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 & Girls Clubs of America, Boys & Girls Club Leadership University. "COREv2: History of the Boys & Girls Club."
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: Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States William E. Hall, US Medal of Honor recipient Albert L. Cole, CEO of Reader's Digest James A. Farley, United States Postmaster General Albert C. Wedemeyer US Army Chief of Plans and Operations Matthew Woll, vice president of the AFL-CIO Jeremiah Milbank, two-time Republican Party Finance Committee chairman Stanley Resor, Secretary of the Army James B. Carey, president of AFL-CIO J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Lewis L. Strauss, chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Robert E. Wood, quartermaster general of the army, vice-president of Sears Fred C. Church Jr., insurance businessman H. Bruce Palmer, president of the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company Edgar A. Guest, TV and radio host Nicholas H. Noyes, Indianapolis, Indiana; oil mogul George A. Scott, president, Walker-Scott Company E. E. Fogelson, Army colonel and cattle and oil baron Ernest Ingold of San Francisco, California Jesse Draper of Atlanta, Georgia Julius J. Epstein John Albert
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:
Gerald W. Blakeley Jr., Boston, Massachusetts Roscoe Brown, Bronx, New York City, New York Cees Bruynes, Stamford, Connecticut Arnold I. Burns, New York, New York John L. Burns, Greenwich, Connecticut; President of the Boys' Clubs of America (1968–81), Chairman (1981–88) Hays Clark, Hobe Sound, Florida Mrs. Albert L. Cole, Hobe Sound, Florida Mike Curb, Burbank, California Robert W. Fowler, Atlantic Beach, Florida Thomas G. Garth, New York, New York Moore Gates Jr., Princeton, New Jersey Ronald J. Gidwitz, Chicago, Illinois John S. Griswold, Greenwich, Connecticut Claude H. Grizzard, Atlanta, Georgia George V. Grune, Pleasantville, New York Peter L. Haynes, New York, New York James S. Kemper, Northbrook, Illinois Plato Malozemoff, New York, New York Edmund O. Martin, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Donald E. McNicol, New York, New York Carolyn P. Milbank, Greenwich, Connecticut Jeremiah Milbank Jr., New York, New York C. W. Murchison III, Dallas, Texas W. Clement Stone, Lake Forest, Illinois
Notable members Some notable members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America:Great Futures Start Here. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2013, from
Ashanti General Wesley Clark Donnie Copeland Misty Copeland Lee Corso Modie Cox Denzel Curry John Paul DeJoria Dom DeLuise John Duren Anthony Ervin Don Fisher Edward Furlong Cuba Gooding Jr. Natalie Gulbis Hulk Hogan Evander Holyfield Earvin "Magic" Johnson Michael Jordan Jackie Joyner-Kersee Tim Keller Dante Lauretta Sugar Ray Leonard Paul "Triple H" Levesque Jennifer Lopez Mario Lopez Vince McMahon Ne-Yo Danny Neaverth Edward James Olmos Shaquille O'Neal Katy Perry Joey Reynolds Smokey Robinson CC Sabathia Adam Sandler Martin Sheen Usher Courtney B. Vance Michael Vick Denzel Washington Kerry Washington Shaun White
Donations received Following the success of the film Black Panther, in 2018 Disney donated $1million 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 Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada Jump On It! Pegasus ArtWorks
References
External links
Official history