Boys & Girls Club gets marketing boost

Ever wonder whether organizations like the Boys & Girls Club are really worth the community investment?

Well, a newly commissioned study may have the answer.

The study, commissioned by the Boy & Girls Club of America, was conducted by the Institute for Social Research and the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. It found that every dollar invested in Boys & Girls Clubs in Georgia returned $7.20 in current and future earnings, as well as cost savings to the communities they serve.

The results, of course, make great marketing material for the Boys & Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley, which didn’t hesitate to notify the Ledger-Enquirer and other media outlets.

And why would they? With so many nonprofit agencies competing for funding these days, any organization that can prove its worth would be wise to do so.

“The study indicates that Boys & Girls Club services and programs produce tremendous value for youth, families and their communities,” according to the release. “Clubs help increase the earning power of parents, as well as for youth when they become adults. They also contribute to major savings for society by helping to prevent costly expenditures for health care, public assistance programs, and criminal justice.”

The study is the first return-on-investment estimate for Boys & Girls clubs in the state of Georgia. It’s based on results collected through surveys of club members to determine the cost-benefit ratio in economic terms.

The Boys & Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley spends $2.3 million annually on operating costs, but reaps $16 million in benefits, according to the release.

“We were thrilled, but not surprised, to receive the results of this study,” said Rodney Close, the local club’s CEO. “We have long known how valuable clubs are to our community, but it’s great to have independent confirmation of benefits clubs provide, not only to young people, but to their parents and the community as well.”

There’s nothing new about an organization tooting its horn; but at least this one seems to have numbers to back it up.

Maybe we’ll see more independent studies in the future.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Boys & Girls Club gets marketing boost."