Monthly Charity

If you have a suggestion for a charity for us to highlight, please let us know by using this link. When choosing a charity we focus on those that help people directly and have administrative costs of 10% or less.

The Monthly Charity for May is The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. Find out more about their great work at bgcmilwaukee.org.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee provides young people with programs and resources that help them achieve academic success, make healthy life choices, and foster the skills they need to reach their full potential. We work every day to create a safe, fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life.

Agents for Positive Change

With safe places to learn and play, positive role models, and educational programming, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee has helped local kids and teens thrive for 134 years and counting.

Unique Programming Inspires Thousands Of Youth Daily

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee has helped local kids and teens since 1887 when Annabell Cook Whitcomb transformed two basement rooms at Plymouth Church on Milwaukee’s east side into a Club for boys.

Today, we are the largest youth-serving agency in the city and have grown to be one of the largest Boys & Girls Clubs in the country.

Every day, thousands of Milwaukee’s youth stream through our doors and participate in academic and recreational programming. We provide safety and support during critical hours of the day as well as meals, strong role models, organized athletics and access to the arts. At the Clubs, there’s a way for every kid to get involved and learn something new.

Our vision is to build the community’s social and economic fabric by ensuring the academic and career success of every Club member who walks through our doors or engages with our programs virtually. We achieve this by providing more impactful programs that appeal to our members, strengthen their academic performance, build character, encourage healthy lifestyles and meet the basic needs of Milwaukee’s youth.

None of our work would be possible without the commitment of 600 full- and part-time employees, passionate volunteers, as well as a dedicated Leadership Team and Board of Trustees. Together, the group is guided by the same passion that drove Cook Whitcomb all those years ago: To inspire and empower the youth who need us most.

Sports Programs Provide Positive Experiences for Youth

Boys & Girls Clubs sports programs allow youth to participate in organized leagues under the direction of professional coaches at little to no cost. Not only is it great for team-building, sports programming is often the first Club experience for many kids who go on to enroll in educational, arts and careers programming as well.

Typically, thousands of Club members engage in Sports & Recreation programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee annually, enjoying activities in a variety of sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, football, and more. As we continue to navigate the current climate during the pandemic and plan to welcome our members to Club locations in greater numbers in the future, we look forward to one day enjoying those sports together again.

Programs Complement and Build Upon School Curriculum

Through a collaborative partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs aims to help improve the city’s high school graduation rate. Within the safety of the Clubs and surrounded by positive role models, members receive academic support that both complements and builds upon school day curriculum.

From early childhood literacy instruction to college access and success programs, there are education programs suited for every member.

College & Careers

Leveraging fun, creative, hands-on STEM programming to foster a love of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to prepare youth for future careers in high-demand fields.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee’s College & Careers programs help teens take the next steps in their lives as they enter adulthood. Whether through career exploration or gaining access to academic scholarships, members of these programs will find the guidance provided by our College & Careers staff invaluable.

STEAM Programming

Providing youth with engaging hands-on learning opportunities that foster their interest and success in science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is proud to offer one of its core program areas, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics), across all Club locations. From unique chemistry experiments at one of the Clubs’ premiere STEM learning centers to the opportunity to learn coding and computer science skills, the Clubs has it all for Club members who love being creative and enjoy problem-solving.

Empowering Youth to Make Positive Life Decisions

Through education and encouragement, Boys & Girls Clubs Health & Wellness programs empower youth to make positive choices throughout life.

Helping Youth Grow Physically and Emotionally

Boys & Girls Clubs’ Health & Wellness programs encourage youth to develop healthy habits as well as learn how to make positive choices and take personal responsibility for their actions. Our initiatives promote more than just physical wellbeing – they also focus on emotional wellbeing, including friendships, healthy relationships, families, school and career success and mental health.

Much of our programming draws from Social-Emotional Learning, which allows participants to develop self-management and interpersonal skills in the context of a safe, caring, well-managed and engaging environment.

A Focus on Leadership & Service

Leadership & Service programs encourage members to take personal responsibility for their actions and take on leadership roles within their Club. They are also introduced to community service – a critical element of this programming.

A Focus on Leadership & Service

Since Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee was first founded in 1887, Leadership & Service programming has been a primary focus of the Clubs’ mission. Through these programs, members are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their actions and are given leadership roles within their Club. They are also introduced to community service – a critical element of this programming.

Leadership & Service programs are available to members of all ages and take a variety of forms from gender-specific programming to interest-based clubs located within each clubhouse.

Social Emotional Development

Social and emotional development is a key factor in young peoples’ ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. It is the very foundation of our work.

A youth development revolution is spreading, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) is proud to be at the forefront! After decades of research and passionate debate around the foundations of healthy development, healing, and learning, youth-serving organizations and educational institutions across the nation are declaring that the social and emotional well-being of youth is the foundation of our work. BGCGM recognizes where we need to intentionally build new processes that weave Social Emotional Development (SED) into the fabric of our work, ensuring all children receive the specific experiences and services required for their growth and development.

Inspire H.O.P.E. (Helping Ourselves Prepare and Excel) is an initiative that represents the new process of embedding Social Emotional Development (SED) throughout our footprint, incorporating SED into the foundation of all our services. Informed by results from projects such as MarVan Scholars and the Milwaukee Partnership Schools, we work collaboratively to maximize our impact. Our SED initiative includes a focused planning phase to build systems and protocols, measure progress and implement timely adjustments to ensure the work can be scaled efficiently and effectively.

Some of our past Monthly Charities are:

• Adoption Resources of WI
• ALS Association
• Alzheimer's Association-WI Chap
• Am Legion Women's Post 448
• American Legion Post #449
• American Lung Association-Milwaukee
• Aurora Zilber Family Hospice
• Autism Society of Southeastern WI 
• Autism Speaks
• Badger Association of the Blind
• Best Buddies Wisconsin
• Bethesda Lutheran Communities
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee
• Christ Child Society of Milwaukee 
• Coalition for Children, Youth & Families
• Community Projects for Seniors
• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
• Daystar
• Dominican Center for Women
• Fisher House
• Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation
• Hope Street Ministry
• Just One More Ministry
• Kathy's House
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Life Navigators
• Lotus Legal Clinic
• LOVE>hate Project
• Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation
• Mental Health of America Wisconsin
• Michelle's Action Angels Community Outreach
• Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Service, Inc
• Milwaukee Irish Fest Foundation
• Milwaukee Rescue Mission
• Mr. Bob's Under the Bridge
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Professional Fire Fighters of WI Charitable Foundation
• Relay for Life West Allis New Berlin
• Repairers of the Breach
• Riding with Angels
• Royal Family KIDS Camp
• Savage Support
• Sherman Park Food Pantry
• Smile Train
• Sojourner Family Peace Center
• St. Coletta Day School
• St. Francis Children's Center
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• The LOVE>hate Project
• Tosa Cares
• Trees of Hope WI
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation
• USO
• Vision Forward Association
• Walker's Point Youth & Family Center
• WI Chapter of MS Society
• WI Donor Network
• Women's Support Centers of Milwaukee
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Zachiariah's Acres

Thank you for helping us give back to those in need in our community!