Start a Club FAQs

What is a Boys and Girls Club?

Boys and Girls Clubs are community generated, “grass roots” entities that provide a safe environment - whether located in a dedicated Boys and Girls Club facility, school, church basement or community centre – where local children and youth can participate in a variety of developmental programs, gain skills, develop positive relationships and experience new opportunities.

Boys and Girls Clubs provide more than a safe place for children to go after school to participate in fun activities; they provide a wide range of programs and services based on the unique needs and interests of the children and youth in each community. Clubs in smaller communities may offer only a few programs, while clubs in larger urban centres will likely provide many programs on a daily basis.

No two Boys and Girls Clubs are identical or offer exactly the same service in the same way. Depending on where you’re from, your perception of what a Boys and Girls Club is could mean any of the following: summer camp; recreational program; group home; school-age childcare service; drug counselling program; self-help program for parents; leadership development program; peer counselling; support program for teen mothers; or alternative education program for school dropouts.

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Are Boys and Girls Clubs only for disadvantaged or troubled kids?

All children and youth are welcomed, treated with respect and cared for at a Boys and Girls Club. We strive to offer children and youth from all economic, cultural and social backgrounds access to the resources, supports and opportunities that will enable them to overcome barriers and achieve their positive potential in life.

Boys and Girls Club services are driven by the local needs of young people and their families in a community. Most new boys and Girls Club services happen because someone in a community identifies unmet needs, which are reducing the chances for children and youth to grow towards healthy adulthood.

We provide what children and youth want: excitement, challenge, new experiences, and a chance to share and achieve with their friends. Boys and Girls Clubs offer children and youth a safe place they can call their own, supervised by caring adults who are there to guide and counsel.

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How does a Boys and Girls Club Get Started?

Boys and Girls Clubs are developed in each community by individuals or a group of local citizens who want to help children and youth, and believe that a Boys and Girls Club could address the needs of the children, youth and families in their community. A Boys and Girls Club may be created through an existing youth organization or from the ground up.

Funding for all Boys and Girls Clubs comes from within the community. All Boys and Girls Clubs are members of the national Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC) organization and provincial organizations, where they exist*, and pay yearly dues to be members in good standing. In return, member clubs receive support services to assist with their day-to-day operations and gain access to national programs and funding through national partnerships. (*Currently, provincial Boys and Girls Club organizations exist in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario and P.E.I.)

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How does a group get to use the name Boys and Girls Club and become part of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada?

A group must apply to Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada for provisional membership in the Boys and Girls Club movement. Once the national organization is satisfied that the proposed club has met the requirements for provisional membership, it is invited to become a member of the organization and receives the right to use the trademark and name and share in the benefits of belonging to the national organization.

There are three phases to new club development:

Phase One: Community Review (timeline: 3 - 6 months)
This stage helps deepen your understanding of your community needs and how they fit with the Boys and Girls Club model. It asks you to develop some ideas about what a club in your community would look like and what kinds of services it would deliver in response to community needs.

Phase Two: Community Development (timeline: 6 months to a year)
Once you’ve determined that your community needs and wants a Boys and Girls Club, you can begin to develop a plan for developing your club and delivering services. In this phase, Boys and Girls Clubs can become involved in the process and provide additional resources to support your club’s development. This phase ends when your community has applied for and been granted Provisional Membership in the BGCC organization.

Some tasks to complete include:

Establishing a Board of Directors or steering committee
Complete a “Needs Assessment”
Determine the programs and services your club will offer in response to local needs
Create a two-year business plan, with budget and funding plan
Complete the “Requirements for Provisional Membership” (link) for successful registration, including writing By-laws.

Phase Three: Service Development (timeline: 1 to 2 years)
Obtaining Provisional Membership with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada marks the beginning of the service development phase. In order to begin providing services to children and youth, while working toward fulfilling the Requirements for Full-Membership in the organization, you will need to have the following in place:

Be a registered charity.
Have functioning Board of Directors.
Institute constitution, by-laws, policies and procedures, consistent with BGCC mission and values.
Operate one or more services for children and youth.
Use Boys and Girls Club name and logo on all club signage and promotional materials.
Financial and administrative stability and competence.
Charge accessible membership fees.
Formal staff and volunteer screening and training process, including police checks.
Have adequate insurance coverage.

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What is the cost involved in starting a club?

The cost to establish a new club is variable, depending on how much of the development is done by volunteers or whether you hire a consultant to assist. There may be costs for some of the activities associated with creating a new club, such as conducting a needs assessment, Board and staff recruitment, site selection, facility preparation, securing regulatory approvals, applying for charitable status, procuring program materials, and securing start-up funding. This expense covers the activities associated with creating a new club including a needs assessment, site selection, initial Board recruitment, facility preparation, regulatory approvals, application for charitable status, procurement of program materials, and securing start-up funding.

There is a $250 fee in each year of the development process payable to Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada or the Regional Office if there is one supporting your group.

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What are the criteria for becoming a Provisional Member Boys and Girls Club?

All new Boys and Girls Clubs become Provisional Member Boys and Girls Clubs for two years, after which time they can apply for Full-Member status.

When reviewing potential sites for new clubs, consideration is given to areas which are currently underserved and where children and youth need opportunities to grow in a healthy and supportive environment.

Five principles guide the development of a Boys and Girls Club:

All services must be consistent with the Mission and Core Values of Boys and Girls Clubs.
Parents, children and youth must be involved in the exploration, planning and implementation processes.
All services must address an identified need for children and youth that is currently not being met by existing agencies.
All services are developmental in that they assist children or youth in building skills, self-esteem, responsible behaviours and attitudes, leadership, etc.
All participants - - staff, volunteers, families, funders and members - - are considered to be stakeholders within the development of a healthier community.

All Boys and Girls Clubs abide by a mission statement and set of core values to which adherence is a condition for belonging. For that reason, we urge that you read the attached Core Values carefully. They form the basic checklist against which any effort towards establishing a Boys and Girls Club is measured.

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What can Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada do to help us decide if we need and want to start a program?

Boys and Girls Club of Canada or your Regional Boys and Girls Club organization can help you to:

determine the unmet needs of children and youth in your community.
prioritize the most important issues to start working on.
look at service/program options - - decide which ones are right for you.
develop the essential advisory committee or board you’ll need to ensure continuity of programs.
train your staff, whether volunteer or paid.
sell your idea to those who control the facilities or resources you’ll need to provide your program.
make use of ongoing consultation, training, and information exchanges so you can benefit from and contribute to be part of our nationwide network of Boys and Girls Clubs.

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