Benefits of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

A new report shows the many benefits of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley.

The economic and social impact report just compiled by the L. William Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business also found that for every dollar the Clubs invested in operational and capital expenses from 2020-2021, the Clubs delivered $15.60 in benefits to youth and families in Maricopa County.

Marcia Mintz, Pres. & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, explains the report and the many benefits of the clubs.

What is the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley?

“The Boys and Girls Club of the Valley is an organization that is in 30 locations throughout Maricopa County, and now in Yuma, that provides not only after school programming but academic support, food insecurity support, sport leagues, character and leadership development for kids from kindergarten through high school,” said Mintz.

What programs are offered?

“Besides having a safe place for kids to go after school, it’s an opportunity to engage in lots of different programs. As I mentioned, academic success, every club has a power hour,” said Mintz. She further explained that students get their homework done and engage in something academically in order to make sure they are not losing out on educational opportunities post-COVID.

ASU study on the benefits of the club

“We are trying to demonstrate through data how important it is to support organizations like Boys and Girls Club, so they know that there is a return on your investment,” said Mintz.

“We’re also helping the state, whether it’s workers, parents who are workers, the employers in our community, and what is the value of that social return,” she further explained.

Mintz also explained how much Boys and Girls Clubs impact on High School graduation rates, and at the same time how it impacts Arizona’s economy. “What that does to the student, their families and to Arizona, over their lifetime that equates to millions of dollars, over ten million dollars of lifetime potential earnings,” said Mintz.