Boys & Girls Club of Collier County has a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator…

We are proud to announce Boys & Girls Club of Collier County has earned the Charity Navigator 4-star rating for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Only approximately a quarter of the charities evaluated have received this highest rating, indicating that Boys & Girls Club of Collier County executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America. This “exceptional” designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Boys & Girls Club of Collier County from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.

Last Year the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County …

	Provided a safe and positive place for young people to go every day after school, special event weekends and during the long days of summer when school is not in session…
	Kept 1,500 young people engaged in positive and productive activities while keeping them off the streets, out of gangs, off drugs and in school …
	Provided homework assistance and tutoring to our club members resulting in dramatic increases in their academic achievement and school participation …
	Provided leadership opportunities for our teens including teen clubs, regional and national Boys & Girls Clubs of America conferences and visits with state and local universities …
	Provided 69,452 hot and nutritious meals to our young people during the summer …
	and provided over 800,000 hours of service to our youth and our families!

Facts About Our Club Membership

	The Boys & Girls Club of Collier County serves young people in the first through twelfth grade.
	The members of the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County are 49% male, 51% female.
	Seventy (70%) percent are from single parent homes.
	The majority of our club members are eligible for free/reduced lunch.

Risk Factors Present in Collier’s Youth:

	In Collier County, almost half of the school aged children (19,000+) in our community live at or below the poverty level according to federal guidelines.
	In Collier County less than 74% of public school students graduate from high school; accordingly each year over 500 young people drop out of school entirely.
	According to the 2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey – 66.1% of high school students in Collier County report alcohol consumption within the past year [40.5% of middle school students].
	37% of Collier high school students reported using illicit drugs during the previous year [18.9% of middle school students].
	One in 10 children are diagnosed as having mental illnesses severe enough to impair development.
	Collier Schools experienced over 6,000 In-School Suspensions in 2006 and over 1,600 Out of School Suspensions and over 1,800 Youth Delinquency cases reported.
	Collier County had over 1,500 births last year to mothers with no high school diploma or GED.