News
February 6, 2019Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany and Troy Merge
Officials of two leading youth development organizations in the Capital Area received the Department of State’s final approval for consolidation of their organizations to form the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area (BGCCA).
Members of the Boards of Directors and senior professional leadership of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany and Troy Boys & Girls Club have engaged in discussions for more than two years to find opportunities to build on the unique expertise and strengths of their respective organizations. The Clubs worked to identify possible areas of collaboration to strengthen both organizations, impact the lives of more children and families, and align their goals with Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Great Futures 2025 initiative.
The new organization – named Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area – is now one of the region’s largest youth service providers, serving 1,800 youth daily. The new entity has plans to explore opportunities for growth and expand to surrounding cities without a Boys & Girls Club, providing more youth access to low-cost, impactful programming. In addition, the merger will result in stronger programming by enhancing quality and increasing services, facilitating job creation, expanding training for staff, and modernizing facilities to meet 21st Century needs.
“Our intention on entering these discussions was to determine if there were collaborative ways to improve quality, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of youth development services in the Capital Area and beyond,” said John Buntich, President of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area. “We’re taking two strong organizations and bringing them together for an opportunity to serve more youth.
Although we have a new name, our mission will remain the same, and our ability to fulfill that mission will only continue to improve.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, with more than 250 employees in 18 locations, provide a wide array of services to thousands of our region’s youngest residents, from age 3 to 19. These services include afterschool, teen, and summer camp programming geared towards academic success; living healthy lifestyles; and character and citizenship development. Additionally, BGCCA offers a Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, which serves over 300 students a year as well as a food program which provides over 250,000 free meals annually.
“Day-in and day-out, we work to be an asset to the youth in our area, especially to those living in an urban setting who may have unique needs and challenges before them,” said Justin Reuter, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area. “We serve youth during the most critical times of their childhood development. From preparing for school readiness in our UPK program, to teaching healthy lifestyles and promoting academic success during middle childhood years, to assisting with college preparedness and workforce development during teen years. The Boys & Girls Clubs motto is ‘Great Futures Start Here,’ and we work to embody that every single day.”
“Although we will have a new name, it is important that both Clubs remain connected to their respective communities,” said Patrick Doyle, Chief Operating Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area. “The Albany and Troy Clubs have long standing histories that serve unique communities. The analysis of our organizational cultures and missions revealed that we had many things in common that would be strengthened through collaboration.”
As the merger moves forward, BGCCA will remain committed to providing the same high-quality service that has been the hallmark of both organizations for over 126 years. All current locations will remain open and continue to serve their members. Additionally, no disruption of staff or management personnel has resulted from this process. While some operational changes have taken place, the BGCCA’s goal is to minimize the impact on staff and families during the integration process.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America fully supports the Boards of Directors’ desire to deepen their current collaboration. We truly believe a merged organization will be able to better leverage inherent assets to serve more area children at more Clubs with a greater impact. This is a perfect complement to the goals of the Great Futures 2025 Initiative,” said Ron Hadorn, Vice President, Northeast Region for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
