Boys Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of United States

Boys Club logo created by Saul Bass from a national contest held in 1978.
Motto	"To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens."
Formation	1861
Type	Youth organization
Legal status	Non-profit organization
Purpose	"Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence."
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	United States
Website	bgca.org

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, has its headquarters in Atlanta, with regional offices in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles. BGCA is tax-exempt and partially funded by the federal government.

The first Boys' Club was founded in 1860 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 over four million boys and girls. Clubs can be found in all fifty states as well as locations in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and US military bases. In total, Boys & Girls Clubs of America employ about 50,000 staff members.

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 since 1993.

As of 2012, Boys & Girls Clubs of America served some 4 million youth through club membership and community outreach. There are 4,074 chartered Club facilities, including approximately: 1,400 in schools; 400 BGCA-affiliated youth centers on U.S. military installations; 300 in public housing and 200 on Native American lands.