Study: Boys & Girls Clubs a good investment, provide estimated $46 million in benefits to Cleveland

A new study has found that Boys & Girls Clubs provide nearly $10 in benefits to the community for every dollar invested.

The study, conducted by the Institute for Social Research and the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, found that every dollar invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings, as well as cost-savings, to American communities. The biggest benefits are from Club members’ improved grades and reduced alcohol use and their parents’ earnings.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland spent about $4.8 million on operations last year, creating more than $46 million in economic benefits to youth, families and the community, according to the study’s projections.

The study is the first national return on investment estimate for Boys & Girls Clubs. Researchers made use of newly available youth outcomes data, collected through surveys of Club members across the country, to examine how the costs required to provide Club programming compare to the long-term benefits for youth and families in economic terms.

The study indicates that Boys & Girls Club services and programs produce tremendous value for youth, families and their communities. Clubs help increase the earning power of parents, as well as of youth when they become adults. They also contribute to major savings for society by helping to prevent costly expenditures for health care, public assistance programs, and criminal justice system involvement and incarceration.

“We were thrilled, but not surprised, to receive the results of this study,” said Ron Soeder, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. “We have long known how valuable Clubs are to our community, but it’s great to have independent confirmation of the benefits Clubs provide, not only to young people, but to their parents and the community as well.”

BGCC, which serves about 8,000 youths each year at 15 locations in Cleveland, East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights, has been serving the youth who need us most for more than 60 years. By providing programs that focus on Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles, Clubs have helped generations of young people achieve the great futures they deserve.

Earlier this year, BGCC was awarded a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. It is the fourth consecutive time that BGCC has earned this top distinction; according to Charity Navigator, only 9 percent of the nonprofits it evaluates earn the top ranking for at least four straight years.

The University of Michigan study was commissioned by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Collectively, Clubs spend $1.4 billion annually on operating costs, resulting in $13.8 billion in lifetime benefits to youth, families and society.

You can find a link to the complete study here.