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| Proof of Impact: Alumni Survey Tells the Story |
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| Generous Hearts: Club Kids Inspire by Example |
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| Tested in the Fire: Clubs Serve a Community in Crisis |
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| The World Through Their Eyes: Fine Arts Spark Creativity |
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In Their Own Words On educational attainment “If not for the Club I would not have attended college. I would not know how to make friends. I learned responsibility and self-respect – for myself and others.” Marvetta S. Impact on character development “At the Club I learned team spirit, tolerance, caring and self-esteem. Had I not learned those things, I would not be where I am now.” Jim O. Civic engagement “The Club kept me doing positive worthwhile things and taught me to share my talents with the community.” Bill S. Club impact “Without the Club I don’t know what would have become of me, running with a bad group of kids, drugs. I just don’t know. What I do know is, because of the Club, I had a safe place to go and mingle with kids who were looking for the same thing I was – friends and a feeling of family. Thanks.” Beverly S. A critical role “The Club helped me find alternative paths when I had run into dead ends. The people at the Club gave me respect when I thought I deserved little to none. It saved me from a life on the street.” Jeff K. Club participation “It gave me a place to be. A place to look forward to going.” Mary M. On survival “Of the 19 boys in my school class who were my friends, only two are still alive. The rest died of drug overdoses or auto accidents, or committed suicide. The two of us alive are the only ones who belonged to the Club.” Roy G. |
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Proof of Impact Alumni Survey Tells the Story By Glen Slattery In a skeptical world, proof is paramount. Boys & Girls Clubs understand this. Potential donors want to know if they’re making a Historically, emotionally and anecdotally, on a variety of levels, Clubs have long been aware of their own influence. But hard evidence – the kind today’s funders demand – is harder to come by. Now there’s Living Proof. That’s the title of new materials, recently sent to Clubs for the first time, which highlight findings from a landmark survey across three generations of Club alumni, conducted by the world-renowned Harris polling organization. The results are both dramatic and decisive. Former Boys & Girls Club kids tell about lives changed and uplifted by the Club experience. Most remarkably, 57% of alumni say the Club “saved my life.” Areas of Concern
Crime and Substance Abuse: Crime, drug and alcohol use are among the most serious problems affecting our young people. Every 24 hours, more than 15,000 teens use drugs for the first time. Every two hours a youth is murdered. Every four minutes a youth is arrested for an alcohol-related crime. Every seven minutes a youth is arrested for a drug crime. Some 67% of Club alumni attribute their ability to avoid difficulty with the law Dropout Rates: In 2006 alone, 1.2 million teenagers did not graduate from high school in the United States – that’s 30% of the class of 2006. The number increases to an astonishing 50% among some minorities. According to the Boys & Girls Childhood Obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control, 16% of adolescents in the U.S. are overweight. This figure has nearly tripled in the last 20 years. Some 25% of young people ages 12-21 report that they do not participate in any vigorous physical activity. This lack of fitness means that many teens are at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Of alumni surveyed, 80% said their Club experience had a positive impact on their attitude toward fitness and health, with 74% participating in organized sports. “There’s an eclipse of traditional community in today’s generation: high rates of divorce, the decline of churchgoing and the fact that more people live in urban areas, where they may not even know their neighbors. Kids need a community where they are safe, where people know and care about them, someplace they can go after school and do their homework instead of getting into trouble on the streets. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is an organization that is able to provide that much-needed community for millions of kids.” Dr. James Alan Fox African-American Males: According to a 2006 New York Times article by Erik Eckholm, problems affecting many African-American males have become an epidemic. One-third await trial, are in jail or prison, or on probation or parole. More than 50% of black males in inner-city schools do not graduate from high school. However, according to Harris, 73% of African-American male alumni said the Club “saved my life.” Most impressive – 34% earned a four-year college degree, compared to the national rate of 16%. When we consider the desired outcomes of Boys & Girls Club impact – academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles – all are apparent in the Harris Survey results. Crucial to Brand Strategy The campaign will begin by focusing on high profile success stories – alumni such as BGCA national spokesperson Denzel Washington – and continue to reveal new stories of well-known alumni whose names will gain attention. Just as importantly, the stories of “everyday heroes,” the vast majority of alumni who have become successful parents, teachers, police officers, lawyers, business owners, civil servants, doctors, nurses and more – will be told at the local level, bringing the message home in a powerful and relevant way that every Club can adapt and utilize. More information on this campaign will be forthcoming from BGCA. A History of Results The 2007 Harris Survey is the third national study of Club alumni by the organization, previous surveys having been conducted in 1985 and 1999. Time and the evolving role of Clubs have made differences in the data:
Humphrey Taylor, chairman and CEO of Harris Interactive, sums up results of the latest alumni survey as follows: “Clubs have both an immediate impact on members and a long-term impact on the lives of alumni, with benefits that many remember and value throughout their lives. For many, it was indeed the only place to go.” Taylor cites the critical role that Boys & Girls Club staff and a safe Club environment play in making this positive difference. Most telling of all, the 57% of Club alumni who said a Club saved their life represent a 5% increase over the 1999 survey. The survey results prove, even to a skeptical world, that Boys & Girls Clubs are more relevant – and more needed – than ever. |
The Harris Survey findings identified four major areas of concern impacting America’s youth: 
In a marketplace filled with many competing messages from the nonprofit sector, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will use the dramatic power of alumni testimony as part of its new brand strategy, being launched this year with the assistance of McCann Worldgroup, one of the world’s foremost marketing and communications firms.