Donor Spotlight: Q & A with Steve Sanghi

How did you become involved with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale?

Ivan Gilreath invited my wife, Maria, and me to tour the Virginia G. Piper Branch. We were extremely impressed with what the Club does, providing youth a safe space to learn, play, read, do homework, and interact with other kids under adult supervision.

What motivates you to support BGCS?

Realizing the incredible impact of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and knowing I can help in several ways—by attending the Celebrate Youth Gala, participating in paddle raises, supporting the Capital Campaign, and more—motivates me to give my support.

Of the programs and services your gifts support, which ones are most important to you?

One program I have been impacted by is the Youth of the Year Program. Maria and I have been able to attend the annual Celebrate Youth Gala and hear the stories from Club teens. Their stories brought tears to our eyes. I was invited to be a judge for the Arizona State Youth of the Year, which further deepened my belief in the Clubs. I was able to see the impact they were making not only in Scottsdale, but statewide. We decided to add a $5,000 scholarship to the winner of the 2022 and 2023 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Youth of the Year competitions after the first year of attending the Gala. Since then we have been funding a $10,000 scholarship every year for one selected Club member.

What are you most excited about as you look to the future of the organization?

We are very excited for the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale location, the Steve & Maria Sanghi Branch. Ivan told me there was a plan to build a tenth Club in Scottsdale at Tonalea Middle School. He talked about a major fund-raising campaign that will be launched to raise money for this new Club. I saw this as an opportunity to increase my involvement. Maria and I ended up making a $5M commitment towards the campaign. BGCS decided to name the new Club the Steve & Maria Sanghi Branch. We are looking forward to the construction of this new Club. We will remain engaged and continue to look for opportunities where we can be even more involved in helping BGCS to help the youth of greater Scottsdale.