March 21, 2024 • 27 mins
Marcia Mintz has more than 20 years of global and national corporate and nonprofit experience. Most recently, she served as President of John C. Lincoln Health Foundation and Senior Vice President of community benefit programs and services of HonorHealth.
Ms. Mintz has served as the chief development officer of Valley of the Sun United Way. Prior to that, she worked in the Bay Area creating corporate and individual partnerships for a nonprofit multi-use residential and recreational campus and eight years in global program development. She has worked and lived in Latin America, Cuba, Europe and the former Soviet Union.
She was named one of AZ Business magazine’s 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business in 2014 and a Woman Who Moves the Valley 2012 by Arizona Foothills magazine.
Ms. Mintz earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona’s Eller School of Management and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of Arts.
Ms. Mintz has served as the chief development officer of Valley of the Sun United Way. Prior to that, she worked in the Bay Area creating corporate and individual partnerships for a nonprofit multi-use residential and recreational campus and eight years in global program development. She has worked and lived in Latin America, Cuba, Europe and the former Soviet Union.
She was named one of AZ Business magazine’s 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business in 2014 and a Woman Who Moves the Valley 2012 by Arizona Foothills magazine.
Ms. Mintz earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona’s Eller School of Management and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of Arts.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
On this edition of CEOs You ShouldKnow, we had a chance to catch
up with the CEOs of one ofthe largest nonprofits in Phoenix and the country
when it comes to empowering and servingour youth. Marsha Mintz is the CEO
of Boys and Girls Club of theValley. Her path deleting this prestigious organization
and her passion and mission to continueto watch it grow is something you'll want
(00:21):
to hear. Here's Marsha Mintz,CEO of Boys and Girls Club of the
Valley, with James T. Harris. I'm James T. Harris and welcome
to CEOs You Should Know. Formore than seventy five years, the Boys
and Girls Club of Arizona has beencreating equity and opportunity for youth through academics,
(00:42):
social and workplace opportunities, and they'vebeen helping young people just make healthy
decisions and focus on social and emotionaldevelopment to build resilient young adults. Now,
as more than more parents are forcedto do more to cover for the
cost of daily living and inflation,the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley
(01:04):
offers affordable after school summer programs forover sixteen thousand young people in grades K
through twelve at thirty clubs across thevalley. The club provides award winning programs
designed to change the lives of youngpeople. We are so excited to have
CEO Marsha Mints, President and CEOof Boys and Girls Club of the Valley,
(01:26):
and I just want to say itis a thrill to finally meet you
because I've heard so much about theorganization. Well, thank you so much.
It's really a pleasure to be hereand be able to talk to you
today. Now, how long haveyou been with the Boys and Girls Club?
I've been with the Boys and GirlsClub for a little over seven years
now, seven years. And isthat what you brought to beautiful Arizona Because
(01:49):
we were talking and I understand it. You're from New York, Yes,
born and bred in New York.But I've been in the valley actually for
twenty years. Oh and spent mytime before Boys and Girls Club in healthcare
and then was introduced to Boys andGirls Club actually by the board of directors
and met with them and they saidwould you consider coming over here? And
(02:12):
at first I said no, butthey made a really strong case because in
all of my years and nonprofit Ihad never experienced a board of directors that
was so truly engaged with our missionand our purpose, and I felt compelled
to join an organization that had thattype of leadership support. Now, you
(02:34):
know, the Boys and Girls Clubhave been around, like I said,
here for seventy five years. Igrew up with the Boys and Girls Club
actually from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Buthas the mission changed? What is the
mission now and has it changed overthe years? You know, especially today,
when people are talking about what's troublingyouth, I always tell they want
(02:55):
to know what Boys and Girls Clubis doing today, And I said,
We're doing the things we've been doingfor seventy five years for our community and
it has not changed. We arereally here to support the youth who need
us most. And you know,one of our taglines is whatever it takes,
and depending what's happening in the world, it could be helping them with
(03:15):
academic success. It could be reallyhelping them understand how to build their character
and leadership skills, or healthy lifestylesor what does it mean today to be
successful, to have career success,life and workforce readiness. So those are
some of the key pillars that wefocus on. Well, we talk about
(03:36):
some of the challenges that parents aregoing through today, especially in the workforce.
It's harder to make ends meet,and we hear from families who are
under a lot of financial pressures rightnow. So I would imagine that for
the club and what you're seeing thesame thing right now as well. So
the number one barrier for parents rightnow across the country, especially here in
(04:00):
Arizona, is childcare. And childcareis not just infant care, it's kindergarten
even through high school. And wewant to make sure that there is access
and also that opportunity to give kidswhat they need today. So a we
want to make sure our rates arealways market competitive and affordable, but it's
really also about the quality. Justbecause your child can stay home, or
(04:24):
you think of your middle schooler,you have a choice of putting them in
the club with these incredible programs withmentors, with other people socialization skills,
or sitting at home with their device. Will you talk about opportunities like I
remember when I was actually a teacherand working with the Boys and Girls Club
(04:46):
in Wisconsin. We would go inand there's kids there in the afternoon and
we would have the opportunity to kindof work with them, find out what
their skills are, what they enjoydoing, and then try to match them
with people who are in the communitydoing the same thing. I imagine that
that is something that the club strivesto do here as well. Yeah,
(05:08):
so I would say the kids,especially elementary and middle school, they get
to go into the clubs and experiencea little bit of everything. They get
to come in and first of all, always get some help with their homework,
find a mentor to help them withanything they're struggling with. But also
we really want to make sure kidsare moving their bodies today. You know
(05:30):
a lot of schools that they don'thave pa anymore, so they get to
spend time not just basketball, couldbe recreation activities, physical, get out
of your seat, move your bodya little bit, and the same thing.
A lot of schools don't have artprograms anymore. Go in the art
room, learn how to make thingsgo, you know, really express yourself
using different art forms. We haverecording studios in some of our clubs because
(05:55):
we know our kids today are interestedin careers like yours, to see how
they can have a great career pathwayfuture. I will say the biggest change
we've had, probably since COVID isreally our focus on making sure our kids
have the behavioral and mental health supportthat is so needed today in Arizona.
All right, two things, Twothings you just mentioned that are very important.
(06:18):
It took me back, actually becausewhen I was in the school.
Of course, as a student,we had to have gym class and we
had to climb the rope, sowe had to you know, pay dodgeball
and all that kind of stuff.And then I was a school a high
school teacher for many years as well, and I think that's when the decline
started. The shift started to happento where kids we didn't spend as much
(06:40):
money on physical education. We definitelydidn't spend as much money on music.
Used to have the bands that weused to have, like state wide competitions
that went away. You just mentionedthat a lot of schools don't even have
art classes anymore. So those thingsended up being going to be quite honest
with you, that's the kind ofstuff that actually motivates kids. That and
(07:03):
sports, And I understand that theclub has launched a new sports league.
Can you tell us all about that? Yeah? Absolutely, And I just
want to say those are the activitiesthat really are data proven to improve brain
development and lead to academic and workforcesuccess. So if they're not getting it
(07:24):
in the classroom, you can sendyour child to Boys and Girls Club and
get that during that after school time. And to that point when we talk
about access and opportunity, if youhave kids today, you know how expensive
sports leagues are, and truthfully,it's out of reach for so many of
our families here in Arizona. Sowe have created our own athletics league here
(07:45):
and kids can come at a veryreasonable cost for any family and get to
participate with that same quality of sportsleague. Right now, we're running our
basketball sports league and we'll also behaving one in soccer coming up, So
please go and find out information.Every child has the right to have access
to participate in a sports league.We have Marsha Minz for CEOs. You
(08:09):
should know she's the president and CEOof Boys and Girls Club of the Valley.
How many people in the Phoenix areadoes Boys and Girls Club employee?
So we have over five hundred employeesat Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley,
So we're an actual mid size employer. We're giving young people a chance
(08:31):
to get their first jobs, maybepart time or as a youth development professional.
And then we have very very seasonedprofessionals working both for kids and within
our administrative structure. If people wantedto find out more about the Boys and
Girls Club, if they want tovolunteer for the Boys and Girls Club,
(08:52):
where would they go? Please goto our website at BGCAS dot org and
there is a link specifically for volvolunteersas well. Now you hired this many
people, again, tell me howmany over five hundred, over five hundred
people in the community, and howmany volunteers you have at the time,
if that's even a number you cancount, because I know a lot of
(09:15):
folks come in and out. Yeah, I mean, we have over a
thousand volunteers that work in our clubs, and there's lots of ways to volunteer.
We have volunteers that come in andreally spend time with our kids,
whether it's tutoring or helping them,volunteering for sports, but we also have
volunteers that do specific events for us. We're always looking for volunteers and we
(09:35):
try to match the skill set andthe time that the volunteer has. The
Boys and Girls Club is not justhere in the valley. I also overheard
you say that you have a groupout in Yuma. Tell me about that.
Yes, last year we opened ourfirst club in Yuma. We were
called by the city of Yuma andthey said, we don't have any after
school club programs. We said,let's go down and take a look.
(09:58):
And they had a building that wasreally nice. And wait a minute,
you said we have to go downand take a look. That means you
have to jump in a car inthe morning about about what four or five
in the morning, and yet yougood three and a half hours. It
is not the funnest drive. ButI will tell you we started a really
small program there about a year anda half ago, maybe forty kids.
(10:22):
We're up to over one hundred andforty kids a day. Uh. And
they've asked us to open a teenprogram now and also an expansion of our
Easy Youth Force program, which isa specific program for teen workforce development.
So the need is great, theneed is growing, and you guys are
there to try to fill the gap. Let me ask you, how would
(10:46):
you say your company helps drive localthe local economy. So we have a
huge impact on the economy here inArizona, not just for the employees that
we have, but we actually workwith as to you in the Sidement Institute
and do an economic impact study everyother year. So when you take into
account the fact that because we exist, parents can keep their jobs and their
(11:11):
employment, they have a safe placefor kids. Kids actually get workforce skills
development, so they bring in moneyto the economy. We reduce team pregnancy,
use of alcohol, drugs, allof that, healthy lifestyles and food
insecurity. We're serving one of thelargest meal providers in the state of Arizona.
(11:31):
At the end of the day,we have a two hundred and sixty
seven million dollar impact on the Arizonaeconomy. Wow. Wow, that's huge.
We talked a little about the Boysand Girls Club of Arizona Athletics.
I want to talk a little bitabout the whole child Approach program as well,
and that's something we touched on alittle bit earlier. But again,
(11:54):
when I think about Boys and GirlsClub, maybe it's the age you are
when your first entry reduced to it. But I think about those little kids
that were sitting around the table atthe time. Like I said, I
was a teacher, I was alsoa speaker, so We would come in
and we would do programs and motivationaltype programs, you know, to get
the kids up and roland to getthe kids excited about, you know,
(12:18):
something to grab onto. Didn't haveto stay on to it, you know.
Sometimes we would come in, wewould introduce chess, we would introduce
different games that are going on thewhole child approach program. The philosophy of
Boys and Girls Club? Could youshare that with us? Absolutely? And
this really developed. It started alittle bit before COVID, but I will
go back and say when COVID happened, we were the organization that worked with
(12:43):
the Governor's office as well as theDepartment of Health to stay open during the
pandemic. And part of that reason, because of my background in healthcare,
I thought, who's going to carefor the kids of the healthcare workers,
of our essential workers. You wantto go to your grocery store, Who's
supposed to watch their children while yourservices are being open? And we worked
very closely with our team. Weconsolidated and we had ten clubs open,
(13:07):
right so we figured we'll serve thevalley. Within three months, we got
so many calls. We opened eighteensites and then we opened twenty three sites,
and there was a very specific reason. One the families we were serving
did not have access to enough technologyto even support their kids doing their school
(13:28):
work at home. When you haveparents at home and you have kids at
home, you don't have enough bandwidthor technology. And in those days,
they didn't give laptops to our kids. I came into the club one day
and I saw three teenagers sitting outsideour club and they were on their cell
phones. And I said, whatare you doing. It was the middle
of the pandemic. And they said, we're trying to get our homework done.
(13:48):
And I said, get up,come into the clubs. So we
opened up the teen center. Weput them in there. We gave them
computers. And one of them saidto me, is that food I smell?
Oh no, And I went,oh my god. The schools are
closed. This is where many manyof our kids get their breakfast in lunch.
I said, this is not okay, and we opened up all our
(14:11):
clubs for breakfast and lunch. Sowe pivoted. As a business, were
normally opened three to seven pm.We were open from seven am to six
pm. For eighteen months, turnedevery gymnasium into a virtual school, so
every child and teen could come inwith their laptop, get connected to school,
and get two meals a day.So, in a very real way,
the Boys and Girls Club of theValley was well, you were essential
(14:35):
and front line because I didn't eventhink about this. We were praising the
people who were stocking our store shelves. We were praising the nurses and the
doctors that were going into work.But yeah, they have families too,
And because the schools are closed anda lot of the different facilities are closed,
(14:56):
who's going to step into the gapand take care of them? And
it sounds like that's exactly what youdid. And in doing so, since
COVID, you've also expanded because yourealize that there's some gaps there that are
not going to go back to normal. There's some things that are just not
going to go back to normal,so then you have to find a way
(15:16):
to address those issues, address thoseneeds as well. Absolutely. First of
all, our staff are incredible.Staff became frontline workers and are really the
true heroes of the story because theycame to work every day. And I
am very very proud. We didnot close one day during COVID. We
were open every day. For achild or a family that needed our support.
(15:37):
But what we noticed in the clubsevery day is that the kid's needs
were different. There was tremendous stresshappening for kids, you know, especially
if their parents were healthcare workers.There were deaths happening around the valley,
whether it was family members, whetherit was friends, and we thought we've
got to address this, you know, Marsha, I'm glad we went back
(15:58):
to the whole COVID issue because we'rea couple of years passing now, a
lot of people really want to forgetabout it. But that was a very
frightening period in our nation's history andhere in the valley, and as you
just said, you know, we'vewe lost loved ones. We we were
doing things, you know, thinkingthat we're keeping people safe. We changed
(16:19):
the rules of the game, andthat comes with a lot of stress,
a lot of anxiety, as youpointed out. But we're talking mostly among
adults. We don't really take intoaccount how this is impacting the kids.
I know teachers do, but theywere out. I mean, you were
doing this for you know, havingtwo or three hats going on, so
(16:42):
you saw the impact of how weaddress the COVID issue you saw up close
and personal with the very CLIENTELEIG youwork with the boys and girls in the
Boys and Girls Club. You've madeadjustments since then. Tell me what are
some things that you won't go backto or you just can't go back to
(17:03):
since we had that big change withCOVID. That's exactly right. We have
changed our what we call our academicsuccess program. So we've been very specifically
focusing not only on regular homework,but it's learning loss. How is that
catch up happening after COVID, particularlyfor third grade reading and math skills,
(17:26):
fourth grade math skills, and alsowhat happens pre high school? That's really
We're not going to see that levelout for about a decade, is what
the data shows. So we've putspecific programs in place to really help young
people, especially that kindergarten through fourthgrade, catch up on some of that
learning loss, working closely with schoolsand school districts to really meet that gap.
(17:49):
And that's on the academic side.You know, I didn't think about
that either. People. You know, there has been a real set back
when it comes to education. Nownow people who are in a different position
are able to address that you know, they can hire their tutors, and
they can hire you know, youknow, private school or whatever. They
(18:11):
help kids catch up. But there'sa huge segment of our society that simply
just don't have those means. AndI'm excited to hear that's something that the
Boys and Girls Club are are,you know, addressing because, as you
said, the statistics that are comingout about the damage that COVID did to
(18:33):
education when our kids, I mean, a lot of people in a lot
of places are getting left behind.But this is something that the Boys and
Girls Club is aware of and addressis part of the programming that you do.
We have to the kids we serve. Their families don't have the means
to help, and frankly, they'reall working parents, so they don't have
(18:55):
the time even if they have themeans. So again, a few of
our learning loss programs right after COVID, we worked really intentionally on phonics,
reading, and math. On average, we were seeing twenty two percent increases
in our scores for an eight weekintensive program. Now, that takes a
lot of resources and time, butwe had to do it. You know,
(19:15):
we could not have our kids leftbehind, so we focused, you
know, originally on the academic piece, but what became really clear very early
on was these kids are struggling.They're struggling emotionally, and they're struggling their
behaviors. Their mental health was struggling, and we thought, what can we
(19:36):
do different and unique as a Boysand Girls club to truly change the needle
on that. As a nonprofit,how does the Boys and Girls Club raise
money to take care of these programs? Just that you expanded into Yuma.
Of course, we've been here,you've been You've been here in the valley
(19:56):
for seventy five years. How doesthe kids continue to exist? So we
are highly, highly reliant on philanthropy, and it's probably been our biggest struggle.
We have cities that are on waitlists. I have clubs that are
on weightless because we don't have enoughresources to either add more staff or add
(20:18):
more programs. We are one ofthe largest, probably the largest childcare provider
in the state of Arizona that doesnot receive a subsidy from the state,
so we ask parents to contribute.Our fees are anywhere between forty to eighty
dollars a month, and sixty twopercent of our families need scholarships to even
(20:40):
pay that amount because many of themhave multiple kids. So we ask our
donors, our supporters, our corporations, our boards to please help us fund
these, you know, our organization, just to keep our operating costs going.
And that's the piece that I wasnot aware of, but that's very
important for people to now. Ithink so most people assume we're subsidized.
(21:03):
They say, how can your feesbe so low because the fees clearly don't
reflect the cost of our business.But we've really made it our mission and
again our board, to say we'regoing to raise the money so we don't
have to say no to families.And now we're at a point, you
know, with the workforce hiring enoughemployees. And it's also about quality.
I'm not going to sacrifice quantity forquality. So we want to serve more
(21:27):
kids, and we could, butwe definitely need more resources and we hope
someday to be receiving, you know, some state assistance. Well I was
about to say, you know what, you've been able to grow and be
strong, to solidify your base andeverything without that. Of course, if
it comes your way, you wouldnever say you never say no. I
(21:48):
remember when the government gave me ascholarship to go to your Okay exactly.
The more it comes from the base, the more it comes from the citizen,
the more it comes from the community, and as you said, philanthropy,
I think the better it is.And so that's one of the reasons
I want to talk to you today. So one of the reasons why we
(22:08):
have you on CEOs that you shouldknow because people should know about you,
and they should know about the Boysand Girls Club of the Valley and also
a lot of our corporate The corporatecommunity is critical to us because their employees
send their kids to Boys and Girlsclubs. So we're an option for employers
to use our clubs when they offerchildcare subsidies to their families. It could
(22:33):
be a Boys and Girls clubs becausewe have thirty sites here in Maricopa County
and one in Yuma, so there'sa lot of opportunity. Childcare is still
the biggest barrier for employers to gettheir employees back to the office get back
to work, and this is anoption make sure there is adequate, sustainable,
stable, and affordable childcare. Thereare many challenges, especially post COVID,
(22:57):
but it sounds like the Boys GirlsClub. They're completely aware of them
and trying to make adjustments to meetthe need of the people that you serve.
Real quickly, let's talk about socialmedia links where people want to find
you, where they go, theywant to find me. You can always
(23:17):
find us either on LinkedIn. Wehave a company site right on LinkedIn on
BGC Arizona. We also have aFacebook page at BGC Arizona, a Twitter
page BGC Arizona, and a companyInstagram at BGC Arizona. Okay, I'm
gonna follow you on Instagram, soI'm young in here. I don't know
(23:40):
about the motherplace. I'm you'll seesome cool things. Some of our young
people post amazing things on that andthat's one of the things. I mean,
I think the more that people geta chance to see what's going on
because I have been educated by ourconversation today, because of course, when
I'm thinking about the Boys and GirlsClub, I'm thinking about it what it
was like when I was involved.When it's twenty thirty years ago, I
(24:03):
know I look much younger, butit's like when you tell us what's going
on now, especially post COVID,it takes on a whole different meaning,
and it's something that I think thatI would be very, very interested in,
and I'm hoping that other folks willbe interested in it as well.
Yeah, I think one of thebig changes people need to realize is teens
(24:25):
and how much teens have changed.In the past. The club was the
place where they would hang out.They would come after school and hang out.
Teens don't necessarily need or want tohang out anymore. They have their
devices. How do we get thesekids off their devices? So we've moved
into a different pathway with teens.We really focus on career pathways and workforce
(24:47):
development, and I'm talking for sixteento nineteen year olds. There's a lot
of programs once you've graduated high school, but it is our opinion that if
you don't reach them early on inmiddle school and early high school, you're
not going to be a to getthem to explore the careers that they are
perfectly suited to go into and makegreat money and contribute to the economy.
(25:07):
And once again, that's something youjust don't think about. Yes, we
had a new generation the teens outthere coming of age, and yes they
were impacted by the changes that ourcountry went through. The last few years,
and again I hear that you justlistening to you, your attuned to
that, and you're trying to findways to capture their imagination as well.
(25:30):
Marsha Mintz, President and CEO ofBoys and Girls Club of the Valley,
I really have enjoyed our conversation todayand truly you are a CEO that many
people should know right here in thevalley. Well, thank you very much.
It's really an honor and pleasure tobe here. Just to recap as
more and more parents are forced todo more to cover the costs of daily
(25:53):
living due to inflation, the Boysand Girls Club of the Valley offer of
affordable after school and summer programs forover sixteen thousand young people in grades K
through twelve and beyond. We learnedtoday that over thirty clubs across the valley,
and we also have clubs in Yuma, provide award winning programs designed to
(26:18):
change the lives of young people,focusing on academic success, good character and
leadership, healthy lifestyles and workforce readinessand career pathways. We've learned that the
Boys and Girls Club of the Valleyremained open during COVID every single day to
(26:38):
provide services for kids and for familieswho were in need. The Boys and
Girls Club of the Valley here fromfamilies who are under a lot of financial
pressure every day, and it isthe club's mission to meet those needs.
If you are a business organization inthe community, they would like to encourage
(27:00):
you to look into coming alongside ofthe Boys and Girls Club of the Valley
to help them continue in this verypowerful work. Thanks for listening to CEOs.
You should know Phoenix on your freeiHeartRadio app.
On this edition of CEOs You ShouldKnow, we had a chance to catch
up with the CEOs of one ofthe largest nonprofits in Phoenix and the country
when it comes to empowering and servingour youth. Marsha Mintz is the CEO
of Boys and Girls Club of theValley. Her path deleting this prestigious organization
and her passion and mission to continueto watch it grow is something you'll want
(00:21):
to hear. Here's Marsha Mintz,CEO of Boys and Girls Club of the
Valley, with James T. Harris. I'm James T. Harris and welcome
to CEOs You Should Know. Formore than seventy five years, the Boys
and Girls Club of Arizona has beencreating equity and opportunity for youth through academics,
(00:42):
social and workplace opportunities, and they'vebeen helping young people just make healthy
decisions and focus on social and emotionaldevelopment to build resilient young adults. Now,
as more than more parents are forcedto do more to cover for the
cost of daily living and inflation,the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley
(01:04):
offers affordable after school summer programs forover sixteen thousand young people in grades K
through twelve at thirty clubs across thevalley. The club provides award winning programs
designed to change the lives of youngpeople. We are so excited to have
CEO Marsha Mints, President and CEOof Boys and Girls Club of the Valley,
(01:26):
and I just want to say itis a thrill to finally meet you
because I've heard so much about theorganization. Well, thank you so much.
It's really a pleasure to be hereand be able to talk to you
today. Now, how long haveyou been with the Boys and Girls Club?
I've been with the Boys and GirlsClub for a little over seven years
now, seven years. And isthat what you brought to beautiful Arizona Because
(01:49):
we were talking and I understand it. You're from New York, Yes,
born and bred in New York.But I've been in the valley actually for
twenty years. Oh and spent mytime before Boys and Girls Club in healthcare
and then was introduced to Boys andGirls Club actually by the board of directors
and met with them and they saidwould you consider coming over here? And
(02:12):
at first I said no, butthey made a really strong case because in
all of my years and nonprofit Ihad never experienced a board of directors that
was so truly engaged with our missionand our purpose, and I felt compelled
to join an organization that had thattype of leadership support. Now, you
(02:34):
know, the Boys and Girls Clubhave been around, like I said,
here for seventy five years. Igrew up with the Boys and Girls Club
actually from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Buthas the mission changed? What is the
mission now and has it changed overthe years? You know, especially today,
when people are talking about what's troublingyouth, I always tell they want
(02:55):
to know what Boys and Girls Clubis doing today, And I said,
We're doing the things we've been doingfor seventy five years for our community and
it has not changed. We arereally here to support the youth who need
us most. And you know,one of our taglines is whatever it takes,
and depending what's happening in the world, it could be helping them with
(03:15):
academic success. It could be reallyhelping them understand how to build their character
and leadership skills, or healthy lifestylesor what does it mean today to be
successful, to have career success,life and workforce readiness. So those are
some of the key pillars that wefocus on. Well, we talk about
(03:36):
some of the challenges that parents aregoing through today, especially in the workforce.
It's harder to make ends meet,and we hear from families who are
under a lot of financial pressures rightnow. So I would imagine that for
the club and what you're seeing thesame thing right now as well. So
the number one barrier for parents rightnow across the country, especially here in
(04:00):
Arizona, is childcare. And childcareis not just infant care, it's kindergarten
even through high school. And wewant to make sure that there is access
and also that opportunity to give kidswhat they need today. So a we
want to make sure our rates arealways market competitive and affordable, but it's
really also about the quality. Justbecause your child can stay home, or
(04:24):
you think of your middle schooler,you have a choice of putting them in
the club with these incredible programs withmentors, with other people socialization skills,
or sitting at home with their device. Will you talk about opportunities like I
remember when I was actually a teacherand working with the Boys and Girls Club
(04:46):
in Wisconsin. We would go inand there's kids there in the afternoon and
we would have the opportunity to kindof work with them, find out what
their skills are, what they enjoydoing, and then try to match them
with people who are in the communitydoing the same thing. I imagine that
that is something that the club strivesto do here as well. Yeah,
(05:08):
so I would say the kids,especially elementary and middle school, they get
to go into the clubs and experiencea little bit of everything. They get
to come in and first of all, always get some help with their homework,
find a mentor to help them withanything they're struggling with. But also
we really want to make sure kidsare moving their bodies today. You know
(05:30):
a lot of schools that they don'thave pa anymore, so they get to
spend time not just basketball, couldbe recreation activities, physical, get out
of your seat, move your bodya little bit, and the same thing.
A lot of schools don't have artprograms anymore. Go in the art
room, learn how to make thingsgo, you know, really express yourself
using different art forms. We haverecording studios in some of our clubs because
(05:55):
we know our kids today are interestedin careers like yours, to see how
they can have a great career pathwayfuture. I will say the biggest change
we've had, probably since COVID isreally our focus on making sure our kids
have the behavioral and mental health supportthat is so needed today in Arizona.
All right, two things, Twothings you just mentioned that are very important.
(06:18):
It took me back, actually becausewhen I was in the school.
Of course, as a student,we had to have gym class and we
had to climb the rope, sowe had to you know, pay dodgeball
and all that kind of stuff.And then I was a school a high
school teacher for many years as well, and I think that's when the decline
started. The shift started to happento where kids we didn't spend as much
(06:40):
money on physical education. We definitelydidn't spend as much money on music.
Used to have the bands that weused to have, like state wide competitions
that went away. You just mentionedthat a lot of schools don't even have
art classes anymore. So those thingsended up being going to be quite honest
with you, that's the kind ofstuff that actually motivates kids. That and
(07:03):
sports, And I understand that theclub has launched a new sports league.
Can you tell us all about that? Yeah? Absolutely, And I just
want to say those are the activitiesthat really are data proven to improve brain
development and lead to academic and workforcesuccess. So if they're not getting it
(07:24):
in the classroom, you can sendyour child to Boys and Girls Club and
get that during that after school time. And to that point when we talk
about access and opportunity, if youhave kids today, you know how expensive
sports leagues are, and truthfully,it's out of reach for so many of
our families here in Arizona. Sowe have created our own athletics league here
(07:45):
and kids can come at a veryreasonable cost for any family and get to
participate with that same quality of sportsleague. Right now, we're running our
basketball sports league and we'll also behaving one in soccer coming up, So
please go and find out information.Every child has the right to have access
to participate in a sports league.We have Marsha Minz for CEOs. You
(08:09):
should know she's the president and CEOof Boys and Girls Club of the Valley.
How many people in the Phoenix areadoes Boys and Girls Club employee?
So we have over five hundred employeesat Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley,
So we're an actual mid size employer. We're giving young people a chance
(08:31):
to get their first jobs, maybepart time or as a youth development professional.
And then we have very very seasonedprofessionals working both for kids and within
our administrative structure. If people wantedto find out more about the Boys and
Girls Club, if they want tovolunteer for the Boys and Girls Club,
(08:52):
where would they go? Please goto our website at BGCAS dot org and
there is a link specifically for volvolunteersas well. Now you hired this many
people, again, tell me howmany over five hundred, over five hundred
people in the community, and howmany volunteers you have at the time,
if that's even a number you cancount, because I know a lot of
(09:15):
folks come in and out. Yeah, I mean, we have over a
thousand volunteers that work in our clubs, and there's lots of ways to volunteer.
We have volunteers that come in andreally spend time with our kids,
whether it's tutoring or helping them,volunteering for sports, but we also have
volunteers that do specific events for us. We're always looking for volunteers and we
(09:35):
try to match the skill set andthe time that the volunteer has. The
Boys and Girls Club is not justhere in the valley. I also overheard
you say that you have a groupout in Yuma. Tell me about that.
Yes, last year we opened ourfirst club in Yuma. We were
called by the city of Yuma andthey said, we don't have any after
school club programs. We said,let's go down and take a look.
(09:58):
And they had a building that wasreally nice. And wait a minute,
you said we have to go downand take a look. That means you
have to jump in a car inthe morning about about what four or five
in the morning, and yet yougood three and a half hours. It
is not the funnest drive. ButI will tell you we started a really
small program there about a year anda half ago, maybe forty kids.
(10:22):
We're up to over one hundred andforty kids a day. Uh. And
they've asked us to open a teenprogram now and also an expansion of our
Easy Youth Force program, which isa specific program for teen workforce development.
So the need is great, theneed is growing, and you guys are
there to try to fill the gap. Let me ask you, how would
(10:46):
you say your company helps drive localthe local economy. So we have a
huge impact on the economy here inArizona, not just for the employees that
we have, but we actually workwith as to you in the Sidement Institute
and do an economic impact study everyother year. So when you take into
account the fact that because we exist, parents can keep their jobs and their
(11:11):
employment, they have a safe placefor kids. Kids actually get workforce skills
development, so they bring in moneyto the economy. We reduce team pregnancy,
use of alcohol, drugs, allof that, healthy lifestyles and food
insecurity. We're serving one of thelargest meal providers in the state of Arizona.
(11:31):
At the end of the day,we have a two hundred and sixty
seven million dollar impact on the Arizonaeconomy. Wow. Wow, that's huge.
We talked a little about the Boysand Girls Club of Arizona Athletics.
I want to talk a little bitabout the whole child Approach program as well,
and that's something we touched on alittle bit earlier. But again,
(11:54):
when I think about Boys and GirlsClub, maybe it's the age you are
when your first entry reduced to it. But I think about those little kids
that were sitting around the table atthe time. Like I said, I
was a teacher, I was alsoa speaker, so We would come in
and we would do programs and motivationaltype programs, you know, to get
the kids up and roland to getthe kids excited about, you know,
(12:18):
something to grab onto. Didn't haveto stay on to it, you know.
Sometimes we would come in, wewould introduce chess, we would introduce
different games that are going on thewhole child approach program. The philosophy of
Boys and Girls Club? Could youshare that with us? Absolutely? And
this really developed. It started alittle bit before COVID, but I will
go back and say when COVID happened, we were the organization that worked with
(12:43):
the Governor's office as well as theDepartment of Health to stay open during the
pandemic. And part of that reason, because of my background in healthcare,
I thought, who's going to carefor the kids of the healthcare workers,
of our essential workers. You wantto go to your grocery store, Who's
supposed to watch their children while yourservices are being open? And we worked
very closely with our team. Weconsolidated and we had ten clubs open,
(13:07):
right so we figured we'll serve thevalley. Within three months, we got
so many calls. We opened eighteensites and then we opened twenty three sites,
and there was a very specific reason. One the families we were serving
did not have access to enough technologyto even support their kids doing their school
(13:28):
work at home. When you haveparents at home and you have kids at
home, you don't have enough bandwidthor technology. And in those days,
they didn't give laptops to our kids. I came into the club one day
and I saw three teenagers sitting outsideour club and they were on their cell
phones. And I said, whatare you doing. It was the middle
of the pandemic. And they said, we're trying to get our homework done.
(13:48):
And I said, get up,come into the clubs. So we
opened up the teen center. Weput them in there. We gave them
computers. And one of them saidto me, is that food I smell?
Oh no, And I went,oh my god. The schools are
closed. This is where many manyof our kids get their breakfast in lunch.
I said, this is not okay, and we opened up all our
(14:11):
clubs for breakfast and lunch. Sowe pivoted. As a business, were
normally opened three to seven pm.We were open from seven am to six
pm. For eighteen months, turnedevery gymnasium into a virtual school, so
every child and teen could come inwith their laptop, get connected to school,
and get two meals a day.So, in a very real way,
the Boys and Girls Club of theValley was well, you were essential
(14:35):
and front line because I didn't eventhink about this. We were praising the
people who were stocking our store shelves. We were praising the nurses and the
doctors that were going into work.But yeah, they have families too,
And because the schools are closed anda lot of the different facilities are closed,
(14:56):
who's going to step into the gapand take care of them? And
it sounds like that's exactly what youdid. And in doing so, since
COVID, you've also expanded because yourealize that there's some gaps there that are
not going to go back to normal. There's some things that are just not
going to go back to normal,so then you have to find a way
(15:16):
to address those issues, address thoseneeds as well. Absolutely. First of
all, our staff are incredible.Staff became frontline workers and are really the
true heroes of the story because theycame to work every day. And I
am very very proud. We didnot close one day during COVID. We
were open every day. For achild or a family that needed our support.
(15:37):
But what we noticed in the clubsevery day is that the kid's needs
were different. There was tremendous stresshappening for kids, you know, especially
if their parents were healthcare workers.There were deaths happening around the valley,
whether it was family members, whetherit was friends, and we thought we've
got to address this, you know, Marsha, I'm glad we went back
(15:58):
to the whole COVID issue because we'rea couple of years passing now, a
lot of people really want to forgetabout it. But that was a very
frightening period in our nation's history andhere in the valley, and as you
just said, you know, we'vewe lost loved ones. We we were
doing things, you know, thinkingthat we're keeping people safe. We changed
(16:19):
the rules of the game, andthat comes with a lot of stress,
a lot of anxiety, as youpointed out. But we're talking mostly among
adults. We don't really take intoaccount how this is impacting the kids.
I know teachers do, but theywere out. I mean, you were
doing this for you know, havingtwo or three hats going on, so
(16:42):
you saw the impact of how weaddress the COVID issue you saw up close
and personal with the very CLIENTELEIG youwork with the boys and girls in the
Boys and Girls Club. You've madeadjustments since then. Tell me what are
some things that you won't go backto or you just can't go back to
(17:03):
since we had that big change withCOVID. That's exactly right. We have
changed our what we call our academicsuccess program. So we've been very specifically
focusing not only on regular homework,but it's learning loss. How is that
catch up happening after COVID, particularlyfor third grade reading and math skills,
(17:26):
fourth grade math skills, and alsowhat happens pre high school? That's really
We're not going to see that levelout for about a decade, is what
the data shows. So we've putspecific programs in place to really help young
people, especially that kindergarten through fourthgrade, catch up on some of that
learning loss, working closely with schoolsand school districts to really meet that gap.
(17:49):
And that's on the academic side.You know, I didn't think about
that either. People. You know, there has been a real set back
when it comes to education. Nownow people who are in a different position
are able to address that you know, they can hire their tutors, and
they can hire you know, youknow, private school or whatever. They
(18:11):
help kids catch up. But there'sa huge segment of our society that simply
just don't have those means. AndI'm excited to hear that's something that the
Boys and Girls Club are are,you know, addressing because, as you
said, the statistics that are comingout about the damage that COVID did to
(18:33):
education when our kids, I mean, a lot of people in a lot
of places are getting left behind.But this is something that the Boys and
Girls Club is aware of and addressis part of the programming that you do.
We have to the kids we serve. Their families don't have the means
to help, and frankly, they'reall working parents, so they don't have
(18:55):
the time even if they have themeans. So again, a few of
our learning loss programs right after COVID, we worked really intentionally on phonics,
reading, and math. On average, we were seeing twenty two percent increases
in our scores for an eight weekintensive program. Now, that takes a
lot of resources and time, butwe had to do it. You know,
(19:15):
we could not have our kids leftbehind, so we focused, you
know, originally on the academic piece, but what became really clear very early
on was these kids are struggling.They're struggling emotionally, and they're struggling their
behaviors. Their mental health was struggling, and we thought, what can we
(19:36):
do different and unique as a Boysand Girls club to truly change the needle
on that. As a nonprofit,how does the Boys and Girls Club raise
money to take care of these programs? Just that you expanded into Yuma.
Of course, we've been here,you've been You've been here in the valley
(19:56):
for seventy five years. How doesthe kids continue to exist? So we
are highly, highly reliant on philanthropy, and it's probably been our biggest struggle.
We have cities that are on waitlists. I have clubs that are
on weightless because we don't have enoughresources to either add more staff or add
(20:18):
more programs. We are one ofthe largest, probably the largest childcare provider
in the state of Arizona that doesnot receive a subsidy from the state,
so we ask parents to contribute.Our fees are anywhere between forty to eighty
dollars a month, and sixty twopercent of our families need scholarships to even
(20:40):
pay that amount because many of themhave multiple kids. So we ask our
donors, our supporters, our corporations, our boards to please help us fund
these, you know, our organization, just to keep our operating costs going.
And that's the piece that I wasnot aware of, but that's very
important for people to now. Ithink so most people assume we're subsidized.
(21:03):
They say, how can your feesbe so low because the fees clearly don't
reflect the cost of our business.But we've really made it our mission and
again our board, to say we'regoing to raise the money so we don't
have to say no to families.And now we're at a point, you
know, with the workforce hiring enoughemployees. And it's also about quality.
I'm not going to sacrifice quantity forquality. So we want to serve more
(21:27):
kids, and we could, butwe definitely need more resources and we hope
someday to be receiving, you know, some state assistance. Well I was
about to say, you know what, you've been able to grow and be
strong, to solidify your base andeverything without that. Of course, if
it comes your way, you wouldnever say you never say no. I
(21:48):
remember when the government gave me ascholarship to go to your Okay exactly.
The more it comes from the base, the more it comes from the citizen,
the more it comes from the community, and as you said, philanthropy,
I think the better it is.And so that's one of the reasons
I want to talk to you today. So one of the reasons why we
(22:08):
have you on CEOs that you shouldknow because people should know about you,
and they should know about the Boysand Girls Club of the Valley and also
a lot of our corporate The corporatecommunity is critical to us because their employees
send their kids to Boys and Girlsclubs. So we're an option for employers
to use our clubs when they offerchildcare subsidies to their families. It could
(22:33):
be a Boys and Girls clubs becausewe have thirty sites here in Maricopa County
and one in Yuma, so there'sa lot of opportunity. Childcare is still
the biggest barrier for employers to gettheir employees back to the office get back
to work, and this is anoption make sure there is adequate, sustainable,
stable, and affordable childcare. Thereare many challenges, especially post COVID,
(22:57):
but it sounds like the Boys GirlsClub. They're completely aware of them
and trying to make adjustments to meetthe need of the people that you serve.
Real quickly, let's talk about socialmedia links where people want to find
you, where they go, theywant to find me. You can always
(23:17):
find us either on LinkedIn. Wehave a company site right on LinkedIn on
BGC Arizona. We also have aFacebook page at BGC Arizona, a Twitter
page BGC Arizona, and a companyInstagram at BGC Arizona. Okay, I'm
gonna follow you on Instagram, soI'm young in here. I don't know
(23:40):
about the motherplace. I'm you'll seesome cool things. Some of our young
people post amazing things on that andthat's one of the things. I mean,
I think the more that people geta chance to see what's going on
because I have been educated by ourconversation today, because of course, when
I'm thinking about the Boys and GirlsClub, I'm thinking about it what it
was like when I was involved.When it's twenty thirty years ago, I
(24:03):
know I look much younger, butit's like when you tell us what's going
on now, especially post COVID,it takes on a whole different meaning,
and it's something that I think thatI would be very, very interested in,
and I'm hoping that other folks willbe interested in it as well.
Yeah, I think one of thebig changes people need to realize is teens
(24:25):
and how much teens have changed.In the past. The club was the
place where they would hang out.They would come after school and hang out.
Teens don't necessarily need or want tohang out anymore. They have their
devices. How do we get thesekids off their devices? So we've moved
into a different pathway with teens.We really focus on career pathways and workforce
(24:47):
development, and I'm talking for sixteento nineteen year olds. There's a lot
of programs once you've graduated high school, but it is our opinion that if
you don't reach them early on inmiddle school and early high school, you're
not going to be a to getthem to explore the careers that they are
perfectly suited to go into and makegreat money and contribute to the economy.
(25:07):
And once again, that's something youjust don't think about. Yes, we
had a new generation the teens outthere coming of age, and yes they
were impacted by the changes that ourcountry went through. The last few years,
and again I hear that you justlistening to you, your attuned to
that, and you're trying to findways to capture their imagination as well.
(25:30):
Marsha Mintz, President and CEO ofBoys and Girls Club of the Valley,
I really have enjoyed our conversation todayand truly you are a CEO that many
people should know right here in thevalley. Well, thank you very much.
It's really an honor and pleasure tobe here. Just to recap as
more and more parents are forced todo more to cover the costs of daily
(25:53):
living due to inflation, the Boysand Girls Club of the Valley offer of
affordable after school and summer programs forover sixteen thousand young people in grades K
through twelve and beyond. We learnedtoday that over thirty clubs across the valley,
and we also have clubs in Yuma, provide award winning programs designed to
(26:18):
change the lives of young people,focusing on academic success, good character and
leadership, healthy lifestyles and workforce readinessand career pathways. We've learned that the
Boys and Girls Club of the Valleyremained open during COVID every single day to
(26:38):
provide services for kids and for familieswho were in need. The Boys and
Girls Club of the Valley here fromfamilies who are under a lot of financial
pressure every day, and it isthe club's mission to meet those needs.
If you are a business organization inthe community, they would like to encourage
(27:00):
you to look into coming alongside ofthe Boys and Girls Club of the Valley
to help them continue in this verypowerful work. Thanks for listening to CEOs.
You should know Phoenix on your freeiHeartRadio app.
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