Since 1995, Club sites grew from some 1,800 to more than 4,000 today, while the annual number of youth served expanded from 2.4 million to more than 4 million. To support this tremendous level of service, the Boys & Girls Club Movement ’s combined budget for 2008 totaled $1.4 billion, which was made possible by the generous support of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government programs.

We operate effectively and efficiently, and have been consistently recognized for our performance.

In 2008, 83 percent of BGCA's national organization expenses were used to provide programs and services to local Clubs. For the 15th consecutive year, BGCA was ranked the number one youth organization by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, based on private sector support. BGCA is accredited by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and has been cited by Forbes, Newsweek, SmartMoney, and U.S. News & World Report as a leading charitable organization based on societal impact and efficient use of donor dollars.

The national organization provides vital services to its local affiliates, and creates tremendous value for Clubs in both financial and in-kind support.

Local Boys & Girls Clubs are independent 501(c)(3) organizations governed by local Boards of Directors and led by local professional staff.

BGCA, the national organization, provides training and resources to local Clubs in areas such as fundraising, board leadership, youth development programs, child safety, executive leadership, marketing, facility design, financial management and outcome measurement and evaluation.

In 2008, BGCA generated more than $166 million in financial support for local Clubs -- $58 million in federal and private sector support; $81 million in state funding; and $27 million in planned gift expectancies. When other services are added, such as IT equipment and support, BGCA generated $179 million in value for Clubs.

Local Clubs are required to pay extremely modest dues to belong to BGCA (from less than one-half percent to 1.25 percent of their annual budgets). So the return-on-investment (value received vs. dues paid) for our local affiliates in 2008 was 29-1.

Support for BGCA from the public and private sector is vital to the continued ability to serve kids and change their futures. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. 28 percent say they would not have graduated from high school without the help of their Club.

Throughout our history BGCA has always been a responsible steward of donor dollars. Since BGCA began receiving federal funds in 1996, we have expanded the number of Clubs by more than 2,000, serving millions of children most in need of our programs and services, with an emphasis on severely distressed areas such as public housing and Native American lands. We have fully complied with all government rules, regulations and requirements pertaining to this funding.