Boys and Girls Clubs of Skagit County

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY CONTINUED TO SUPPORT YOUTH AND TEENS AND THEIR FAMILIES. DURING THE YEAR, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED CHANGES TO THE WORDING OF THE MISSION TO REFLECT BETTER WHO THE ORGANIZATION IS AND WHAT IT IS WORKING TO ACCOMPLISH, AS WELL AS BRING CLARITY TO TERMS USED. THE REVISED MISSION IS: TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER ALL YOUNG PEOPLE TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AS PRODUCTIVE, CARING, RESPONSIBLE ADULTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.THE YEAR WAS THE FIRST FULL, WITH ZERO COVID RESTRICTIONS, YEAR AND OPERATIONS WERE NORMALIZED. IN EVERY COMMUNITY BUT ANACORTES, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ATTENDING DAILY. DESPITE MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS LAGGING BEHIND PRE-2020, ATTENDANCE NUMBERS ARE NORMALIZED - MORE KIDS ARE ATTENDING MORE DAYS, LEAVING LESS ROOM FOR NEW MEMBERS TO REGISTER. TO INCREASE ACCESS POINTS, ADDITIONAL STAFF WERE HIRED UNTIL FACILITY OR FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS WERE REACHED. STABILITY IN STAFFING INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE YEAR, REACHING AN 89% RETENTION RATE FOR Q4 2023 - FAR SURPASSING INDUSTRY STANDARDS BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE. UPON DEEPER DISCOVERY DURING THE YEAR, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON RETENTION RATES. AS SUCH, AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO HEIGHTEN FURTHER AND STRENGTHEN THAT ELEMENT TO MAINTAIN AND PERHAPS EVEN IMPROVE UPON THAT DYNAMIC STABILITY.The majority of wages and salaries paid by Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County are directly tied to providing critical services to the youth in our programs. Our professionally trained staff and their dedication are the cornerstone of the impactful, curriculum-based programs we offer. Each role, from frontline youth development staff to program coordinators, is essential in delivering the high-quality care, mentorship, and educational support that the Club is known for. This investment in personnel not only ensures a stable, consistent experience for Club members but also directly contributes to achieving the organizations priority outcomes of academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character & citizenship.THE ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPATION AS AN AFFILIATE MEMBER OF WORLD YOUTH CLUBS HAS HAD MANY UNEXPECTED POSITIVE IMPACTS. IN 2023, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY PARTNERED WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF WALES (UK). THE WELSH GOVERNMENT PROVIDES A UNIQUE FUNDING STREAM TO YOUTH SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES AND TRAVEL. BECAUSE OF THAT FUNDING AND THE PARTNERSHIP, FOUR LOCAL STAFF MEMBERS TRAVELED TO WALES FOR A WEEK TO SERVE AS AN ADVANCE TRIP AND BENCHMARKING EXCHANGE THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO WELSH EMPLOYEES TRAVELING TO SKAGIT COUNTY, WELSH TEENS VISITING IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, AND SKAGIT TEENS VISITING WALES IN SUMMER 2025. CLUBS DE NIOS Y NIAS DEL BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, BASED IN SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MEXICO, BECAME THE OFFICIAL GLOBAL LINKS MATCH THROUGH WORLD YOUTH CLUBS FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY. STAFF AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY HOLD AN ANNUAL STAFF GIVING CAMPAIGN, AND IN 2023, THEY WERE PROVIDED AN OPTION TO GIVE TO THIS INTERNATIONAL EFFORT. MORE THAN $4,000 WAS RAISED DURING THE YEAR, MATCHED BY A BOARD MEMBER AND DISBURSED THROUGH WORLD YOUTH CLUBS. THE FUNDS PROVIDED GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND THE CREATION OF MULTIPLE NEW RAISED GARDENS FOR A NEW SITE SET TO OPEN IN CABO SAN LUCAS, MXIN GENERAL, CLUBS USE THE TALENTS OF PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED STAFF AND HIGHLY ENGAGED VOLUNTEERS TO FACILITATE CURRICULUM-BASED PROGRAMS AND HIGH-YIELD LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AGE-APPROPRIATE, RELEVANT, AND INTENTIONAL IN BETTERING THE OPPORTUNITY A CHILD HAS AT A GREAT FUTURE. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, CLUBS WORK TO ELICIT THREE PRIORITY OUTCOMES IN CLUB MEMBERS: ACADEMIC SUCCESS, HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, AND GOOD CHARACTER & CITIZENSHIP.THE CLUB MENTOR PROGRAM, PAIRING CARING ADULTS IN SMALLER GROUP SETTINGS, GREW SUBSTANTIALLY, CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASED OUTCOMES IN PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY, AS REPORTED BY PARTICIPANTS DURING AN ANNUAL COLLECTION OF DATA THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY. A RECENT NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF CLUB ALUMNI CONDUCTED BY THE HARRIS GROUP FOUND THAT 67% OF FORMER CLUB MEMBERS AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT THAT THE CLUB SAVED THEIR LIFE, A POWERFUL TESTAMENT TO THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE CLUB PARTICIPATION CAN HAVE ON THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PERSON.IN KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS PROVIDED BY BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA TO MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY WAS THE #1 ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TURNOVER FOR MANAGEMENT STAFF AND #1 FOR BOARD ENGAGEMENT SCORES. THE ORGANIZATION WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS BEING IN THE TOP 20% OF ALL CLUB ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING METRICS: LEAST AMOUNT OF TURNOVER FOR PROGRAM STAFF; MEMBER EXPERIENCE AT THE CLUB AS REPORTED IN THE NATIONAL YOUTH OUTCOMES INITIATIVE; ASSETS-TO-LIABILITIES RATIO.WRAPPING UP 2023, THE FINAL TOUCHES ON THE NEWEST CLUB LOCATION - ANACORTES FAMILY CENTER CAMPUS CLUB DISCOVERY CENTER & EARLY LEARNING COMMUNITY. BUILT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ANACORTES FAMILY CENTER, THE PROGRAM, OPENING JANUARY 2, 2024 WILL SERVE FORTY PRESCHOOL STUDENTS EACH DAY. BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY ADOPTED THE REGGIO EMILIA DEVELOPMENTAL PHILOSOPHIES AND STANDARDS AND THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM, CONSIDERED THE BENCHMARK LEARNING SYSTEM FOR THE AGE GROUP.COPIES OF ANNUAL AND MID-YEAR REPORTS, AS WELL AS ANNUAL EXTERNAL EVALUATIONS BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY, ARE ALL AVAILABLE AT SKAGITCLUBS.ORG OR THROUGH REQUEST FROM THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.