The Boys and Girls Clubs of America (or BGCA) is a local based national organization that provides to the young people after school activities. With over 4000 independent clubs currently, the club has continued to offer after school programs to more than four million girls and boys. The group aspires to make young people attain their full potentiality by nurturing them to be productive, responsible, caring citizens (Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 2012). The author of this paper however identified funding as an issue that acts as an obstacle towards achieving the group’s goals, mission and objectives. Funding is the provision of money. It is the process or fact of providing for finance required for accomplishing goals and objectives. Despite the fact that the club is funded by corporations, individuals, and foundations, it still has budget deficits while in the course of accomplishing its objectives and goals. This paper if therefore devoted to how funding problem can be solved. Basically, it puts forward that the funding from the general assembly and the membership dues should be increased to boost the total income of the group.
For every performing group, funds are needed to cater for the day to day activities, programs besides for organization purposes. It was noticed that the amount of funding allocated for the club by the general assembly annually is far less than its annual expenditure. In essence, it was noticed that the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Pass through Grant allocate smaller amounts that hardly help in setting off the club’s expenditure (Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2003). Therefore for adequate funding and for the club to accomplish its set goals and objectives, the general assembly need to increase the amount of funds allocated for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Similarly, the club’s audited financial statements reported contributions and members’ dues as its major source of funds. Also, fundraising events and government grants and contracts constituted its major source of funds (Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 2012). However, based on the group’s level of expenditure, the amounts are not sufficient. The amounts were found to be insufficient to meeting the group’s programs which spread over USA and helps over four million youth. The group should thus engage in extensive fundraising events to enable its raise more funds to finance its programs. Besides, it should increase its membership dues. Increasing the dues will boost the organization’s total income.
Equally, the group derives its income from those funds held in trust by other individuals or groups (Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 2012). Such funds aid the organization in meeting its day to day financial obligations aimed at achieving the set goals. However, from the interviews conducted to the interested parties, it was noticed that the income from funds held in trust by others is not sufficient. The group must thus aggressively increase the level of funds held in trust by others as this is the only way it can increase its total income and offset its giant expenditure.
In conclusion, the author of this paper has recommended that the amount of fund allocated for the group by the general assembly should be increased. As well, contributions and members’ dues should be increased simply by encourage more members to commit their money to the group or any form of financial support. Lastly, the group should aggressively engage in fundraising activities. These will definitely increase in financial base and thus accomplish its programs.
Reference
Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (2012). Funding and Financials. Retrieved 4th June, 2012 from http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/children-and-youth/boys-and-girls-clubs-of-america-in-atlanta-ga-440#charFinancial
Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (2012). Retrieved 4th June, 2012 from http://www.bgca.org/Pages/index.aspx
Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2003). Boys & Girls Clubs Of America. Retrieved 4th June, 2012 from http://www.ncdjjdp.org/resources/statistics_legislative/02-03/B&GClub_02-03.pdf
McNamara, C. (n.d). Solving and Decision Making: Solving Problems and Making Decisions. Retrieved 4th June, 2012 from http://www.managementhelp.org/prsn_prd/prb_bsc.htm
