PURPOSEAmerica and its children need Boys & Girls Clubs to succeed as never before. The perilous state of our youth today can be clearly discerned through several fundamental statistics:

• There are nearly 15 million children under the age of 18 living in poverty. • Children represent about 23% of the total population but about 32% of people in poverty. • 11.3 million children and youth (20% of all school-age children) are without supervision between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. • In an era where an education is required for access to employment and economic self-sufficiency, 1 in 5 kids won’t graduate high school on time. • Nearly two-thirds of fourth graders lack reading proficiency and more than half lack math proficiency. • Similarly, some 2 out of 3 eighth graders lack reading proficiency and the foundational skills needed to succeed in higher-order math courses in high school. • Large achievement gaps persist between white and Asian/Pacific Islander students, and African-American, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native students. • Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. In 2012, about a third (32%) of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 were overweight or obese.

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025: A Strategic Dialog on the Decade Ahead

The Boys & Girls Club Movement holds an intrinsic belief that every child in America deserves an equal chance to pursue the American Dream, to have a genuine opportunity to realize their full potential – to achieve a Great Future. Throughout our 155-year history, Clubs have sought to provide children with hope and the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Our long-term commitment and passionate desire to make a difference have enabled the Boys & Girls Club Movement to grow from 53 Clubs in 1906, to 1,000 Clubs in 1972, to 2,000 Clubs in 1998, to 4,200 Clubs today.

As we consider the future we recognize that the stakes are high for our young people and our nation. It’s more difficult than ever for young people growing up today to claim a great future. The challenges for youth in disadvantaged circumstances are greater than ever before.

Boys & Girls Clubs are the only organization in the USA with the scale, experience and capacity to lead a transformative change in the opportunity equation for America’s youth. We must think big. We must look beyond just the next few years. We must broaden

the role Boys & Girls Clubs play across the nation to enable more youth to succeed.

In February the National Area Council Committee and the President’s Advisory Council met together, in the role that the National Planning Commission has fulfilled in the past. Their deliberations focused on achieving our Great Futures Vision, and beginning to pursue the Vision for the Second Century. Their goal was to not only update the plan for the next three years, but more importantly to frame a year of discussion about the future of Boys & Girls Clubs over the next decade.

This paper outlines the group’s broad thinking about the future of Boys & Girls Clubs and how we can contribute to the future of the American Dream. In light of the need for robust dialogue, over the coming months Club Professionals, Board Volunteers and other stakeholders will have opportunities at Area Coun-cil Meetings, Conferences and other gatherings to engage in strategic conversation about the future of the Boys & Girls Club Movement.

BACKGROUND

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025 A Strategic Dialogue on the Decade Ahead

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025: A Strategic Dialog on the Decade Ahead

Our nation can only survive if every generation produces citizens and leaders of strong character to continue the traditions of freedom and sacrifice that make America great.

However, America is at a crossroads: for the first time in our history, the current generation will not do better than their parents. The very fabric of the American Dream is at great risk. The future stability and success of our nation lies in the balance.

Our nation needs bold leadership that can strengthen the fragile ecosystem in which our young people live, and elevate their prospects for advancement as caring, productive citizens and leaders. No organization or entity is more perfectly situated to make a significant difference than the Boys & Girls Club Movement. Our history and experience, scale and scope, and reputation throughout the public and private sectors, all point to us as the service leader and advocate for youth that can play a decisive role in turning the tide for young people in America.

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025: A Strategic Dialog on the Decade Ahead

OUR PURPOSE

With this profound need and strategic opportunity in

mind, our driving purpose for the decade ahead is to

provide and facilitate out-of-school-time experiences

that: Enable all Club Members to graduate with a

plan for the future; and put success within reach

of every child in America.

Provide all Club Members with high-quality Club programming that is safe, fun and makes a measurable difference. For the first time, we now have data that demonstrates that the Boys & Girls Club Experience can be the foundation for life-changing impact. As beneficiaries of contemporary innovative programs, Club members will develop the skills needed to achieve success in the 21st century.

Lead a national dialogue to advocate that every community in the United States provide access to high-quality out-of-school-time programs and experiences that equip young people, especially those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances, with the tools to succeed. We believe every child needs and deserves this access to have an equal chance to pursue the promise of America.

Recognizing that no single organization can provide everything needed to enable youth to succeed, Boys & Girls Clubs must establish dynamic partnerships with public and private institutions, locally and nationally, to assure high-quality youth development experiences for all young people in America. We must step up as the convener and facilitator, across all sectors, to maximize collective resources and ultimate impact.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES THREE STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES WILL GUIDE OUR WORK:

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025: A Strategic Dialog on the Decade Ahead

ACTION PRIORITIES

Enabling every Club member to graduate with a plan for the future is a daunting challenge, but America’s kids need us to come together, motivated by a bold vision for the future. Working together, focused on mission and committed to executing on our plan, we can change the opportunity equation and deliver on the promise of America. Success will require addressing the following priorities:

FIRST, we must take steps to achieve a high level of program quality at every Boys & Girls Club. One of the greatest challenges to our success is the variability in organizational capacity and program quality. We have a collective accountability to each other, the Boys & Girls Clubs brand, and most importantly to our Club members, to provide a high-quality program that makes a dramatic and sustained difference in their lives. This is a mission-critical priority – if we fall short, our vision cannot be realized. To achieve a consistent level of quality we must: • Establish quality program standards and an assessment process based on the Formula for Impact 2.0 • Leverage data to inform the assessment process • Implement continuous improvement process • Implement strategies to keep Club members engaged through high school

SECOND, we need to strengthen organizational capacity and capability to drive quality and increase impact. This includes: • Building strong Executive and Board Leadership • Providing state-of-the-art training for all Club professionals and volunteers • Increasing resource development capability • Growing national collaborative fundraising opportunities • Strengthening partnerships with school districts and other youth-serving community organizations

THIRD, we must position Boys & Girls Clubs as America’s premier youth development thought leader and advocate. This will only be accomplished if we successfully achieve a consistent level of program quality and if Club leaders across America are seen as their community’s expert. This includes: • Leveraging our data and research to constantly advance youth development practices • Publishing information that informs and motivates stakeholders and investors • Advocating for youth development principles to enhance policy and practice at all levels • Building local and national partnerships to increase collective impact

FOURTH, after we address quality and establish ourselves as thought leaders, Boys & Girls Clubs will be positioned to expand, in pursuit of the vision that every child growing up in America has access to a life-changing Boys & Girls Club Experience. This includes: • Starting new Clubs with the resources to deliver a high-quality program • Providing Club programs in every school district in America • Partnering with existing after-school entities to operate BGC-affiliated programs • Impacting youth through our influence on schools, parents and other service providers • Reaching additional youth through innovative on-line initiatives

Boys & Girls Club Movement 2025: A Strategic Dialog on the Decade Ahead

2025 GOALS Thanks to 95% of local Club organizations participating in the ongoing National Youth Outcomes Initiative, for the first time we now have meaningful outcome data to measure progress and accelerate learning. The data provides objective evidence that the Boys & Girls Club Experience has a powerful impact on member outcomes in the key areas of academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.

To measure progress over the next decade, we will establish impact and strategic growth goals. The following chart represents three different possibilities for how we define targets for future impact.

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iv DeNavas-Walt, Carmen and Proctor, Bernadette D. (2014). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013, Current Population Reports, P60-249 (Washington, D.C.: United States Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Com-merce, September 16, 2014), http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-169.html.iv Editorial Projects in Education Research Center (2014). “Diplomas Count 2014 – Motivation Matters: Engaging Students, Creating Learners,” Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 34, June 5, 2014, www.edweek.org/go/dc14. iv National Center for Education Statistics (2013). The Nation’s Report Card: A First Look: Mathematics and Reading, NCES 2014-451 (Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education), http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/main2013/pdf/2014451.pdf. iv Ogden, C.L.; Carroll, M.D.; Kit, B.K. and Flegal, K.M. (2014). “Prevalence of Childhood and Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-12,” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 311, No. 8, February 26, 2014, pages 806-814, http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1832542.

Teen members

Members exercising 5+ days per week

Members attending 52 days or more annually

Members on track to graduate, ready for post-secondary education or to enter the workforce

INCREMENTAL GOAL

CHALLENGE ASPIRATIONALGOALS CURRENT STATUS

Members with an Optimal Club Experience 35% 55% 75% 95%

78% 85% 90% 95%

62% 70% 80% 95%

46% 60% 75% 90%

30% 35% 40% 45%

CONCLUSIONOur Movement has thrived for more than a century and a half because our unique, grassroots culture has always depended on close collaboration and exchange of ideas from every voice and vantage point. Working together, we will continue this hallowed tradition that our forebearers established, as stewards of our nation’s youth and their Great Futures. The NACC and President’s Advisory Council look forward to continuing this important dialog across our great Movement during the year ahead, as together we continue this vital journey on behalf of America and its future generations.

Mr. Robbie BachBoys & Girls Clubs of America

Ms. Val McNeelyBoys & Girls Clubs of America

Mr. Doug MillerBoys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley, CA

Mr. Greg CrabtreeBoys & Girls Clubs of North AlabamaHuntsville, AL

Ms. Susan AndersonBoys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA

Mr. John PedenBoys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Fort Collins, CO

Mr. Phillip JacksonNorth Penn Valley Boys & Girls Club, Lansdale, PA

Mr. Bramlet BeardBoys & Girls Club of Ennis, TX

Mr. Gordon BeatieBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento, CA

Ms. Denise FeserBoys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, IN

Mr. Jim FranklinBoys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, MN

Mr. Don HarbaughBoys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, OH

Mr. Tom YarboroBoys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County, Goldsboro, NC

Mr. Jim HastingsBoys & Girls Clubs of Cheyenne, WY

Dr. Dawn MillerBoys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, CA

Mr. Erwin H. “Dusty” MillerBoys & Girls Club of Worcester, MA

Mr. Rick NagelBoys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, OK

Mr. Guy SmithBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, WI

Jim NewlandBoys & Girls Clubs of Athens, GA

Mr. Calvin LyonsBoys & Girls Clubs of King County, Seattle, WA Mr. David WehrmeisterBoys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, OH Mr. Eduardo CarreraBoys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR Ms. Missy DuganBoys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, GA Mr. Robert SantanaBoys & Girls Clubs of Santa Ana, CA Mr. Russell TrioloBoys & Girls Clubs of Union County, Union, NJ

Ms. Carolyn StevensMilitary Community and Family Policy Washington, DC Mr. Dave KnutsonBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, WI Mr. Graham SkipseyThe Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Texas, Dallas, TX Ms. Misti PotterBoys & Girls Clubs of Austin and Travis County, TX Mr. Samuel GrayBoys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, CT

Ms. Theresa ShawBoys & Girls Club of Collier County, Naples, FL

Mr. Corey DantzlerChallengers Boys & Girls Club Los Angeles, CA Ms. Donna FerraroBoys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, CA Mr. Michael JohnsonBoys & Girls Club of Dane County, Madison, WI Mr. Peter FortenbaughBoys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Menlo Park, CA Mr. Steven WurmBoys & Girls Clubs of Arlington, TX Mr. Todd McFarlaneBoys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond, VA

NATIONAL AREA COUNCIL COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COUNCIL