FROM THE DESK OF IVAN

This second issue of The Club Insider marks my ninth month on the job here as President & CEO and I am pleased to report a few of our most exciting highlights from the past few months.

 

• We have completed a 3-year organizational strategic plan that will serve as our north star so that program staff, administrative staff, and board members are all rowing the boat in the same direction as we strengthen our team, programs, brand, development work, and partnerships.

• We were among 71 Arizona non-profits selected to receive a grant through the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Now is the Moment Grants Commemoration. This generous funding will make a substantial impact as we begin activating our new strategic plan.

• With all of our Clubs open and providing After-School Programming, we are seeing our Average Daily Attendance numbers rebounding from 2020.

• We have completed the build-out of STEAM Makerspace Studios in four of our Clubs (Virginia G. Piper Branch, Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch, Thunderbirds Branch, and Peach Springs Branch).

• We have held our second quarterly All Teams meeting bringing all full-time staff together for training and seasonal awards and recognition. Take a look at our fall All Teams meeting recap here.

• As a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Membership Task Force, I recently traveled to Atlanta to work on the finalization of the new Phase 2 requirements for BGCA member groups. The requirements, focused on enhancing the safety of our Club members and staff, are being rolled out in three phases. Phase 1 requirements became active this past January. Phase 2 will activate in January 2022 and hase 3 will be completed in January of 2023.

We are building on this momentum as we approach the busy event season beginning with Live & Local, our annual fall food, beverage, and music festival on Sunday, October 24 at Desert Ridge Marketplace. More details can be found below. And 15 of our teen members are preparing for the first round of the Youth of the Year competition that will take place in November.

 

Please enjoy our September/October issue of The Club Insider!