BGCA.net App enables Boys & Girls Club Staff to access resources by smartphone and serve more youth.

More than 30 years after the debut of the World Wide Web, internet use, broadband adoption and smartphone ownership have grown rapidly for all Americans – including those who are less financially secure. However, the digital lives of Americans with lower and higher incomes remain markedly different, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted January 25-February 8, 2021. With fewer options for online access at their disposal, Americans with lower incomes are relying more on smartphones. As of early 2021, 27% of adults living in households earning less than $30,000 a year are smartphone-only internet users – meaning they own a smartphone but do not have broadband internet at home. 
Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and violence in today’s world, youth need the positive and safe environments of our Clubs now more than ever before. A New York Times article, in May 2023, mentioned the ongoing high levels of learning loss across all communities and demographics of students, leading schools and families to find alternative learning opportunities outside of the school day and in the summer months to replace the lost time. Clubs need the data and technology to answer crucial questions and best serve youth, families and communities.
In a typical year, Boys & Girls Clubs,  consisting of 67, 000 local adult professional staff, serve over 3.3 million young people in 5,200+ Club communities. Communities served include: 2,405 - school-based Clubs; 470 - BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide; 1,162 - Clubs in rural areas; 256 - Clubs in public housing; and 235 - Clubs on Native lands. 
Through the proposed solution, we aim to help solve the challenge of the technology/digital divide that exists across local Boys & Girls Clubs and the over 1,600 Clubs located specifically in rural, public housing and on Native lands. These sites are even more likely to need a comprehensive BGCA App to help gain real-time knowledge and communication - as many staff members are reliant on accessing Club resources via their phone and do not have access to broadband internet. This makes an App a necessary priority for staff. BGCA’s commitment toward digital transformation is focused on providing youth and Club leaders the resources and opportunities they need to build their own great futures. We aim to achieve this goal through an  App that provides a trusted and valued solution, increases active users, and achieves high levels of Club satisfaction.
The BGCA .net App will benefit all Clubs through enabling staff to serve youth while on the move. Caring adult Club staff should be spending time with the youth they serve to help positively influence their future. When caring adults have to leave the physical presence of youth to access a computer or laptop, it reduces the quality time they are spending with them, especially during a critical situation or core educational activity. With the power of critical technology, 67,000 Boys & Girls Clubs staff can ensure youth achieve academic success.

Data and 21st-century tools empower people to do more. To drive successful mission-driven outcomes, we understand that data and technology are vital to the success of local Boys & Girls Clubs. Local Boys & Girls Clubs are uniquely positioned and qualified to address the learning loss challenges of today with more than 160-years of experience in providing children and teens access to safe, positive, and inclusive environments; life-changing youth development programs; and trained, caring mentors during critical out-of-school time hours.
The Comprehensive App will benefit a community of more than 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs and Club 67,000 professionals by providing access to technology, resources, training and community exchange of expertise and best practices. The BGCA.net App aims to bring access to more Club professionals and provide more relevant and attainable content.
BGCA.net provides an improved platform to engage Clubs, fosters two-way communications and connection within the Movement, and serves as the key portal to vital trainings and other BGCA-affiliated education. BGCA.net deploys robust communications campaign targeting the entire Movement via email, text, BGCA.net, and  national/department meetings. It also includes a robust search engine for Club professionals with predictive text search functionality, allowing local Clubs to access the relevant query results needed for their work at lightning speed. With personalization (My Topics on the homepage) and notifications (via subscribing to pages), Club Staff can also stay up to date on what’s relevant to them and the crucial support they provide to youth. Additionally, Club professionals can engage with one another on the issues that matter to them through commenting and engaging in exclusive forums, and communities. The platform serves as a one-stop shop for everything Clubs need to operate effectively - safety policies, funding information, trainings, program guidebooks - resources are plentiful, up-to-date, and easy to find when needed.
A BGCA App will interconnect Application Programming Interface across the following BGCA platforms.
• BGCA Assessment System
• BGCA.net
• BGCA.net Community Exchanges
• Behavior Support Toolkit
• Club Programs – (Virtual Club)
• Critical Incident Management System (incident reporting only)
• Continuous Quality Improvement Toolkit
• MyData (Club youth outcomes data)
• MyFuture (digital programming resources )
• Spillett Leadership University (Club professionals training/learning resources)
The App will enable one-click access to all the benefits and features of BGCA.net for Club professionals on their smartphone, better allowing them to access resources while they are on the move serving youth or without the presence of reliable broadband internet. It will allow for critical Club-related notifications to be sent right to mobile devices of Club professionals and provide a streamlined user experience that contains all the same content as the above-mentioned BGCA platforms and websites. 
One example of a digital product accessible through the BGCA.net App solution is MyFuture.net. MyFuture is a self-directed skill-building platform, with digital programming that encourages youth to learn new skills, earn career certifications, share creative projects and participate in events and contests. Kids and teens can earn recognition for their work, keep track of their progress and journey on a learning pathway toward mastering a new skill.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bgca.net+app+video&rlz=1C1GCEJ_enUS924US924&oq=bgca.net+app+video&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCDcxNDFqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7e2d8aac,vid:K75DY4hi_Hg,st:0

In a typical year, Boys & Girls Clubs,  consisting of 67, 000 local adult professional staff, serve over 3.3 million young people across more than 5,200 Club communities including: 2,405 - school-based Clubs; 470 - BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide; 1,162 - Clubs in rural areas; 256 - Clubs in public housing; and 235 - Clubs on Native lands. 
Demorgaphics of Club members are provided below.
Club Member Race & Ethnicity:
• White: 30
• Black or African American: 25
• Hispanic, Latino, Latina, or Latinx: 23
• Two or more races, Other, Don't Know : 14
• American Indian or Alaska Native : 3
• Asian or Asian American: 3
• Middle Eastern or Northern African: 1
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 1
Gender Identity:
• Men and boys: 55
• Women and girls: 44
• Nonbinary: 0.5
• Transgender : 0.5
Age:
• 0-4: 4
• 5-9: 37
• 10-14: 30
• 15-19: 29
Additionally, 62% of Club members live in households that qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.
The ongoing high levels of learning loss across all communities and demographics of students due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, civil unrest, and violence in today’s world.  Nationally, 87% of public schools report that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted social-emotional learning for youth—a critical aspect of healthy, holistic child development. Research demonstrates that when Club youth development professionals support and encourage youth academically, they’re more likely to graduate high school on time, identify a path for postsecondary education, and make a career plan that aligns with their interests.  Additionally, we know that students do much better in school when they spend non-school hours engaged in fun, academically beneficial activities. Clubs need the data and technology to answer crucial questions and best serve youth, families, and communities.
Having access to BGCA.net App will help to prevent the ongoing high levels of learning loss across all communities and demographics of students and provides schools and families alternative learning opportunities outside of the school day and in the summer months to replace the lost time. The truest aspects of youth development have never changed. Clubs’ youth development professionals  continue to provide safe environments, access to learning opportunities, prepare youth for the future, and most importantly, allow space for fun. BGCA.net App will serve to only enhance this work by providing over 67,000 Club youth development professionals seamless access to best practices, research, and immediate access to real-time technology and systems. This access will allow them to answer crucial questions and best serve youth, families, and communities. 
Overall, BGA.net App provides:
• One-click access to all the benefits and features of BGCA.net.
• A one-stop shop for everything Clubs need to operate effectively: From safety policies to funding information, trainings, or program guidebooks, resources are plentiful, up-to-date, and easy to find when needed (faster than looking for an email).

BGCA’s digital and data modernization has an internal and external presence. The internal, back office of BGCA’s technology is led by Mat Mathews. Additionally, a marketing and communications strategy was developed in collaboration and led by the Marketing & Communications team, led by Treshea Wade, to socialize and provide a high-level overview of the roll out and communications strategy for BGCA.net and BGCA App. Both Matt and Treshea are people of color.
Mat Mathews, (Asian) vice president, chief technology officer for BGCA. Mat leads overall digital and data modernization, product development, business intelligence, technical operations and cybersecurity. Prior to joining the organization in 2018, Mat spent almost two decades proudly supporting the US National Security Community in counterterrorism, counter-trafficking and cyber-defense. In that role, Mat used his academic specialty in developmental economics to assess the socio-political-economic impacts of colonialism in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia on their Diaspora concerning communal networks, as well as radicalization. As the landscape threat evolved, Mat developed his skillset and credentials in cybersecurity, data privacy, analytics and product development. In addition to his professional duties, Mat serves in Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) efforts and is an emeritus member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s DEI Council.
Treshea Wade, (Black/African American) national director internal communications, leads the overall communications and awareness for BGCA.net App. Marketing is the face of communications and provides a high-level overview of the roll out and communications strategy for BGCA.net and App. Treshea builds trust and engagement with Clubs youth development professionals. In February/March, Treshea and team launched BGCA.net Mobile App Pilot with a BGCA.net pilot group (Club professionals, Club leaders and national staff) to gain feedback, document successes and opportunities and finalize tech needs. After reviewing early learnings from the pilot group and current .net users (feedback, successes and opportunities) Treshea created BGCA.net App Ambassadors toolkit and beta group (pilot group + App Ambassadors + Marketing & Communication team) to help guide the implementation of BGCA.net App solution.

We have collaborated with a third-party consultant to conduct digital assessment for a mobile app strategy for BGCA's entire digital transformation. BGCA.net is available and easy to find on Apple and Android. The URL will detect the  device and send connection to the  appropriate device. If accessing BGCA.net from non-mobile device, a message will display an option to download the App. Currently, the App is private, available through a link and QR code. The mobile app communications strategy and launch plan and identified primary app will benefit the following user groups: Club professionals, Club leaders and national staff.  Below is the timeline of the current rollout for the App:

Phase 1 - Awareness

January 2024: Launched Mobile App Pilot with BGCA.net pilot group, grained feedback, document successes and opportunities, and finalize tech needs, reviewed early learnings from pilot group and current .net users and apply to marketing tactics. Created BGCA.net App Ambassadors toolkit.

February – March: Went live with beta group (pilot group + App Ambassadors + Marketing & Communication), engaged .net App Ambassadors, created teaser landing page on BGCA.net and other BGCA platforms (where appropriate), created pre-launch video (using Canva) with screenshots, highlighting best features, addressing solutions for pain points, and where to download, built out separate email campaign series for National Staff (Nat) and Movement (local Boys & Girls Clubs). Targeted Audience Messaging. Identified and requested to join relevant BGCA groups on social media to promote The App and communicate with targeted audiences during soft and hard launch. Prepared one-pager and slides for newly onboarded employees (version for Movement and Nat Staff) with a tour of the app during New Employee Onboarding (Collaborate with HR).

Phase 2 – Adoption

April: In the beginning stage of soft launch to national staff by executing an email campaign to National Staff announcing app launch, creating and deploying pop up message on BGCA.net (web) with call to action to encourage app downloads. 

Young people need access to skill development programs and supportive adults in their lives to thrive in this world of rapid change. With the environments that young people live in and those that they’ll graduate into changing constantly and rapidly. Local Boys & Girls Clubs youth development professionals understand that the 5th grader we serve today is different than the 5th grader we’ll serve next year - different than the 5th grader we served last year, 10 years ago, 100 years ago.
BGCA is the leading out-of-school time nonprofit supporting 5,200+ Clubs that serve 3.3 million young people, from rural communities to urban areas, in schools and public housing, Native lands and U.S. military installations worldwide. We serve a population that is primarily youth of color (nearly 70 percent of members) and youth from low-income backgrounds (roughly 62% of members quality for free and reduced-price lunch).
Although BGCA has unparalleled scale in the number and diversity of youth we serve, as an organization we continue to strive to serve more youth that need us most. According to the Afterschool Alliance America After 3PM Report, almost half of the U.S. student population is unable to access afterschool programs, a statistic that affects low-income, Black, and Latinx children and families at higher rates. Clubs are uniquely positioned and qualified to address the learning loss challenges of today with more than 160-years of experience in providing children and teens access to safe, positive, and inclusive environments; life-changing youth development programs; and trained, caring mentors during critical out-of-school time hours. 
We are seeking support to increase the access to BGCA.net App for over 67,000 Club youth development professionals so they can create educational experience centered around the needs of 3.3M youth people, their families and communities. Supporting the adoption of the BGCA Comprehensive App will help strengthen connection across the Boys & Girls Club Movement. This work will enable the power of seamless technological processes and systems to better serve our youth Movement-wide. Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s technology and research allow Clubs to continually adapt to the ever-changing needs of youth. Through rigorous research, we continually evaluate our interventions and programs, examining when they deliver life-changing impact and when those evolving needs of youth warrant modifications. Technology saves time. BGCA.net App will improve accuracy and enhance the performance of local Clubs staff, ultimately enabling BGCA and local Clubs to scale youth impact. 
BGCA’s three-year movement support plan includes the board's aspiration to make it possible for every young person to have equitable access to high quality youth development programs enabling them to:
• Be safe and experience social emotional and physical well-being
• Graduate high school with a specific, ambitious and achievable plan for their future, equipped with skills and experiences that will support their success
• Lead change that will advance their Clubs, their communities and the nation
This work aligns with the Challenge of the goal to ensure that all children are learning in good educational environments, particularly those affected by poverty or displacement. 

The BGCA.net App new mobile application will provide 67,000 Club professionals with various features and services designed to make access to critical youth development resources  more accessible. The  BGCA.net App’s purpose is to streamline users face, such as offering the same BGCA.net web in a convenient and efficient platform for access to multiple educational programming, curricula, safety policy and protocols, enhancing communication and connectivity with other Club professionals across 5,200 Club sites, , improving productivity and learning, promoting health and wellness, among Club professional staff and therefore the youth they serve. The BGCA .net App will benefit all Clubs through enabling staff to serve youth while on the move. Caring adult Club staff should be spending time with the youth they serve to help positively influence their future. When caring adults have to leave the physical presence of youth to access a computer or laptop, it reduces the quality time they are spending with them, especially during a critical situation or core educational activity. With the power of critical technology, 67,000 Boys & Girls Clubs staff can ensure youth achieve academic success.
Additionally, BGCA.net will help improve productivity could lead to better job performance and satisfaction for 67,000 Club professionals, while reducing work-related stress and increasing learning and knowledge sharing resulting in intellectual growth and personal enrichment. Ultimately, BGCA.net will create a positive impact on 67,000 Club professionals across 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs, and ultimately create positive outcomes for more than 3.3M youth on the move.

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Over the past year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has been working to gather information, insights and recommendations for our strategic direction focused on developing our Agenda for Collective Impact. BGCA’s Agenda for Collective Impact aims to ensure that our Movement is future ready, so we can support young people and help them be ready for their own great futures. This work has been guided by a National Planning Commission (NPC) made up of nearly 50 Boys & Girls Club leaders from across the country, ultimately,  however, the entire movement has helped craft this strategic direction through informational/input gathering sessions being held at regional conferences. Team members and staff at all levels have been involved in the process. The NPC also had a specialized Technology Work Group who was focused on ensuring technology was at the core of our strategic direction. Our goals are “what” we aim to achieve, the strategic priorities are “how” we get it done. Each of these areas are supported and enabled by the fifth strategic priority – digital transformation –this is what enables and fuels our ability to achieve these things.

Additionally, whether it makes sense to use a mobile app or mobile web depends on several factors, including the purpose of the app or website, the target audience, governance, support, and the budget. The conclusion, BGCA.net App makes sense and is necessary. BGCA’s Digital Transformation serves to help address the increased needs of socialization and support that today’s youth need. BGCA.net App is a key part of communicating new resources and as well as foster interconnectivity. To ensure BGCA.net App long-term outcome and benefit to 67,000 Club professionals, BGCA engaged a third-party consultant in partnership with BGCA’s chief technology officer and team to conduct a digital assessment for a mobile app strategy for the national office and 5,200 Boys & Girls Club sites. 

BGCA outlined and followed the following framework:

• Assess the Current Situation
• Engage Third-Party Consultant
• Conduct Digital Assessment
• Develop App Strategy Recommendations
• Present Recommendations to Stakeholders
• Implement Approved Strategy

In the approval process with Google Play, however the app was rejected by the Apple App Store.  The reason for the rejection: BGCA.net gives users the option to create a login account but not an option to delete their account (which is now a requirement due to new privacy policies from Apple). To address the account creation and deletion process to overcome the challenge raised by Appl, BGCA explored a holistic approach, considering options like a common app gateway, or multiple apps with interconnected APIs for BGCA.net, SLU, etc. BGCA’s contractor, Interact, contract includes a white-label app version of the extranet.  Interact branded the app to support the BGCA.net product. BGCA conducted user testing with Club professionals and national staff, gathered feedback and addressed concerns, finalized the app and submitted the BGCA.net app to the app stores.   

Positive Feedback from BGCA. net users and anticipate increased usage and continued positive feedback from BGCA.net App users.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America will measure transformational impact in two primary ways:

Measure 1
Definition: Total Youth Served represents all registered Club members, as well as youth served through community outreach via programs, activities, services, leadership and/or facilities provided by the Club.
Metric: Increase the population of youth served
Last Year (Actual): 2,700,000
Current Year (Estimated): 3,300,000
Next Year (Projected): 4,000,000
Comments: As our primary organizational goal is to serve more youth, this is a key success metric for the overall mission of the organization. Our digital transformation strategy with BGCA.net APP  will help support that mission.

Measure 2
Definition: The duration of page visits is defined in minutes. The goal is for registered users to remain on the Site as they view specific a for a longer period of time. Growing from 5 minutes per visit to 7 minutes per page or collaborative page
Metric: Increased Duration of page visits
Last Year (Actual): 0
Current Year (Estimated): 6
Next Year (Projected): 7
Comments: With the addition of BGCA.net App and as the content is regularly refreshed and more Clubs participate in knowledge exchange via the mobile solution, BGCA anticipates our solution gaining more traction and interest as a destination source for all information related to BGCA and the 67.000 Club professionals and 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs sites.

BGCA will capture feedback from Club professionals on accessibility, functionality and usability through surveys. BGCA will  stay on top of new and emerging technologies and trends by leveraging our Technology and Marketing Committees from the Board of Governors, where we report on progress and pitfalls, as well as attending industry and product specific events to gain insight into advances in technology.

• Qualitative by using a Survey to measure trust, use and engagement
• Quantitative by tracking the number of users, visitors, page views Increase users, visitors and engagement

Data and 21st-century tools empower people to do more. To drive successful mission-driven outcomes, BGCA understands that data and technology are vital to the success of local Clubs. As we continue to support our 67,0000 Club professionals and 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs communities and enable youth to reach their full potential, Clubs need the data and technology to answer crucial questions and best serve youth, families, and communities. This is why digital transformation is at the core of our strategic priorities to ensure success as we move forward. BGCA’s Digital Transformation is centered around three primary goals:

• Adopt a digital-first mindset
• Invest in technology and data resources
• Adopt common systems and shared services

In 2023 BGCA launched BGCA.net – a powerful tool for better collaboration across departments, providing consistent messaging, and more easily
assisting users in accessing the content and resources they need to serve kids and teens. Building on the success of BGCA.net and to continue to connect more users, BGCA developed a BGCA.net App with a launch aimed at Q4 2024.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s technology and research allow 5,200 Clubs to continually adapt to the ever-changing needs of more than 3.3 million young people each year. Technology saves time, improves accuracy, and enhances the performance of 67,000 Club professionals, ultimately enabling BGCA to scale youth impact.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America has the following working on the BGCA.net App Solution Team:

Fulltime: 5

Contractor:1

In 2019, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) conducted a comprehensive independent safety assessment to identify ways Boys & Girls Clubs can further strengthen safety processes and protocols. In Q1 2023 BGCA launched BGCA.net. The initial testing for BGCA.net App was successful, however, upon submission of the BGCA.net App to the App stores in April, the BGCA.net App was rejected by Apple due to Apple's new privacy policy changes regarding account creation and deletion. BGCA began consulting with a contractor and BGCA.net App was successfully re-developed in Q1 2024 and accessible on App Store.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America was founded in 1860, and as it has, we’ve sought to stand where change needs to be made. For far too long, systemic inequities have presented pervasive obstacles to so many of the communities we serve. Similarly, this generation of youth is the most diverse in American history, and to do the most for them, we must stand by them and make the world a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place. As an organization, we are intentional with upholding values of DEI in the populations we serve and our approach has grown, evolved, and innovated. Our Journey to DEI is not linear; this vision requires each of the identified five key change levers working in concert.

• Representation and Diverse Leadership: Diverse Club organizations with an increase in the number of leaders who identify as a member of a diverse constituency other than white, heterosexual male.
• Capacity Building: Strong, culturally competent Clubs that are committed to strengthening the skills, abilities, processes, and resources needed to build collaborative, culturally competent organizations.
• Organizational Support: Providing the tools, resources, and technical assistance to sustain culturally competent Club organizations.
• Youth Programming: Providing inclusive, trauma-informed programming that develops cultural competence, understanding, and youth voice in every local Club.
• Assessments and Insights: A collaborative process of individual and organizational assessments resulting in plans to improve knowledge, insight, and organizational awareness to create culturally competent leaders and organizations.

We offer Employee Resource Groups to provide employees with unique opportunities to increase cultural awareness, trainings, collaborations and celebrations of the professional, social, and cultural contributions and support recruitment efforts to attract diverse candidates and retain top talent at all levels. 

enABLE! - To offer a place for workplace support and empowerment of those with disabilities of all types and severities. PRIDE Pack! - Promoting Respect, Inclusion and Diversity for Everyone. Empower - a culture of acceptance for all LGBTQIA+. Working Parent’s - To provide a community of support, and resources for working parents and caregivers who are navigating all stages of parenthood. SOAR - A professional group that encourages, empowers, and supports

peers and colleagues in various stages (early, mid, retirement), of their careers. SERVE - Supportive and inclusive community that honors military-affiliated Employees and Recognizes Veteran-connected individuals, their Experiences. POWER - Promotion Of Womxn through Empowerment and Respect. Foster and strengthen a network of support and understanding of issues and challenges facing women in the workforce. BOLD - Black Originators, Leaders & Disruptors - Aims to create a strong network of like-minded individuals to promote personal and professional growth and empower. Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander promote the richness of our histories and embrace the diversity of cultures. Afro-Caribbean - We embrace the vibrant tapestry of Afro Caribbean cultures. Indigenous - We will celebrate, share, and promote the richness of our histories and embrace the diversity of cultures. At Familia Unida, Weaving the colorful threads of Hispanic and Latinx cultures.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) operates under a Federated Model.  BGCA develops programs, resources, curricula and trainings for 5,200+ Clubs. Local Clubs utilize, individualize and implement resources based on their community needs.  In an effort to advance continuous quality improvement at the local and national level,  local Boys & Girls Clubs offer BGCA information reflecting youth impact for research and evaluation and BGCA takes learnings and updates content for better youth outcomes. Here are a few resources and tools provided by BGCA: training and development (trauma-informed care, youth-centered learning, safety), continuous quality improvement (dedicated subject matter experts), programs (40+), diagnostics (30+), custom toolkits, technology and platforms (Club Programs, My Future, BGCA.net and BGCA.net App).
Outcomes and community value:
• 97% Club members’ parent and caregivers report that the Club plays an important role in their family’s life
• 94% Club members feel sage from harm at the Club
• 95% Club members are performing at or above grade level
• 90% Club alumni feel they have the skills needed to be successful in a job.
In local communities for more than 160 years, we pride ourselves on our deep-rooted history as well as our ability to continue to innovate and respond to the needs of kids. Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Our vision is to provide a world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. And we believe every kid has what it takes. The mission and core beliefs of Boys & Girls Clubs fuel our commitment to promoting safe, positive and inclusive environments for all. Boys & Girls Clubs of America supports all youth and teens – of every race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and religion – in reaching their full potential. BGCA annually provides an average of $78M in private revenue directly to Clubs. Membership dues from Clubs consist of 4.5% of BGCA’s budget. BGCA’s National office expenses amount to 38% for on-site assistance to Clubs & 50% leadership training and development of youth programs. In 2021 BGCA led the way among national youth-serving organizations in the ratio of pass-through funding to dues at 12.23, at an equally unmatched scale of $106 million to local Boys & Girls Clubs.
Here’s another layer: Every $1 invested in Boys & Girls Clubs results in $9.60 in community economic benefit, according to a study by the University of Michigan. For the offerings BGCA creates and refines, that impact becomes available to all of the more than 5,200 Clubs across the country and on military installations worldwide, meaning investment in BGCA could extend to even greater economic benefit across the Movement.

A BGCA App provides critical technology to more than 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs and 67,000 youth serving Club professionals on the move. 

With existing fundraising capacity and partnership BGCA is investing anticipating more than a total $1B, between 2018-2026, toward its overall Digital Transformation strategy. To date, we have invested more than $63M in
these efforts. From a national perspective, BGCA continues to partner with both private and government entities to support our mission. As digital transformation is a mission-driven strategic priority, mission focused philanthropic support will be sought to continue these efforts. Funding will be raised by growing the pipeline of all lines of business (corporations, foundations, individuals) with a focus on partners supporting technology and data modernization. An Anonymous Donor investment of $730,000, with a $230,000 match challenge to support the BGCA Comprehensive App. 

Being selected as a Global Challenge Learning recipient will support the match and will help strengthen our connection across the movement. BGCA.net App will provide critical technology and enable positive impact in the lives of 3.3M youth, 67,000 Clubs professionals across 5,200 Boys & Girls Club communities.   Communities served include: 2,405 - school-based Clubs; 470 - BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide; 1,162 - Clubs in rural areas; 256 - Clubs in public housing; and 235 - Clubs on Native lands. A population that is primarily youth of color (nearly 70 percent of members) and youth from low-income backgrounds (roughly 62% of members quality for free and reduced-price lunch).