Location: Sevierville, Tennessee
Cost: $1,147,783 (2005 fiscal year budget)
Young people living in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee have access to five types of programming at their local Boys & Girls Club: arts; education and career development; character and leadership development; health and life skills education; and sports, fitness and recreation. With a focus on younger teens, although it serves children from 6- to 18 years old too, this Boys & Girls Club offers among its many programs a teen center program on Friday evenings.
Youth can receive weekday services after school from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the school year and from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the summer and on school holidays. The nearly 1,400 youth served pay small fees for programming—$125 for six-month spring or fall memberships, and $300 for an 11-week summer program. The program’s 41 staff members—12 of whom are full time—serve youth in five club locations. All staffers receive at least five days of in-service training per year. Employee positions are funded by an array of sources, including funds raised by the board of directors, program fees, local government funds, grants, service programs and the local United Way.
The public financial support from the community is the result of this Boys & Girls Club deliberately cultivating strong partnerships and communicating the benefits of the program. Funding comes from local municipalities in the region, including cities, counties and townships. A number of influential city council people and county commissioners sit on the program’s board of directors.
The largest portion of the program’s funding comes from fundraising efforts made by the Club and its board members—raising 34 percent of its resources for the program’s overall budget. An annual giving program also helps ensure that supporters contribute a gift once a year to the Club.
The Club also receives funding from the national Boys & Girls Club, about $125,000 in grants. In addition, the program obtained approximately $180,000 in funding from local municipalities; $390,000 in fundraising; $240,000 in program fees; and $79,000 from the local United Way. The Club also brings in about $134,500 from its nutrition program, childcare service, vending sales and management fees.
www.bgcsmoky.com
Updated January, 2009.
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