When I first joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati more than two decades ago, I never imagined I’d one day be writing about completing the largest youth development capital campaign in Cincinnati’s history. But here we are.
Our campaign, A New Generation, has officially closed after raising more than $50 million. This not only makes it the largest youth development campaign our region has ever seen, but also the largest capital campaign in the history of Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.
Beyond financial success, that number represents belief. Belief in the power of kids, in the commitment of our staff and in a community that continues to invest in its future.
A Campaign Years in the Making
We began planning this campaign during the depths of the COVID pandemic. While we “pivoted” along with rest of the world, we also wanted to come out of the crisis stronger than ever before. As we emerged from the pandemic, we were ready to do much more than simply get back to normal—we were going to create a new generation of Boys & Girls Clubs to meet the ongoing challenges our youth faced, including those exacerbated by the pandemic.
Investing in People
One of the most important uses of these funds has been to increase staff wages.
Competitive pay allows us to retain qualified, passionate youth development professionals. When we retain our great leaders, we retain our students. And when we retain our students, we have a massive impact on our community.
Since the campaign began, BGCGC has increased club director salaries by 33% and program coordinator salaries by 27%, ensuring stability in the relationships that shape our members’ lives.
Building for the Future
We also invested in facilities that reflect what youth development looks like today. Over the past few years, nearly every BGCGC Club has been renovated or rebuilt. Two new facilities, our Richard T. Farmer Club in Roll Hill and the Western & Southern Youth Workforce Development Center in Price Hill, represent the future of our work.
At Roll Hill, one of Cincinnati’s most underserved neighborhoods, we’re now serving nearly 300 students year-round, expanding from an elementary after-school program to a full K–12 model. In Price Hill, our new Youth Workforce Development Center is BGCGC’s first standalone space dedicated entirely to helping high school students graduate with a plan for self-sufficiency.
Here, teens connect directly with local businesses, trade programs, universities and the military. They learn financial literacy, life skills and job readiness. They find mentors and first jobs. For many, it’s the first time they can see a clear path from the Club to a career.
Meeting the Moment for Teens
Our teens face more challenges than ever, including academic gaps, a mental health crisis and the ongoing threat of youth violence. Those challenges cannot be addressed through programs that meet once a week or that only serve one subset of kids or are cost prohibitive. BGCGC is uniquely equipped to meet these challenges because we’re here every day. We serve boys and girls grades K-12, Monday through Friday every night after school (doubling our hours in the summer), completely free of charge and with well-trained youth development professionals in locations across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
By the end of this campaign, BGCGC will serve 1,000 more young people each year than we did before it began.
Built to Last
Sustainability is the key to any growth initiative. A portion of the campaign is being directed into BGCGC’s endowment, which has grown from $12 million to $20 million in recent years, and continues to increase. Those investments, managed with the same fiscal discipline as any major business, ensure that the programs we’re building today will remain strong for generations to come.
The philanthropic landscape is ever-changing. But by strengthening our endowment and our operations, BGCGC will continue to thrive for generations of kids who haven’t even been born.
A Community That Believes
The success of A New Generation is a testament to what makes Cincinnati special. This campaign revealed a deeper, collective belief that investing in young people is the best investment we can make.
As someone born and raised here, I couldn’t be prouder. I’ve seen firsthand how this community rallies around its kids. The generosity of our donors, the dedication of our staff and the leadership of our board, especially Dudley Taft, Dick Williams, Larry and Rhonda Sheakley, and Harry and Linda Fath, made this possible.
The Work Ahead
The campaign may be closing, but our movement continues… We will expand workforce development programs, strengthen our partnerships with schools and employers, and find new ways to reach every young person who walks through our doors.
And to our business leaders: we still need you. We need your mentorship, your internships, your presence. Every young person benefits from having more caring adults in their life. If you want to see the future, come meet the kids in our Clubs.
This campaign wasn’t just about new buildings or bigger budgets. It was about preserving what happens inside the walls of every Club — the conversations, the confidence, the belief that tomorrow can be better.
A new generation is here. And because of the Greater Cincinnati community, they’re ready.
Bill Bresser is CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati.