About Us

The Future Starts Here

At Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF), we know that the future of our city rests with its children. Today’s kids will become tomorrow’s parents, workforce, and leaders. That’s why we’re proud that young people from across the city are building and planning their futures as members of our Clubs. Our community of staff, volunteers, parents, and supporters believe that the promise of tomorrow begins today. Together, we give young people and our city a sense of hope, a sense of opportunity, a sense that anything is possible because the future starts here.

Who We Are

Founded in 1891, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco serves more than 1,200 youth (ages 6 to 18) per day, offering a safe place to learn and grow. We operate nine Clubhouses in the city’s toughest neighborhoods, as well as Camp Mendocino, a residential summer Camp in Mendocino County. Dedicated to helping the kids who need us most, BGCSF provides a broad range of programs that inspire young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Our award-winning programs and professional staff help our members build strong character and skills that will last a lifetime. Our five core program areas are:

• The Arts
• Education & Career Development
• Health & Life Skills
• Sports, Fitness & Recreation
• Character & Leadership Development

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

Core Belief

We believe that young people will achieve extraordinary things when they are provided with high-quality staff, programs and facilities in an environment that promotes respect, responsibility and fun. 

Youth Development Approach

Our Clubhouses, staff, and programs come together to create stability, consistency, and a sense of physical and emotional safety for our members. Our youth development professionals serve each day as positive role models who provide ongoing caring relationships with our youth. They work to develop moral character and instill a sense of belonging, competence, usefulness, and influence. Staff members make the Club feel like home, fostering a family atmosphere and creating a sense of ownership for members.

History

1891

San Francisco Boys Club is founded on Harrison Street.

1895

Columbia Park Boys Club opens its first location at 318 Seventh Street (which moved to its current site after the 1906 earthquake).

1906

San Francisco Boys Club and Columbia Park Boys Club join 53 other Clubs to create our National Organization.

1931

Leased 250 acres in Mendocino County, creating Camp Marwadel Summer Camp (later changed to Camp Mendocino).

1974

San Francisco Boys Club offers its first programs for girls.

1985

San Francisco Boys Club changes its name to Boys & Girls Club.

1991

Boys Clubs of America changes its name to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

2001

San Francisco Boys & Girls Club and Columbia Park Boys & Girls Club merge forces to become Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

2005

Signed a historic partnership agreement with the City to establish a new Hunters Point Club - our ninth city Clubhouse.

2008

Publicly launched Brighter Futures Capital Campaign

Grand Opening of Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point

Unveiled Willie Mays Tribute Wall at AT&T Park

Awards

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco is committed to program excellence. Our programs and Clubhouse members have consistently received awards for outstanding achievement.  Accomplishments include:

2009

• BGCSF Youth of the Year State Finalist
• National Program Excellence Award for Character and Leadership Development, Excelsior Clubhouse
• National Program Excellence Award for Education and Career Development, Ernest Ingold Clubhouse 
• National Program Excellence Award for Sports, Fitness and Recreation, Willie Mays Clubhouse
• National Marketing & Communications Award (MAC Award) Silver Winner, Comprehensive Marketing Strategy
• National Marketing & Communications Award (MAC Award) Bronze Winner, Advertising
• National Marketing & Communications Award (MAC Award) Bronze Winner, Publicity and Media Relations

2008

• National Photography Contest (four winners)
• San Francisco Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year Award for Community Impact
• BGCSF Alumnus Ben Wildman-Tobriner wins an Olympic gold medal (in freestyle swim) in Beijing

2007

• National Program Excellence Award for Education and Career Development, Excelsior Clubhouse
• National Fine Arts Contest winner
• BGCA Youth of the Year State Finalist
• 2007 Program Excellence Merit Award for Arts, Columbia Park Clubhouse
• BGCSF Alumnus Jason Hill drafted by the San Francisco 49ers

2006

• National Fine Arts Contest winner
• San Francisco Weekly #1 Rated Sports/Education Program
• BGCA Youth of the Year State Finalist

2005

• National Photography Contest (five winners)
• National Fine Arts Contest winner

2004

• National Photography Contest (four winners)
• National Fine Arts Contest (four winners)
• National Marketing & Communications Awards (MAC Award) Silver Winner, Publicity and Media Relations Category

2003

• National Photography Contest winner
• National Marketing & Communications Award (MAC Award) Winner, Cause-Related Marketing

2002:

• Good Neighbor Award, Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative
• Program Excellence Award for Arts, Columbia Park Clubhouse
• Program Excellence Merit Award, Health & Life Skills, Columbia Park Clubhouse
• National Fine Arts Contest (three winners)
• National Photography Contest winner

2000

• Outstanding Community Organization in the Diocese (San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties), presented by the Catholic Diocese

1999

• National Marketing & Communications Award (MAC Award) Gold Winner, Outdoor and Print Category

1997

• California Youth of the Year
• Program Excellence Award, Citizen & Leadership
• Program Excellence Award, Social Recreation

1996

• Program Excellence Award, Technology, Columbia Park Clubhouse

1995

• Community Education Award for Alternative Education, presented by Mission Education Project

Overall

BGCSF has been recognized by Stanford University as one of three organizations nationally for most effective youth development programs.

BGCSF members have been awarded National Youth of the Year two times and been runner-up for the award two times.

Board & Trustees

Our Board of Trustees

Trustees are generous community leaders who lend their advice and influence to promote the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

Dixon Doll
Bob Emery
John Fisher
Rocky Fried
Phil Halperin
Meridee Moore
Paul Ruby
Robert F. Smith
Steve Strandberg
Ted Swindells
Doug Wolf
Ron Zeff

Our Board of Governors

Governors are dedicated volunteers who oversee Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco's mission, purpose and policies; ensure financial solvency; and set an example of generous financial support.

Board Chair: Rocky Fried
Honorary Vice Chair: John Callander
Treasurer: Harry Haigood
Secretary: John Dissmeyer

Governors

Larry Baer
Glenn Bauer
Marty Bohlen
Bruce Callander
Clark Callander
John Callander
Lucy Carrico
Curtis Chan
Jill Cowan
Peter Crawford
David Cumming
John Dissmeyer
Mike Dovey
Amanda Duckworth
Brewster Ely
Bob Emery
Rocky Fried
Gary Guittard
Harry Haigood
Phil Halperin
Alexander Hardy
Alison Hawkins
Erin Hawthornthwaite
Lynda Hutton
Jim Keenan
Roger Lazarus
Andrew Livingston
Bob Maier
Gordon Marks
Arnie McClellan
Stephanie Mellin
Charley Moore
Mary Murphy
Larry Nibbi
Su-Moon Paik
Ellen Parsons
Lorna Randlett
Robert Rodriguez
Steve Strandberg
Greg Suhr
Stephen Sutro
Ellen Takayama
Christina Tan
Ellyn Weisel

Partners

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco partners with some of the most innovative, influential and generous companies and organizations in San Francisco. Together, we are working to create a stronger city, connect volunteers to meaningful work with at-risk youth, and provide financial stability to sustain our agency over the long-term.

Bank of America believes that a healthy community is important to all of us. Providing opportunities for high school students to become community leaders is one of their signature programs, and BGCSF is honored to host five of these students as interns each summer. Bank of America also provides generous grants for our youth development programs.

http://www.bankofamerica.com/

With support from this leading health organization, BGCSF has expanded our Behavioral Health Services, adding more individual, family and group therapy and case management services for our members. We also collaborate with CPMC’s Bayview Children’s Health Clinic, offering a trauma-focused anger management group to address issues that arise from exposure to gang and community violence.

http://www.cpmc.org/

We are proud to join forces with Dodge & Cox to build effective education programs at our nine Clubhouses. Together, we are confident our work will lead to better grades, stronger test scores and higher graduation rates for our members -- supporting them along the path to successful adulthood.

http://www.dodgeandcox.com/

First Republic Bank has been involved in the San Francisco community since its inception, with a strong focus on children and education. With their support, our youth benefit from academic scholarships and leadership development opportunities, such as the Youth of the Year program. This program provides college funds to select Club members who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to their school, their Clubhouse and their community. First Republic Bank has also committed to a leading role in supporting our Annual Gala – a major fundraising effort for our organization that highlights our year’s successes and puts our Club members on center stage.

www.firstrepublic.com/

The Gap Foundation's commitment to make a deep and lasting impact in underserved communities has had an enormous effect on our work. Talented and passionate Gap volunteers, financial support, and Career Launch curriculum are just three ways the Gap Foundation helps our young people reach their potential.

http://gapinc.com/

Each summer, for over 60 years, The Guardsmen have sponsored hundreds of our Club members to attend Camp Mendocino. Only with this major support can most of our campers enjoy ten days in the redwood forest, having fun, making friends and learning about the environment.

http://www.guardsmen.org/

Hosting We Care, a favorite holiday event for hundreds of our Club members, is a true gift from Herman Miller. The event brings together 250 architects and designers who provide the arts materials and the holiday spirit needed to guide our members in making thousands of gifts for their family members and teachers.

http://www.hermanmiller.com/

Nibbi Brothers General Contractors is a generous backer of our Brighter Futures Capital Campaign. Over the past ten years, Nibbi Brothers has provided numerous pro-bono professional services to our various capital projects. They are now heading a major capital project: the rebuild of our Mission Clubhouse. In addition, they created a scholarship that provides college funds for five of our outstanding seniors annually.

http://www.nibbi.com/

During the holiday season, Macy’s West selected our agency as one of the beneficiaries of their Thanks for Sharing campaign. This campaign, and their grant program, provides significant support to our education programs both during the school-year and in the summer.

http://www.macys.com/

Mayor's Office of Community Investment

MOCI provided sizeable public funds to renovate an old Housing Authority building into a state-of-the-art Boys & Girls Club: the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point. Their financial investment and their trust in our agency’s ability to succeed in changing the top of the “hill” induced a cascade of capital campaign investments, including AIMCO.

www.sfgov.org/site/mocd_index.asp

Rotary Club of San Francisco

A The Rotarians, celebrating their own centennial, have demonstrated their dedication to “service above self.” With a major contribution to re-build our Mission Clubhouse, funds to improve Camp Mendocino, and countless volunteer hours, the Rotary Club of San Francisco has been a loyal partner since 1922.

http://www.sfrotary.com/

Providing significant financial support to all nine of our Clubhouses, The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DCYF) continues to be our largest supporter.  Our common goals are to ensure that children and youth are healthy, succeeding in school, living in safe, supportive homes and communities, and contributing to the vitality of San Francisco. 

http://www.dcyf.org/

Greatly committed to the youth of Hunters Point, the 49ers Foundation was the first foundation to support the building of the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club. The Club’s courtyard is named after the 49ers in recognition of their generosity and dedication to this community.

www.49ers.com/home.php

The Giants have been a leading financial partner and active fundraiser for the new Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point. The immaculate baseball field next to the new Willie Mays Clubhouse was made possible thanks to their generosity. Year-round, our Junior Giants teams play on this field, learning the elements of baseball, building teamwork and developing strong character.

sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com

For the last four years, funding and volunteer support from the San Francisco Security Traders Association have resulted in a tremendous Halloween event for hundreds of our Club members.

http://www.sfsta.com/

Empowering our Club members by giving them practical money management skills is the goal of the Charles Schwab curriculum, Money Matters. This program, along with significant pro-bono marketing and printing for BGCSF’s re-branding campaign, makes this collaboration remarkable.   

http://www.schwab.com/

Swinerton's careful, professional supervision transformed the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point from an old recreation facility to the magnificent Club that it is today. Donating their services for the last six months of the project, the Swinerton staff gave their heart and soul to the Hunters Point project.

http://www.swinerton.com/

As Treasure Island’s redevelopment plans unfold, Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) and our Treasure Island Clubhouse are working together to ensure that the disadvantaged children and families on the Island reach their potential. Through significant grants, expert advice, and community organizing, TIDA is vital to our success on the Island.

www.sfgov.org/site/treasureisland

For the second year in a row, US Bank has committed its funds and personnel as the presenting sponsor of our annual Golf Tournament at The Olympic Club. In addition to their generosity at this event, US Bank has helped fund the Youth of the Year program and has committed local staff resources to the Hunters Point Clubhouse, providing financial literacy workshops to our teen members. This budding relationship will bring professionals and Club members together for job shadowing and career development opportunities.

www.usbank.com

Results

Read our complete Results Brochure.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, we believe that success belongs to organizations that can demonstrate how they make a difference. Our growing emphasis on measurement and evaluation enhances our ability to deliver on our mission and deepen our impact with Club members.

Currently, we gather annual data from our members, parents, and our staff at each of the nine individual Clubhouses and Camp Mendocino. Core measurement tools include a Club member survey, a parent survey, and a self-assessment study developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help Clubs internally evaluate and improve the quality of operations and programming. In addition, we measure several individual programs including our banner education program, Achievement Matters to assess the impact these programs have on Club members.

Our most recent exciting undertaking is the development of a more refined measurement strategy. The cornerstone of this new effort is a model called the “Success Equation.” It makes clear that each of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco’s programs must have the primary purpose of improving kids’ skills in one of the following areas: academic success; character and civic engagement; healthy lifestyles; or vocational/career development. These four areas are key to helping our members reach their full potential and become productive, responsible and caring citizens. Quarterly program plans are developed with intended outcomes that mirror the Success Equation, and existing measurement tools are being adjusted to prove these outcomes. Stay tuned for more information soon!

Results Snapshot

Highlights From Our Most Recent Parent Survey:

• 98% of our parents say they know their child is safe at the Club.
• 98% of our parents say their kids learn about moral development (the difference between wrong and right) at the Club.
• 98% of our parents say our staff has a positive impact on their kids.

Highlights From Our Most Recent Club Member Surveys:

• 64% of Club members say adult staff pay attention to what is going on in their lives.
• 67% of Club members say there are adult staff they could talk to if they are upset or mad about something.
• 43% of Club members say they have had a chance to do things to help others in their community.

Key Findings From Achievement Matters:

• 84% of Achievement Matters participants were nominated by their Club’s Education Director for improving in a minimum of two academic subject areas.
• 81% of Club members who participated in Achievement Matters participated in volunteer and community service projects.
• 69% of Achievement Matters participants earned a character, leadership, or sportsmanship award at school or the Club.

Highlights From Our Most Recent Camp Mendocino Survey:

• 96% of campers say the staff challenge them to do their best.
• 96% of campers say they learned to do things they didn’t think they could do.
• 89% of campers say they got better at doing things they care about.

Highlights From Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Alumni Survey:

• 28% of alumni say they would have dropped out of high school if not for Boys & Girls Clubs.
• 91% of alumni say they are satisfied with their adult life.
• 85% of alumni say that staff members helped them to know right from wrong.

Membership by the Numbers:

• Our numbers were up in 2008! In total, we touched the lives of more than 14,000 youth -- a 10.6% increase over 2007. Of those young people, 6,700 were served through Club memberships (a 6% percent jump). The rest participated in outreach programs and activities, sports leagues, and popular yearly events that we offer to non-members in our communities.
• 93% of our Club members are low income or extremely low income.
• Only 30% of our Club members report living with both parents.

Leadership

Rob Connolly, President

As President, Rob Connolly is responsible for all aspects of the nine Boys & Girls Clubs in San Francisco (BGCSF), Camp Mendocino, and Project Discover. He oversees an operation with 86 full-time employees, and 135 part-time or seasonal employees.

Rob has worked for Boys & Girls Clubs since 1999, serving two years in Washington, DC before joining BGCSF. He served as Interim Executive Director for San Francisco Boys & Girls Club prior to a 2001 merger; and as Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer before becoming President in 2005.

During his tenure with BGCSF, Rob has worked closely with the Board of Governors to develop and implement strategies to enhance the programs and services offered to young people, to modernize the facilities in which these services are offered, and to expand the reach of the Clubs including an expansion to Hunters Point. Over this period, the total youth served by the Boys & Girls Clubs has gone from 7,000 to 14,000.

Rob has overseen important renovation projects at Camp Mendocino and the Ernest Ingold Clubhouse. He was instrumental in the opening of the new Visitacion Valley Clubhouse in 2004 and has played an integral role in the design and construction of the new Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point and the design of the new Mission Clubhouse. Rob has also played a leading role in the Club’s Brighter Futures Capital Campaign, which includes funding for four construction projects, new program offerings and long-term sustainability.

Rob received his B.A. from Yale University where he played varsity basketball, captaining the team his senior year. He attended Oxford University as a Visiting Study Fellow after working as a foreign currency trader for Union Bank of Switzerland in New York City. Rob has lived abroad in Guatemala, England, and Spain.

Senior Staff

Jennifer Berger, Senior Director of Program Services
Randy Kyle, Senior Director of Human Resources
Joni Lachman, Vice President of Institutional Giving
Harold Love, Senior Director of Operations
Linda Nevin, Vice President of Finance
Martha Nichols, Senior Director of Institutional Giving
Julie Rickert, Vice President of Development
Maxine Wilson, Vice President of Operations

Contact Us

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco
Administrative Staff
55 Hawthorne Street, suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-445-KIDS (5437)
Fax: 415-445-5435
http://www.kidsclub.org/

To Reach

Program Office: 415-445-5481
Development Office: 415-445-5480
Marketing & Public Relations Office: 415-445-5410
Volunteer Office: 415-445-5482
Camp Office: 415-445-5477
Finance Office: 415-445-5444
Executive Office: 415-445-5401
For a list of administrative office staff and phone numbers, click here.