22 minute read
Strengthen Organizations
PRIORITY 1 STRENGTHEN
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Child & Club Safety As a Movement, we are
committed to identifying and implementing best practices that support the safety and protection of Club members. Our focus remains on the continued advancement of technology solutions, staff training and engaging local safety committees. In 2019, we made significant strides in Club safety – particularly in the areas of abuse prevention and stronger communication. This began with the launch of an all-new sexual abuse prevention training, offered to Clubs at no cost; 60,535 courses were completed by 9,498 Club professionals from 597 member organizations. All local organizations also shared the contact information of their safety committee chairs to support better communication around emerging trends at the national and local level, as well as to connect Clubs to the right safety resources. Supporting emergency operations, the Movement’s emergency notification system, LiveSafe, was also rolled out, with 52 Clubs using the system by year-end.
This strong forward momentum will be accelerated in 2020, as safety work focuses on:
2Independent Review: An independent, top-to-bottom thirdparty review of our policies, practices and procedures is underway, led by Alston & Bird and RAINN. They will provide progress reports throughout the year, with a final report later this year, and RAINN will consult with us in real-time on our safety approach throughout the year. We will share findings from the review with the Movement and with the public. External Site-level Assessments: In Q4 of 2019, BGCA launched a pilot test of a multi-tiered assessment process in 216 Clubhouses across the nation. In the coming months, we’ll begin socializing an assessment framework for your feedback. The enhanced assessments and new technology platform are anticipated for rollout starting in 2021. Education & Training: A significant element in year-overyear quality improvement will be rooted in training and professional development. In 2019, 1,166 sites from 430 organizations received on-site safety consultations, and 359 organizations participated in safety-related learning events. To meet the complex needs of our Movement, we are modifying our training strategy to make it more agile. More to come later this year. Emergency Operations: LiveSafe, our emergency notification mobile app, launched in Q4 of 2019 and is available for purchase at the annual rate of $400 per organization. LiveSafe helps Clubs get ahead of emerging threats and prevents serious safety or security incidents through both day-to-day and emergency communications to keep staff, volunteers, members and parents informed. We encourage every Club to take advantage of this opportunity. Visit livesafemobile.com/boysgirlsclubs to register your organization. Learn more about BGCA.net/ChildSafety.
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Leading with Safety: How the Membership Requirements Revision Will Shape Safety at Boys & Girls Clubs
As a Movement, our number one priority is the safety of the 4.7 million young people served by more than 4,700 Boys & Girls Clubs each year.
As shared on page 22, the Affiliate Membership Task Force (a group of nearly 30 Club executives and board members) and the National Area Council Committee (a group of local Club board members), with the support of a Committee of the National Board of Governors, has put in many hours developing, debating and refining recommendations for our Movement’s Constitution and membership requirements. This work recommends significant enhancements to some membership requirements, particularly those regarding safety. Some areas that may be strengthened when it comes to safety include:
Abuse prevention, response and reporting. While prohibition of one-on-one interaction between youth and staff and volunteers, including board members, is already a safety requirement, proposed changes include additional specific policies around child abuse prevention and response.
Display of safety collateral and sharing of policies with parents and guardians. To increase levels of access and transparency around safety resources and policies, proposed new requirements include the display of safety collateral around the Club, as well as sharing policies with parents and guardians.
Background checks and references. Recommended updates to existing policies include clearly established actions or crimes that would eliminate applicants for consideration from employment or volunteer opportunities at a Boys & Girls Club. Safety committee responsibilities. While every Boys & Girls Club organization must maintain a board-led safety committee, proposed revisions include more specificity around how often they should meet. As shared in the membership requirements update, only a portion of requirements – those related to safety and proposals with minimal impact on local operations – will be voted on in Phase One. However, proposed changes that could have a greater impact on your time or resources are also included as initial proposals for you to review now. These include proposals around safety assessments and training. All proposed membership requirements will be modified frequently based on feedback from Clubs. To explore the proposed changes to the Constitution and its membership requirements and read the most recent feedback and proposed revisions, visit BGCA.net/ ProposedRequirements.
PRIORITY 1 STRENGTHEN
Executive Development Effective CEOs are the catalyst that can build and empower talent at all levels of a Club organization. From hiring to onboarding to professional development to succession, the CEO Talent Management strategy supports Club executives in being successful in their role at every stage of their career.
In 2020, we will build on success and learnings from two 2019 pilots: the talent development process; and CEO search and selection.
CEO Talent Development Process Launched in 2019 with the goal of providing local leaders with the tools to take control of their own development, as well as create a structured way to match CEOs with the best and most relevant development opportunities, the CEO Leadership Assessment allows you to identify development needs, drive a meaningful conversation on 2020 development with your board chair or DOD, and provides you with tools to help take the next step in creating a development plan with practical ideas to grow your leadership skills.
Whether you’re new to the process or reassessing annually to support increased performance and impact, you’re encouraged to participate in the leadership assessment opening in March. Aligned tools, including the CEO Development Guide and an Individual Development Plan, are now available for all CEOs in Spillett Leadership University by clicking “My Assessment Tasks.”
CEO Search and Selection Every CEO opening is an exciting opportunity to set a local Club on a new trajectory. However, it can be challenging for local boards and organizations to find qualified, transformational leaders who meet the unique needs of the organization. In all Club CEO searches, a DOD assists the local board as a strategic advisor during their search. To further support local boards in finding top-caliber candidates, in 2019 your national office tested an internal full-service recruiting function. With 10 completed searches in 2019, we see a very high level of satisfaction from boards that found the skills and experience they envisioned in their next CEO. Based on feedback and demand, this service will expand to more Clubs in 2020, with a goal of supporting 25 searches. For more information, please reach out to your DOD. Talent Pipeline & Immersion The inaugural Leadership Next emerging leaders program launched in August 2019 with 25 participants and the goal to identify and develop high-potential Club staff for CEO roles or promotions to more complex organizations. This program aims to support attendees to advance to CEO roles 18 to 36 months after program completion. Leadership Next will welcome a new group of leaders in August 2020. For more information, please contact Terri Dorsey at tdorsey@BGCA.org. For new leaders from other organizations or the corporate sector, an immersion program is being developed to support their understanding of what it takes to lead a Boys & Girls Club. This new program will be customized for Club leadership and draw from our partnerships with CornerStone on Demand and Non Profit Ready and begin in the latter half of 2020.
VIRTUAL PERSPECTIVES: Take a learning lunch: the new-in-2019 Virtual Perspectives series is an Executive Mastery & Legacy Series designed to provide executive development opportunities to CEOs right in their offices. In hourlong broadcasts with national Board of Governors, speakers will provide their leadership perspective around a critical competency from the CEO Success Profile. CEOs can view the series by searching for “Virtual Perspectives” on the Spillett Leadership University website.
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What You’re Saying:
Results of the Club Partnership Survey
Your national office conducts an annual Club Partnership Survey, which asks CEOs and Board Chairs to give feedback on BGCA’s services and share their top priorities. In late 2019, 413 CEOs and 105 Board Chairs participated (a similar response level to previous years).
BGCA SERVICES • BGCA’s overall quality of service to Clubs remains high. The percent rating the quality of BGCA’s service as good or very good increased by 6 percentage points for CEOs and increased by 7 percentage points for Board Chairs.
80% 74% 84% 77%
CEO’s 20192018
Board Chairs 20192018
• Most CEOs and Board Chairs report they receive timely responses from BGCA (78% of CEOs and 86% of Board Chairs) and find the information BGCA provides to be valuable. 84% of CEOs and 86% of Board Chairs report that the information they receive from BGCA is valuable – the highest since we started measuring. This year, BGCA will provide ongoing, bi-weekly communications to Club leaders on the recommended revisions to our membership requirements in order to make sure you have the information you need to exercise your vote and shape our Movement (see page 23). • BGCA’s volume of communication is reasonable to most Club leaders, but 20% of CEOs and 36% of Board Chairs think they receive too many communications. In 2019, safety was a big focus of our communications, and it will continue to be a big focus this year (see page 2). • Safety support and training is among the most valued services of both CEOs and Board Chairs. To further support safety, in 2020, BGCA will develop a comprehensive role-specific safety training plan for staff, youth members and volunteers.
Most Valued Services – CEOs: 1. Support from Director of Organizational Development (DOD) 2. Youth Development Training 3. Safety Support and Training
Most Valued Services – Board Chairs: 1. Safety Support and Training 2. Measurement Support and Training 3. Support from Director of Organizational Development (DOD)
CLUB PRIORITIES AND GOAL SETTING • Increasing revenue remains the top priority for Club CEOs and Board Chairs. Clubs need additional resources to support safety enhancements, quality improvement and growth. This year, BGCA will provide resource development consulting services and learning opportunities designed to guide Clubs in building a culture of philanthropy to increase revenue. • Improving the Club Experience is another top priority for CEOs and Board Chairs. BGCA developed the National Trainers Initiative to support Clubs in providing high-quality, local training for frontline staff (see page 12).
PRIORITY 1 STRENGTHEN
Innovative Operating Models Strategic partnerships such as mergers, management agreements, shared services and other innovative operating models can support the strengthening of organizations within a community. Since the start of the Great Futures 2025 plan, 183 innovative operating models have been created, with 50% of them full mergers. Those undergoing a merger have shown growth of 3% in average daily attendance, and 7% in membership in the second year following the merger. Current conversations indicate approximately 40 will be formed in 2020. Learn more about innovative operating models.
MyClubHub: Common Club Management System MyClubHub is a common Club management system being customized by and for Boys & Girls Clubs – with functions such as member management and check-in/out; a parent portal; donor management and online giving; program management and more. One beta organization is now live and two more are actively participating in the implementation process; their feedback will inform how soon the next cohort of Clubs can go live. By the end of 2020, the plan is for MyClubHub to reach 200 organizations (approximately 26% of nonmilitary organizations); there are currently 200 in the pipeline for implementation. Features available in the first release of MyClubHub include Club attendance, online portal, fee management and dashboards. Basic functionality is also available for organization website hosting, volunteer management and donor management (all ahead of schedule), but program attendance is not yet ready (behind schedule). If your organization is interested in being an early adopter of MyClubHub, fill out your preferred timing and feature needs in MyClubHub interest form; only one form is needed per organization. Learn more about MyClubHub at BGCA.net/MyClubHub.
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Getting Ready to Implement MyClubHub
Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh reviewing enhanced data definitions and standard fields.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay completing the “Current Data Practices Assessment” Managing a Club’s database is a big job that is often a small percentage of a staff member’s overall responsibility. From maintaining active and accurate records to ensuring data quality, to creating standard operating procedures and training protocols, this can be a time-consuming and often lonely process. The new “Getting Ready Workbook,” designed by the national MyClubHub team and local Club experts, makes the tasks and best practices associated with database management, data quality and moving to a new system more approachable and achievable. How do you get your entire Club team on board with a new database system? How do you get your data ready for the transition? The guide walks Club professionals through these questions and more by using three categories that support every step of adopting a new Club management system like MyClubHub: • SECTION 1: Creating Buy-in • SECTION 2: Data Clean Up and Migration Planning • SECTION 3: Assessing Current Practices and Planning for Change With template PowerPoint presentations, meeting agendas, facilitator’s guides and conversation starters, the “Getting Ready Workbook” will support your staff and organization to optimize the use of current systems and set them up for success should you choose to migrate to MyClubHub. MyClubHub, our Movement’s common Club management system, is being customized by and for Boys & Girls Clubs – with functions such as member management and check-in/out; a parent portal; donor management and online giving; program management and more. Learn more on page 6 or at BGCA. net/MyClubHub. Access the workbook on BGCA.net by clicking here. Questions? Visit BGCA.net/MyClubHub to access the MyClubHub team member in your region.
PRIORITY 1 STRENGTHEN
Collaborative fundraising is a threepronged approach to further current partnerships between local Clubs and BGCA by seeking incremental funds for participating organizations. This includes the revenue share from Integrated Direct Marketing, support of Clubs’ fundraising capacity through Advancing Philanthropy 2025, and expanded efforts for Clubs and your national office to collaboratively raise funds. Integrated Direct Marketing The integrated direct marketing (IDM) program aims to reach people who do not have a history of giving to the Movement, building a base of new donors for the Movement through a combination of traditional mail, digital marketing and television. With the growth of monthly sustainer programs, net revenue share with Clubs is expected to reach $1.2 million in 2020. The program currently reaches 130,000 donors. Moving into 2020, the IDM program will continue to focus on mail and digital. With 2020 being an election year, we anticipate a crowded broadcast and digital space and will not be on the air with a DRTV campaign, with a plan to revisit its potential in 2021. The primary focus of the IDM program this year will be around the creation of evergreen brand and fundraising content that supports the “Whatever It Takes” brand campaign that targets specific audiences based on donor research completed in 2019. By focusing on issue and cause-related content, the IDM program will spotlight brand and advocacy efforts that position the Movement as a leader in youth causes. Learn more about IDM on BGCA.net.
Advancing Philanthropy 2025: Creating a Movement-wide Culture of Philanthropy The Advancing Philanthropy (AP) 2025 program empowers every Club with the tools and strategies necessary to drive resource development (RD) success. AP 2025 is a core strategy to help Clubs double Movement-wide revenue from $2 billion to $4 billion over eight years to support our shared vision for 2025. In 2019, the AP program helped Clubs raise $54.8 million in planned gifts and $214.2 million in major gifts. The program supports Clubs by continuing to sustain and grow funding of all AP participants (past and present); scaling to reach all Clubs (including Native and rural) with customized RD support, training and consultation; and supporting Clubs in hiring, onboarding and training RD staff to support their professional development. As of December 2019, AP 2025 has engaged 681 Clubs through consultation and RD Basics, and 446 individuals have attended an RD training. In 2019, the AP program expanded to support collaborative fundraising – where several organizations work together and/ or collaborate with the national office to attract more gifts, larger gifts and gifts with statewide and regional impact. Leveraging our regional and national size and scope, there are currently collaborative fundraising initiatives underway in 21 states. Collaborations include: • Clubs in the same area/region/ state developing collaborative fundraising processes and agreements • Multiple (or all) Clubs in a state jointly seeking/receiving funding • Your national office and Club(s) in a state jointly seeking/receiving funding In 2020, we anticipate seeing many of these collaborations come to fruition, with new and larger gifts leading to significant impact. In 2019, 97% of Clubs completed the RD Health Assessment, which provides customized recommendations for growth in resource development, along the “9 You Need Continuum.” In 2020, we aim to reach 100% of Clubs. To access a fully interactive 9 You Need Continuum linked to resources, trainings, action steps and more, click here. Learn more about RD Club Services and resources available to Clubs. Learn more about RD Club Services and resources available to Clubs.
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Q&A with National Youth of the Year Sabrina
Sabrina chats safety, youth voice and the mentor who made a difference.
Sabrina M. 2019-20 National Youth of the Year 2019-20 Pacific Youth of the Year Where She’s From: Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco Where She’s Studying: Barnard College
Q: In your own words, what is the importance of youth voice? How can Clubs elevate youth voice at their organization? A: Youth voice is extremely important because most of the policies and decisions that are being made are made by adults, so it is important that youth speak out to sway the opinions of adults as most of today’s issues also affect the youth. A huge thing such as education is decided by adults, but the largest age group to be affected by educational decisions are youth. Clubs can help elevate youth voice by giving kids the tools they need to craft their own opinions and stances on certain issues, such as providing a weekly news update that is well informed from both sides of a controversial issue. Then, the Club can provide a platform like was provided for me to go out into my community and advocate not only for myself, but for my community. Q: As a Club member of 12 years, what moments stand out when it comes to staff making a difference in your life? A: One staff member who had a huge impact on my life was Tanzy, who was the Middle School Director at my Club before getting promoted to Citywide Manager of Middle School Services for Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. Each step of my journey through the Club and my Youth of the Year process, Tanzy was there.
Tanzy and I grew up in the same neighborhood and were members of the same Clubhouse. I saw Tanzy get her first job as a teen staff and then become an adult staff. When I was younger, she was my dance teacher, and she taught me how to tell my story through movement when I couldn’t find the words I needed to share my story. Years later, Tanzy would be there to coach me through putting my story into words for the Youth of the Year program. Ultimately, she came all the way to Washington, D.C., to witness me be named the National Youth of the Year. Beyond Tanzy, there were so many staff who supported me: Nikki, Erin, James, Rebecca, Amanda, Rob, Harold, Rashad and so many more. Q: What did safety mean to you at your Club? A: At my Clubhouse, safety meant different things to me at different times of my life. When I was younger, the Club was a physically safe place to be shielded from the gun violence in my community. It is important to understand the dynamics of the communities in which San Francisco’s Clubhouses are located. My Clubhouse was right on the main street where lots of violence took place. At times, the Club would have lockdowns to protect kids from what was happening outside. At other times, safety meant having access to a behavioral health specialist at the Club who was available to talk with kids in order to support them in coping with some of the violence they might have witnessed. The Club became a place that was not only physically safe, but also valued my mental safety as I coped with PTSD. In middle school, the Club became an emotionally safe place for me where I could openly express myself without judgment from others. When I was moving between my school life to my home life, I kept both parts of my life separate and would drastically code
switch each day to fit into my environment. Because of this, I began to lose parts of my identity. But the Club was one of the places where I could just be me and not have to change anything about myself. Lastly, in high school I was able to find safety in always having the Club to turn to for any problem. Whether that be academic or friendship problems, the staff were always there to make sure I was always physically and emotionally safe. I would not be so sure of that today without them providing that base for me when I was younger. Q: What’s one thing you want Club leaders, professionals and volunteers to know? A: When I was a young kid at the Club, I was not the nicest or most cooperative kid. Too often those children are dismissed as nuisances or troublemakers. People may not question where this behavior comes from. When I was acting out when I was younger, I didn’t realize until later that it was a desperate call for help and attention. Outside of the safe space the Club was providing, I was battling problems that people could not even imagine that most kids would even deal with; it’s important for Club leaders, professionals and volunteers to consistently check in with kids. I also strongly believe that negatively labeling children “troublemakers” is limiting. Kids live up to expectations you have for them, so ascribing labels such as “leader” can positively affect a kid’s attitude. At the Club, I was always told that I was a leader before I even knew I could be one and that expectation allowed me to grow into it.
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Calling All CEOs: Get in the Driver’s Seat of Your Development
This March, the Talent Development Process re-opens for CEOs to get in the driver’s seat of their professional development. Your continuous development starts here: 1. CEO Leadership Assessment This comprehensive Leadership Assessment measures your strengths and opportunities, aligned with the CEO Success Profile. Do you excel in Thought Leadership or Results Leadership? Is building an effective team a strong-suit, while you might need support when it comes to managing ambiguity? The self-assessment explores these questions and many more. In 2019, over 200 CEOs completed the self-assessment. Get even more out of your Leadership Assessment by asking your Board Chair to participate. Having your Board Chair engaged in the process will add an external perspective to your assessment and help guide meaningful development conversations. 2. Tools to Support Your Success Once your results are in, there are two tools to support your development and planning: the CEO Development Guide and the CEO Development Plan Template. These tools ensure your results go from paper to action – allowing you to build on your opportunities and create a well-rounded development plan. In 2019, Leadership Assessment data shares that – no matter the size of their organization – participating CEOs’ strengths were: “Instilling Trust” and “Driving Vision and Purpose.” 3. CEOs Connect to Development Opportunities Based on Custom Results Your assessment will enable your DOD to connect you with local and national development opportunities based on your individual needs and experience. For example, your assessment results might “match” you with a Stanford University learning experience that focuses on the same competencies you’re building on. In 2019, Karen DeSanto, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Wisconsin, had the opportunity to attend Stanford’s Non Profit Management Institute’s Conference because the learning objectives of the conference aligned directly with the development needs Karen uncovered in her Leadership Assessment. 4. Your national office identifies leadership trends and adapts to ensure the highest quality development programs and experiences. Your participation, feedback and input will also guide training support from your national office. For the first time in our Movement’s history, we’ll have a finger on the pulse of CEOs’ training goals and needs – whether it’s more accessible in-office learning opportunities like the Virtual Perspectives series or intensive multi-day experiences to network and grow among other leaders. 2019 Leadership Assessment data shows that while the strengths of female and male CEOs are very similar, development needs are different. In 2020, our Movement will continue to participate in Linkage’s Women in Leadership Development Program, which focuses on the development needs of women executives. “Attending the Women In Leadership training was life-changing,” says Rhonda Gorham, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri. “My Leadership Assessment and the learning outcomes we worked on during the conference were a complete match.” 5. Reassess annually to get year-over-year progress and the latest opportunities. Like any development experience, growth is never “one and done.” We recommend taking the CEO Leadership Assessment annually to see how you’ve progressed and match to the latest training opportunities. Ready to take your development to the next level? Whether you’re taking the assessment for the first time or reassessing your progress from 2019, the Talent Development Process will support your continuous improvement as a Movement leader. Contact your DOD to take the CEO Leadership Assessment starting this March.
