partner Highlights

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington help boys and girls of all backgrounds build confidence, develop character and acquire the skills needed to become productive, civic-minded, and responsible adults.

VISIT WEBSITE

DATES & AMOUNT OF partner

2004 – 2009 | $1,775,962

partner OPPORTUNITY

In 2003, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington merged with the Metropolitan Police Boys & Girls Clubs. This expanded the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington to encompass 20 clubs, 2 outreach centers, and a 168-acre camp.

Seeking organizations that were at an inflection point for change, Venture Philanthropy Partners identified the merger between two of the oldest youth-serving organizations in the Region as a strong opportunity for partnership.

The overarching goal of the partner was to help the organization increase its capacity to manage the new growth brought on by the merger and to improve the quality and offerings for the approximately 20,000 young people it was serving.

In the pursuit of taking the most at-risk kids to new heights, they set out to enhance its outreach efforts in underserved areas of the community through two new efforts.

• A club located in the Shipley Terrace neighborhood east of the river
• A club in Herndon, Virginia focuses on expanding the number of Latino and Asian youth in the local clubs.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington successfully completed an intensive business planning process while undergoing a fiscal crisis and the retirement of its CEO. The plan resulted in a greatly expanded vision for the organization, which, by increasing the quality and complexity of programs over the next five years, will deepen the impact on the thousands of children served. Other noteworthy accomplishments that contributed to improved capacity and increased effectiveness include:

Planning and Focus: Completed a major portion of business planning in fall of 2004, facilitated by McKinsey & Co., resulting in a clear vision for increasing its impact on the more than 15,000 children and youth it serves with core programs. The business planning process restarted in February 2006 with the leadership of the new CEO.

Human Capital: Board and Management: Successfully recruited and brought on a new CEO. Board re-engaged and committed to governance and oversight role.

Capitalization/Revenue: Obtained unsecured, low-interest, three-year line of credit for $5 million. Received $1,247,774 in total government earmarks for calendar year 2006.

Financial Oversight: New CFO and greater board awareness improves financial oversight, reporting, stability, and accountability for organization.

Outcomes Assessment: Installed KidTrax system throughout clubs to better track the number of children attending the clubs. Integrated deeper outcomes data requirements into KidTrax system with additional support from Verizon.

SEE MORE HIGHLIGHTS IN THE CASE STUDY

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