The Boys & Girls Club of Hartford
The Boys & Girls Club of Hartford (BGCH) is a local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club of America with seven locations across the city of Hartford.
Mission Statement
To enable all young people, especially those who need it most, to realize their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens (About Us).
Background and Statistics
- The Boys and Girls Club movement in Hartford began in 1860 as a woman-led initiative to engage local boys in enriching activities and divert them from street involvement. Since then, the BGCH has greatly expanded its scope of services, and now offers programming in the following areas to all of its youth members: academic success, health & wellness, character & leadership, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and workforce readiness (Programs).
- Half of the BGCH funding is contributed by individual donors, 31% is given by federal grants, and 11% is raised during special events. 70% of BGCH funding is directed towards programming services while 18% and 12%, respectively, are provided for management & general expenses and development costs (Annual Report 2021).
- The Boys and Girls Club of Hartford (BGCH) served over 3,933 youth in 2021. While Hartford is extremely ethnically diverse, 98% of Boys and Girls Club of Hartford (BGCH) youth members identify as people of color. (Annual Report 2021)
- 47% of BGCH members live in a single-parent household (Annual Report 2021).
- 73% of participating families have household incomes of $33,000 or less and 71% of BGCH youth members qualify for free or reduced lunch (Annual Report 2021).
- A year of this programming costs young members $50 and teens $10 (Annual Report 2021).