6.2. SR 07-21-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Elk River sets itself apart from organizations with similar missions through the following: Extremely low annual membership fees often dollars per child Programs delivered in neighborhood facilities which have been dedicated for youth activities Paid and trained professional staff who provide consistent and stable adult supervision A focus limited to low-income areas E. Number of board members, full-time paid staff, part-time paid staff and volunteers. At the Elk River Branch, full-time youth worker, part-time staff, and volunteers pool their efforts to supplement the work of parents to help young people succeed. Often, former Club members return to support their community and the work of the organization as volunteers or paid staff. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Elk River currently employs adults at a level of approximately 2 FTEs and 3 PTEs. Annually more than fifteen adult volunteers are involved in the delivery of Club programs. The volunteer leadership of an 11-member board supports the organization. The Clubs' full board meets every month, and its executive committee meets monthly or more frequently. Many board members are also actively involved in the organization's smaller advisory committees. II. Purpose of Funding 1. The opportunity, challenges, issues or needs currently facing your organization. Reaching more than one thousand young people annually and an average of 69 youth daily, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elk River is positioned to meet the individual needs of many local children and teens. At the same time, the organization has a great opportunity to address on a large scale the most challenging issues facing young people today, including gang involvement; diminished academic performance, amidst poverty; alcohol and other drug use and abuse; poor health and nutrition; and an overall lack of positive role models and guidance. In addressing these needs, the organization faces ongoing challenges to provide adequate financial resources, safety, and staffing in the face of increasing demand for its services. • Due to the decreasing extracurricular activities available, increasing cost associated and numbers of young people are turning to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elk River for support and programming during the after-school hours. • At the same time, an uncertain economic climate is forcing more parents and guardians to work multiple jobs, simply to make ends meet. As these adults are working or are seeking employment, their children need supervision and mentoring. From fiscal year 2004 to 2005, the organization's membership increased by approximately one hundred youth, a sixteen percent increase over the previous year. This growth trend continued during the Clubs' 2007 fiscal year, with the organization serving 853 youth, up from 763 in 2006. Projections for the current year estimate that registered membership will exceed 1,000 youth. At the same time that its membership is increasing, the organization has been negatively impacted by economy cutbacks and many longtime fenders' need to reduce or eliminate their annual support of the Clubs due to smaller corporate profits, decreased portfolios, and the uncertain economy. Reacting to ongoing fundraising challenges, in May 2008 the Clubs' staff and board 3