Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia

The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.” With a belief that all children, regardless of circumstances, deserve an education and opportunities to succeed, the Club is a safe place to learn, grow, and have fun.

The Club aims to prepare young people for successful futures by promoting on-time grade progression and post-secondary planning, teaching healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors, and developing responsible citizens who are engaged in their communities. Additionally, the Club provides a place where parents know their children are safe and supported, enabling working families to pursue careers or education. The Club’s commitment to supporting children and their families plays a vital role in the short- and long-term quality of life and economic health of its communities and citizens.

High quality research- and evidence-based programs, combined with affordability and accessibility, are the Club’s most effective strategies in reaching populations experiencing disadvantages. At $15 to $150 per year, membership fees are intentionally low and represent just 2% of the Club’s operating revenue. Club sites are located in areas of greatest need, and transportation is coordinated to the Club from many local schools. Additionally, the Club maintains strong partnerships with local area public schools to provide targeted programming for the highest needs of students.

Through a Living Wage Initiative, the Club provides all staff with at least $15 per hour. Providing a living wage enhances the organization's ability to attract and retain high quality youth development professionals, helping to improve program outcomes. Additionally, for youth to envision their own bright futures, they need to experience what it means to be part of an equitable system. The Living Wage Initiative directly impacts program quality by promoting equity among staff and, by extension, modeling an equitable system for Club youth.

As the leading provider of youth development programs in the area, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia, founded in 1991 and opened in 1992, operates as an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The organization has grown over the past 30 years from one location serving 50 youth to six locations serving over 2,000 youth per year. Governed by a board of directors comprised of 30 distinguished community leaders, the Club employs over 100 full- and part-time staff to implement year-round services. Regular professional development opportunities are provided to staff to promote safety and high-quality interactions between staff and members.

The Club ensures fiscally and administratively sound practices by providing essential services, engaging the board of directors in strategic planning and audit reviews, and pursuing a diversified development plan. The Club's successful development efforts include an annual direct mail appeal, major fundraising events, grants from foundations and government agencies, and support from local individuals and businesses. Consistently over the past five years, at least 78% of the organization’s operating expenses have directly supported Club programming. With strong community support, the Club has a proven track record of program excellence, stewardship of resources, and responsible growth.

Over the past 30 years, BGCCVA has grown from serving 50 youth to over 2,000 youth per year. Continuing to expand its reach and address local out-of-school-time needs, the organization plans to open a new Club site in 2022 that will serve up to 300 kids every day and 500 youth per year.

Alongside increasing its reach, the Club is focused on strengthening its impact through continuous program quality improvement. Data is collected in a multitude of ways at each Club site and at the organizational level to provide a comprehensive overview of our impact. Examples of evaluations methods include: 1) the Youth Program Quality Assessment tool, developed by High Scope Educational Research Foundation; 2) the National Institute on Out-of-School Time Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards; 3) local Club member responses to the BGCA National Youth Outcomes Initiative survey; and 4) an annual safety assessment. Our process, led by Club-specific teams comprised of Club members, staff, and board, is implemented to develop program improvement plans that will inform policies, procedures, and training practices.

In an effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) both internally and throughout the community, the Club has taken the following actions: 1) Living Wage Initiative that provides all staff with at least $15 per hour; 2) Investing over $45,000 worth of resources toward organization-wide DEI assessments to make informed, data-driven decisions on how to strengthen DEI policies and practices; 3) Providing all part- and full-time staff with telehealth benefits; 3) Changing resource development practices to include more inclusive, community-oriented events; 4) Increasing board diversity; 5) Establishing an employee-led DEI council to increase staff representation in DEI-related decision; and 6) Including a statement on pay equity in the Club's employee handbook.

In recognition of the Club's DEI stance, BGCCVA's board of directors was named the 2020 Board Team of the Year in the Virginia-D.C. region of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The award is a reflection of BGCCVA's commitment to anti-racism, social justice work, and its response to COVID-19.