Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Formation1906
TypeYouth organization
Legal statusNon-profit organization
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia
Region served
United States, U.S. military installations
President and CEO
Jim Clark
Websitebgca.org

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a United States–based nonprofit organization that operates a nationwide network of more than 5,500 local Boys & Girls Clubs. The organization serves children and youth by providing safe spaces, caring adult mentors, meals and snacks, and youth development programs that support academic success, leadership skills, and health and wellness. BGCA holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, is headquartered in Atlanta, and operates regional offices across the United States. Boys & Girls Clubs of America reaches more than 4 million kids and teens each year through its Club programs across the United States, Native lands, and U.S. military installations.

History

The origins of Boys & Girls Clubs of America trace back to 1860, when the first Boys' Club was founded in Hartford, Connecticut, by three women, Elizabeth Hamersley and sisters Mary and Alice Goodwin. In 1906, 53 independent Boys' Clubs came together in Boston to form a national organization, the Federated Boys' Clubs. In 1931, the organization renamed itself Boys' Clubs of America, and in 1990, to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. As of 2010, there are over 4,000 autonomous local clubs, which are affiliates of the national organization. In total these clubs serve more than four million boys and girls. Clubs can be found in all 50 states as well as locations in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and US military bases. In total, Boys & Girls Clubs of America employ about 50,000 staff members.

Boys Club of New York, Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, New York
Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg, West Virginia

The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Boys & Girls Clubs of America number one among youth organizations for the 13th consecutive year, and number 12 among all nonprofit organizations. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the official charity of Major League Baseball.

Denzel Washington, a former club member, has been the spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years, since 1993. and in 2006, for the organization's 100 anniversary, co-authored with Daniel Paisner A Hand to Guide Me, featuring stories from leaders who had been members, such as Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Muhammad Ali, Yogi Berra, Toni Morrison, Cal Ripken Jr. and Colin Powell.

Lists of founders

Boys Clubs of America, 1940

These people came together in 1940 to create the Boys Clubs of America:

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 1990

In 1990, Boys Clubs of America was succeeded by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which was founded by the following people:

Notable members

Some notable members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America:

Donations received

Following the success of the film Black Panther, in 2018 Disney donated $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America for the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs in the United States. The donation was to be allocated to help grow the group's national STEM curriculum.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2024 Annual Report" (PDF). Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 2024.
  2. ↑ Kofi, Lomotey (2010). Encyclopedia of African-American Education. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 111. ISBN 9781412940504.
  3. ↑ Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Boys & Girls Club Leadership University. "COREv2: History of the Boys & Girls Club."
  4. ↑ "MLB Community: Programs: Boys and Girls Clubs of America". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ King, Scott. "Denzel Washington Shares Spotlight With Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Award Winner". Forbes. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Denzel Washington: A Hand to Guide Me | Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog". www.leadershipnow.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Title 36 – Patriotic Societies and Observances". US Congress. May 11, 1994. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2014 – via resource.org.
  8. ↑ "John L. Burns, 87, Former Head of Boys Club", The New York Times, September 11, 1996, retrieved September 1, 2015
  9. ↑ Great Futures Start Here. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2013, from "Great Futures Start Here". Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Evander Holyfield". Alumni Hall of Fame. Boys & Girls Club of America. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller".
  12. 1 2 Gibbs, Alexandra (February 27, 2018). "In honor of 'Black Panther' success, Disney donates $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America for development of STEM program". CNBC. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Solid STEM background is important for youth to compete in the global economy". ABC7 Chicago. February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.