Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix and Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley announced that the organizations have merged to better serve the Greater Phoenix community. Starting on January 1st , 2020, Boys & Girls Club of East Valley-Metro Phoenix (BGCEVMP) will serve more than 16,000 members across the Valley and an additional 35,000 other youth in 27 Clubs, making it one of the largest Boys & Girls Clubs organizations in the nation and one of the largest youth-serving organizations in all of Arizona. The organization will also be one of the largest hot meal providers for youth in the state. BGCEVMP will continue to employ the ‘Formula for Impact’, an evidence- based curriculum that includes a focus on Academic Success; Good Character & Leadership, Healthy Choices and Career Pathways & Workforce Readiness.
The merger is the result of a two-year process that was collectively designed by the Boards of each organization. The goal was to enable the newly formed organization to serve more youth in areas most in need throughout the region and achieve efficiencies through the elimination of duplicated processes and systems.
“As the organization grows, the new organization will be able to demonstrate scale and efficacy at the regional and state level, with proven results with those who need us most. We can deepen our partnerships with school districts, better measure outcomes, and pilot initiatives to help our youth succeed in life. We can also bring our collaborations with other nonprofits and partners to scale, and work toward meaningful and lasting change in the lives of the families we serve,” said Marcia Mintz, the CEO of the new organization. BGCEVMP also anticipates growing its team in the future. “The merger will create additional professional opportunities for our staff. We are looking forward to expanding our workforce program, AZYouthforce, into the East Valley and working with more companies to help develop a pipeline of talent for the future through supported, paid internships for teens,” said Mintz.
The two organizations have regularly coordinated and worked together and have long considered a merger. Approximately 15 months ago, the two boards of directors began meeting, along with support from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, to assess the organizations’ health and plans for growth. The boards agreed that merging the two successful organizations would benefit Club members, families, partners, donors and the organizations themselves.
“Our boards were guided by two principles, ‘Can we serve more kids? Can we serve them better, together?’ Consolidating some of the operations will allow the organization to continue to expand and will allow us to deliver enhanced, proven programs for our members. It’s a win-win,” said Kevin McHolland, Partner of Ernst & Young and Board Chairman for Boys & Girls Clubs of East Valley-Metro Phoenix.
The organization will continue to focus on leading the conversation around youth development, educational enrichment, and the critical importance of out-of-school time programming for youth and families. We will be able to effectively demonstrate the impact of out-of-school programs on students’ reading, math and technology efficacy. Similarly, BGCEVMP will research and report the true economic impact of BGCs as a major employer, as well as the impact of programs on youth and their parents.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley-Metro Phoenix will announce a new name in the coming weeks, following approval from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
