Boys & Girls Club Seeks Sustainable Funding
Worries about financial sustainability led the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley to announce in July that it was suspending its Menomonie programs as of Aug. 19. However, a subsequent outpouring of pledges from community members offered hope that the Menomonie programs may survive. The organization announced a few weeks later that supporters have pledged more than $55,000 to keep the Menomonie programs running. While those pledges alone aren’t enough to revive the Menomonie club – the annual budget is about $200,000 – they have inspired the Boys & Girls Club Menomonie Advisory Council to explore new fundraising efforts.
“It is our hope that the Menomonie community will recognize the important role that the club has played in the lives of Menomonie youth since it opened,” Peg Kolden, a member of the Menomonie Advisory Council and the Board of Directors, said in a press release. “We are reaching out to community members now to help us build a foundation of support that will allow the programming to continue for many years to come.”
Sara Antonson, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley, said the organization is seeking three- to five-year pledges to provide a long-term base of support for the Menomonie programs. Such pledges will allow the organization to continue seeking other funds through grants, individual donations, events, and corporate sponsorships. If 1,000 people pledged $10 a month for a multi-year period, the Menomonie club could meet half its operating budget, Antonson said.
The club is currently working with Menomonie’s River Heights Elementary School to supply a few staff members to help with the school’s after-school program this fall, Antonson added. However, there isn’t yet adequate funding to operate a club site. The club’s leadership expects to decide by the end of the year whether it can continue serving kids in Menomonie, she concluded.
The Boys and Girls Club’s Menomonie Center opened in October 2014, and last year it served 700 young people, both through membership and community outreach. Members completed nearly 3,000 hours of homework, and the club served more than 8,000 healthy meals and snacks. The Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley also operates centers in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Black River Falls.
To learn more about the organization and find out how you can help, visit cvclubs.org or call (715) 514-5115.
