2025 In Review
Support for Clubs After the Southern California Wildfires
Wildfires devastated many local Clubs and communities in the greater Los Angeles area, destroying entire neighborhoods and businesses and displacing people from their homes. In response, Clubs, staff, and donors stepped up to support recovery efforts. Several Clubs opened their doors to provide safe spaces, meals, and refuge for youth and families in need. Generous donations to our Disaster Relief Efforts Fund, totaling nearly $1.3 million, went directly to affected Clubs in the Los Angeles area, enabling them to continue supporting families, staff, and their communities.
Teen Advocates Attend Super Bowl LIX
Boys & Girls Clubs of America partnered with the NFL to create the Inspire Change Badge Challenge, empowering teens to learn advocacy skills and engage in community projects through their local Club. More than 200 teens participated, and as a result of their hard work, Jivoni of Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue, Alexus of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Hatchie River Region, and Terrence of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta earned an all-expense-paid trip to Super Bowl weekend events, including the Super Bowl Experience, before attending the big game in New Orleans.
National Days of Advocacy
More than 300 Club leaders, youth, and volunteers from 46 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., gathered in our nation’s capital for our 11th annual National Days of Advocacy. Over the course of two days, Club leaders, kids, and teens participated in 337 congressional meetings, including 94 meetings where they directly engaged with members of Congress. Together, they championed issues and legislation at the heart of our mission, including the Youth Workforce Readiness Act, the Summer Meals Act, and the Youth Mentoring Program, demonstrating the critical importance of congressional support.
Alumni Hall of Fame
Nearly 3,000 Club leaders, staff, Board members, and partners joined us in San Diego for our 119th National Conference. Here, we inducted the 2025 Alumni Hall of Fame class, which includes Derek Anderson, Khalia Collier, Donnie Edwards, Kenneth “Montez Ford” Crawford, Cedric “The Entertainer” Kyles, Dr. Rita Ng, and Donnie Wahlberg. In honor of the ceremony’s 35th anniversary, we brought a first-ever documentary-style show about the event to local television networks in more than 100 markets, covering nearly 80% of all U.S. households.
National Boys & Girls Club Week
Since 1941, National Boys & Girls Club Week has recognized the invaluable service Clubs bring to communities, showing how great futures start at our Clubs. In 2025 Clubs and youth across the nation celebrated by participating in the daily themed activities, including “Mindful Monday,” which promoted health and well-being; “Top Chef Tuesday,” which promoted workforce readiness; and “Tournament Thursday,” which promoted sports and esports programs at our Clubs.
America Needs Club Kids Launch
We proudly launched America Needs Clubs Kids, our national campaign highlighting that supporting Clubs and Club kids is a strategic investment in our nation’s future. When we open doors for young people, we change everything — not just for them, but for all of us. The campaign received enthusiastic support from our Movement and more than 25 corporate partners, including Papa Johns, AT&T, and Fandango.
Summit for America’s Youth
Over 500 Club youth and their advisors from 78 Clubs across 35 states attended Summit for America’s Youth (SAY), our annual youth advocacy event, in Washington, D.C. They held 145 meetings with members of Congress to advocate for causes impacting today’s young people and their communities.
Just days after SAY, the Office of Management and Budget announced the release of over $1.3 billion in 21st Century Community Learning Center funding — one of the key requests Club teens raised on Capitol Hill. This victory sent a powerful message to every young person there: When you speak up, change happens!
Military Youth of the Year
Our National Military Youth of the Year celebration was held in Washington, D.C. This event celebrates the regional Youth of the Year winners from our Military Youth Centers both in the U.S. and abroad. Our 2025-26 National Military Youth of the Year is Jacob from the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Teen Center in Georgia.
National Youth of the Year
Our 78th annual National Youth of the Year celebration was held in Los Angeles. Staff and youth from Clubs throughout the organization came together with community members, leaders, dignitaries, alumni, and celebrities to honor our rising leaders. Our 2025-26 National Youth of the Year is Ximena from Boys & Girls Clubs of McAllen.
77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Highlight
Boys & Girls Clubs of America took center stage at the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Between host and comedian Nate Bargatze’s fundraiser and four incredible Club kids who grabbed the attention of 7.4 million viewers, Boys & Girls Clubs of America received $350,000 in donations, unprecedented media coverage, and extraordinary national visibility for the incredible work our Clubs do for youth.
“Wicked: For Good” Round-Up Campaign with Fandango
In 2025, round-up campaigns with Fandango generated over $2.6 million to support our mission. As part of this effort, tied to major releases like “Wicked: For Good,” actress and former Club professional Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose in the film, returned to John Adams Middle School Boys & Girls Club to host a special fireside chat and sing-along with Club kids.
GivingTuesday
Every dollar donated on GivingTuesday helped Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide more safe spaces, caring mentors, and programs for America’s kids and teens. We spread the word on high-profile television shows, including an interview with our President and CEO Jim Clark and Club kid Bex on Fox & Friends, helping to make our GivingTuesday 2025 campaign our most successful one yet. We raised $398,000, breaking records with over 1,500 digital gifts, 888 new digital donors, and 95 new monthly donors — all in a single day.
