Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton

Mission Statement

To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Background Statement

The Boys & Girls Club of Fullerton is part of a nationwide Movement of community-based, autonomous organizations and Boys & Girls Clubs of America working to help youth of all backgrounds develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. It offers daily access to a broad range of programs in five core program areas - Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health and Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness and Recreation and several specialized initiatives. All programs are designed to drive positive outcomes for youth and reinforce necessary life skills. To make sure that all of our members have great futures, the Boys & Girls Club Movement has adopted the Formula for Impact, a research-based theory of change that describes how individual Clubs and the Movement as a whole can increase our impact – exponentially – on the young people of America. Our Formula begins with the young people in Clubs – especially those who need us most. It calls for us to consistently provide the most powerful Club Experience possible – by implementing the Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development, offering high-yield activities and providing targeted programs – all of which help youth achieve priority outcomes. Then, because we also know that attending the Club more frequently and over a greater length of time makes young people more likely to achieve positive outcomes, Clubs must pursue strategies to increase attendance, program participation and member retention.

Impact Statement

We are the recognized leader in serving at-risk families in Fullerton, CA. Our continued partnerships with school districts, community leaders, law enforcement and social service agencies, have placed us in a unique position to make a lasting impact in the community. Families rely on us to provide mentoring, homework help and access to technology beyond the school day. Many households include an older sibling or parent that is involved in drugs, crime, or probation. We are proud to say that our families expect us to be a moral example for Club members and take the place of the negative influences at home. Our staff are well trained professionals that focus on healthy lifestyles, character building and academic success. Our top successes include: Securing two grants that intervene on drug and gang activity and provides funding for alternative activities: OJP (Office of Juvenile Probation) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant. Another success is represented in our financial standing:The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fullerton is 1 of only 3 Clubs in Orange County that have sustained a budget above deficit. This holds importance during a challenging economic time. Where non-profits are struggling to provide services, we are actually expanding into new areas and new facilities. An additional success is our transition into a new city facilitated building:This facility is equipped with the newest technologies for our Club members to grow and develop lifelong skills. Finally, our greatest success must be the on-time graduation of all our high school seniors. This is the culmination of all our standards including: reading at grade level, career exploration, community outreach and on-time graduation of high school. An additional success for our Club: 3 Club graduates applied and were accepted to the University of their Choice. 

Needs Statement

Pressing Needs: Mentors and volunteers, financial resources, available physical space, available member space.  Positive before and after school programs are needed to detour crime, violence, and to strengthen families. Every school day from 3pm-6pm, 100’s of children in Fullerton, CA are walking home alone; forced to navigate through an adult world with mature influences. In 2009, the Afterschool Alliance estimated that as many as 15.1 million kids (about 26 % of the school-age population) go to a home without adult supervision after school. This challenges most families by unleashing children into an unsupervised environment where negative influences are at their most effective. To be clear about the issue, the scheduling obstacles that families face on a daily basis create a supervision gap.  These families must juggles school start times, transportation issues, work schedules and language barriers. All these challenges happen before the start of the school day. The schedules get even more compromised after school with sports, church and homework. Perhaps families are so busy that they are not able to make clear decisions because only 11% of America’s school aged kids attend an after-school program.

Geographic Areas Served

Fullerton, CA.  Specific areas: Valencia Park School, Richman Teen Center, Commonwealth School.  All areas listed in Community Distressed Index.  These areas are supported by OJP (Office of Juvenile Probation) and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) grant funding.  These are all high crime areas where gangs, crime and homeless issues are evident.

Top Three Populations Served

Latinos
Households with limited English proficiency
Asian Americans Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (AANHPI)

Statement from the CEO/Executive Director

With your help, we are making a difference in Fullerton, CA.  We are uniquely poised to make an impact on the future of our kids.  Our staff, programs and field trips help to meet the needs of many at-risk families including: academic support, healthy meals, athletic leagues, and character building.  These are all elements missing from many families that we serve.  With your help, we are filling the dysfunctional voids and replacing them with caring, positive mentors. 

Statement from the Board Chair/President

Many families are challenged to meet the needs of their households. Financial hardships, language barriers and academic deficiencies make it difficult for families to make ends meet. This holds true especially during the holidays. Families are distracted by financial commitments and stretched thin by the demands of holiday expectations. It is during these times that I have witnessed the power of community. Many volunteers attend our events and share their compassion for service. Last year we served over 750 thanksgiving meals and distributed more than 3,000 toys for the holidays. We also partnered with Kohl’s to provide 75 kids with $100.00 in shopping money. These are small efforts that make a lasting impression on families. This is evident by the growth of each campaign. This year, we have already committed to 800 Thanksgiving meals, 3,500 toys and 85 kids for Kohl’s shopping spree. This could never be achieved without the Club. I whole heartedly support the efforts of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fullerton. They are committed to serving the youth of Fullerton. Dan Kiernan, Board Member

CEO/Executive Director

Mr. Brett Ackerman

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Brett Ackerman's Bio: I have spent over 25 years living and working in Fullerton.  Over the years I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many diverse groups, activities and experiences.  As a manager, my priorities are to empower staff to set and achieve goals, to provide support and resources necessary for them to develop and be successful, and to model professional behavior. At multiple locations within the same financial institution, I developed and managed complex sales & service teams that produced top tier proven results. My role and responsibilities in the financial sector were very similar to those of a CEO. While much of my experience has been in the business world, I understand the social value of the non-profit sector and my financial experience is an asset to our organization.  For 6 years I was fortunate to serve on the Clubs Board of Directors. My tenure was thoroughly enjoyable and allowed me to use my contacts to benefit the Club in fundraising and community efforts. Having served on the Board gave me special insights and knowledge as to the attributes to make a successful CEO. Also it gave me the opportunity to work with other like-minded Board members and community supporters of the Club. My experiences on the Board along with my personal ambition to make a lasting difference were the driving factors behind my desire for this position. The relationships and contacts I have formed within Fullerton Elementary School & High School Districts, Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, the donor community, local and regional political leaders, the City of Fullerton, and Fullerton service clubs have put me in a position to maximize them for the benefit of the Club. But the ability to work in an environment where I can excel, with an excellent staff team, to improve the lives of children on a daily basis will be the reason for our success.