Capital Campaign

A new building will allow us to double the number
of children we can serve every day.
WE HAVE A BIG VISION FOR THE FUTURE -- 
 
To Build a Clubhouse
That Will Serve More Children And Youth
Of All Ages For Years To Come
 
WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION
TO REALIZE THE VISION

We have already secured half of the 
$2 million required to complete
our new building.
 Please help us raise the last $1 million.
Executive Summary

More than 500 of Huntsville's K-12th graders belong to the Boys & Girls Club.  

Every weekday, the Club serves approximately 250 students in our after-school program. Those remarkably high numbers underscore the fact that the Boys & Girls Club of Walker County provides safe, positive, healthy places for children.

In partnership with the school district and other local agencies, the Club has produced significant academic outcomes for Huntsville youth, including:
• decreasing the achievement gap,
• diminishing summer learning loss, 
• improving behavior at school, and 
• improving grades and test scores.

In 2015 the Boys & Girls Club reached its capacity because of limited space. This resulted in a “wait list” for middle school members, thus hindering the Club’s ability to serve the middle school population in the community. Currently, only 3% (70 students) of the school district’s 2,300 6th-8th graders can be accommodated on a daily basis. Furthermore, the Club is unable to serve high school students. Essentially, after 8th grade, children “age out” of the program.

More space means more capacity for serving children and youth in Huntsville and the surrounding communities. Because of this, the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club is engaging in a campaign to fund the organization’s first-ever facility. This will DOUBLE the Club’s capacity for serving children and youth.
We have the land, and the dream for a new building is within reach! 

The Boys & Girls Club of Walker County is launching the BUILDING HOPE A HOME capital campaign to secure funding for the fulfillment of this dream. Raising $2 million in 3- to 5-year commitments is feasible, and the benefits of this worthwhile cause will be ongoing in the lifetimes of these young people and in the life of our community.

Artist's rendering of new clubhouse
Artist's Rendering of Our New Clubhouse
at 99 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. in Huntsville, TX


A New Clubhouse Will Help All of Us
  • Inspire Life Goals
    Young adults with bachelor's degrees earn more than twice as much as those without high school diplomas and 59% more than those with high school diplomas.
  • Improve the Local Economy
    If just 10 Club members graduate from high schools, who otherwise wouldn't, we will add $2 million to our economy over their lifetimes.  The economic impact of healthy, productive high school graduates is astounding, and it's within Huntsville's reach.  And, in the meantime, parents can be more productive at work knowing their kids are in a safe environment after school.

  • Promote Civic Engagement & Volunteerism
    Boys & Girls Club improves character and citizenship in young people.  when compared with their peers, youth who participated in civic engagement programs were less likely to become pregnant or use drugs during their teen years; observed to have higher rates of school engagement and attendance; more likely to attend college; more likely to have positive attitudes toward work; and more likely to vote as young adults.
  • Decrease Juvenile Crime Rates
    Nationwide, 20% of all violent crime committed by juvenile offenders occurs between 3 and 7 pm, the hours school is released.  By providing a safe, positive environment after school, we minimize opportunity for teens to commit crime.
  • Decrease Youth Obesity
    Nationwide, 33% of high school students are overweight or obese and 75% of them are not physically active for at least an hour each day.  Over a lifetime, the medical costs associated with childhood obesity total about $19,000 more per child than those for a child of normal weight.  Boys & Girls Club addresses this by providing exercise, fitness, and healthy eating opportunities every day.
  • Decrease Costs by Preventing Crime
    Correctional facilities in the U.S. spend $241 per day per incarcerated youth.  By keeping Huntsville's youth productive and safe, Boys & Girls Club is preventing juvenile crime and associated costs. Operating the new Clubhouse is projected to cost only $10 per day per young person served.
Young boy smiling
Community Leaders Who Actively Support 
the New Clubhouse:

Andy Brauninger, Mayor of the City of Huntsville
Danny Pierce, Walker County Judge
Bryan Collier, Executive Director of TDCJ
Dana Hoyt, President, Sam Houston State University
Kevin P. Lunsford, Chief, Huntsville Police Department
Carol Smith, President, Huntsville Chamber of Commerce

Make a Commitment Today
There are many ways you can invest in the BUILDING HOPE A HOME campaign.

Make a pledge. Make a gift to the campaign, pledged over a three to five-year giving period. You may choose to satisfy your pledge through monthly, quarterly, or annual payments, or customize your own payment schedule. You can satisfy  your pledge through payments by check, direct deposit, or credit card. We gladly accept VISA, MasterCard, and Discover. And we will be happy to send you reminders of pledge payments as they become due.  

Make a gift of securities. Gifts of highly appreciated assets, such as stock with a very low basis, make excellent charitable gifts. By donating stock, you avoid costly gains and significantly help Walker County teens at the same time. We will be happy to assist you in transferring assets to complete your gift.

Special Tax-free IRA gifts. For those 70 1/2 or older, it is now possible to make tax-favored charitable gifts from traditional and Roth IRA accounts. A total of up to $100,000 per year can be transferred directly from traditional or Roth IRAs to one or more qualified charities such as the Boys & Girls Club free from federal income tax. Amounts given in this way count toward required IRA minimum withdrawal amounts for the year of the gift. 
To make such gifts, it is important not to withdraw funds prior to a gift, but have the gift amount distributed directly from an IRA to the organization. Check with your tax advisor for more information.

Make an in-kind gift. Boys & Girls Club of Walker County will consider all kinds of “other than cash” gifts such as real estate and personal property. We are happy to visit with you about potential in-kind gifts.

Make a planned gift. For some donors, a planned gift—or other type of deferred giving arrangement—may better suit your financial and planning needs. These can be structured through a variety of vehicles, including a bequest in a will, a trust arrangement, and other income-producing vehicles such as life insurance and annuities. In considering a planned gift, it is best to consult your tax, legal, and financial advisor(s). We will be happy to work with you and your advisor(s) to structure a gift that best suits your tax and real estate planning needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Please contact Michelle Spencer, CEO
                   mspencer@walkercountykids.org          936.291.6054
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