Success Story: The Henderson Boys & Girls Club

boys and girls club of henderson logo

magnifying glass icon  The Situation: 

Henderson, Kentucky, is home to the Henderson Boys & Girls Club. Data from recent studies show a significant number of students are home alone during critical hours directly after school; an increasing number of youth are in the criminal justice system; and a high percentage of children are overweight. The Henderson Boys & Girls Club provides a safe, nurturing place for children and teens to go to after school.

The Club had outgrown the space they were given through the generosity of a local church, limiting the number of youth and families they can serve in the community. The Club’s primary goal in launching their “Great Futures Start Now” capital campaign was to renovate a new, larger space at the historical Henderson National Guard Armory, with the objective of doubling the nonprofit’s capacity.

cross-hair icon  Funding Goals: 

  • Raise $3.2 million
  • Renovate the National Guard Armory
  • Double the number of students currently being served
  • Increase programming to attract and retain teens

lightbulb icon  The Challenges: 

  • As a local nonprofit organization, previous fundraising efforts had been limited to local community support. Capital campaign fundraising requires a different size and scope with larger investments on multiple levels, as well as multi-year commitments.
  • It was believed that a fundraising campaign of this size would be the largest campaign in the community to date. There was concern that the campaign goal amount would be too high for Henderson.

checkmark icon  The Convergent Approach: 

After evaluating the goals of this capital campaign, Convergent launched a feasibility study to examine its projected success. We worked individually with capital campaign and advisory board members to ensure the campaign was supported at the highest level. With the feedback from the feasibility study, Convergent helped the Henderson Boys & Girls Club tailor its capital campaign approach.

Our senior project director has many years of experience in both nonprofit development and leadership. She helped the Club create a case for support that included measurable outcomes as well as a rational and emotional appeal that would entice members of the community to invest in this initiative. We were able to quickly secure campaign leadership and several key pledges to drive the campaign forward. That momentum continued throughout the campaign, as we raised almost $3 million in the quiet phase alone toward the Henderson Boys & Girls Club’s $3.2 million funding goal.

chart icon  The Results: 

Convergent helped the campaign raise $2.97 million in the quiet phase alone. To date, they have exceeded their fundraising goal!