Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio faces $3 million budget gap

Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio faces a $3 million budget gap due to the nonrenewal of federal funds. According to a news release from the nonprofit, the organization may be forced to cut back its services if the gap cannot be filled, which could mean closing clubs. Director of Communications Ken Wood said in an email the organization lost $2.5 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds previously allocated to the state through the Ohio Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, and another $500,000 in federal pass-through funds it expected from local school systems. There has been a reduction or elimination in after-school programs in Lorain Schools and Cleveland Schools, according to a news release. BGCNEO operates 49 clubs in six counties in Northeast Ohio; including 38 clubs in schools in Lorain and Cleveland Schools. The organization has launched a corporate campaign and is seeking state and local funding before the 2024-25 school year. "We are facing a difficult challenge, one that could have life-altering consequences for some of our most vulnerable children," CEO Allen Smith said in the release. "Families across Northeast Ohio count on us to provide a safe place for their children at no cost. The prospect of having to close even one club, let alone several, is disconcerting. We continue to hope the community will rally behind our kids." According to the release, Boys and Girls Clubs typically reduce the number of clubs open in the summer by consolidating nearby sites; but the budget gap could result in some of those clubs not reopening this fall. Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio was formed in 2019 by a merger of the clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Sandusky, making it one of the largest clubs in the Midwest.