Nonprofit of the Year Winner | Large: Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc. has been serving children in the community for more than 87 years.

CEO Brandy Harris says the organization’s growth comes down to a few things and is a moving target.

“I think the first thing is probably the audacity, honestly,” she says, noting nonprofit officials must “dream about growth in a different way or new ways.”

She says for many years, growth at BGCS was charted based on the number of children served.

“And now, while that’s still incredibly important because there are so many families and people in need in this community, growth is also measured by program quality,” Harris says. “How many kids are learning valuable life skills when they’re here? How many kids are building the basics and fundamentals of whatever they’re engaging in, whether it’s sports or arts or health and wellness, whatever it might be?”

Collaboration is another key to BGCS’ growth.

She says “finding partners who can help us extend our impact and our mission and working alongside them instead of in competition with them” is crucial.

Harris said BGCS’ mission statement involves enabling all young people to reach their full potential as responsible citizens.

“That mission is the driving force behind everything that we do,” she says.

Harris additionally pointed to a financial case for donations to the nonprofit.

She said a study commissioned by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America with the University of Michigan found a quantifiable number.

“They found that for every $1 invested in a club, there’s a $10.32 return on your community,” Harris says. “That’s in economic development, in crime reduction.”

Harris additionally says that success at BGCS is measured both qualitatively and quantitatively.

“We’re serving 6,000 kids, 75% of them are on free and reduced lunch. Those hard numbers are really important, because they give people a quick snapshot into the success of the organization,” she says. “But on the other side of things, the more qualitative data ... are the individual stories.”