Boys & Girls Clubs of Lawrence

As one of the 50 founding clubs of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 1891, the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence was founded to provide local children with opportunities to foster their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social growth. Our mission is to enable all young people of Greater Lawrence, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. BGCL programming lies in three focus areas: Academic Success, Character & Leadership, and Healthy Lifestyles.  

For each of these three areas, our goals are as follows: 

Academic Success  |  All members graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, the military, or employment. 
Character & Leadership  | All members model strong character, are proud of their cultural heritage, and become engaged citizens who are involved in their community. 
Healthy Lifestyles  |  All members adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices, and make a lifelong commitment to fitness. 
 
In addition to offering our members an extensive choice of activities delivered with best practices in youth development, we also provide something else that is vital to their future success: a staff who cares deeply about their development and has the skills to help them realize their full potential. Every day, children are exposed messages of hope within each activity they pursue.  

The costs to deliver our programming and maintain our outstanding facilities far exceed the modest fee that we charge our members and we are, therefore, dependent on philanthropy to fulfill our mission.  Our annual membership fee is only $40 a year, including summer programs, so all but the most indigent families can afford it. The fee is waived for those who cannot to pay. No other youth-serving organization in the Merrimack Valley area offers so much for so little.    

Our greatest achievements are the accomplishments of our youth. While the high school graduation rate in Lawrence has hovered around 75%, 100% of our 2021-2023 high school seniors graduated on time. The BGCL is the only club, out of 4,300 national Boys & Girls Club of America clubs, that represents two National Youth of the Year and three National Runner-Ups – including our 2022 Youth of the Year- who had the opportunity to meet the President of the United States. Finally, in 2000, one of our own alums was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club of America National Hall of Fame. These distinctions are a true testament to the supportive mentoring provided by the BGCL staff. 

Each year, our Boston Marathon team raises critically-needed unrestricted support for mission so we may direct the funds to the areas of greatest need. If you would like to learn more about work or would like to arrange for a visit to the Club to see our programs in action, please contact Chief Development Officer Paul Grand Pré at pgrandpre@lawrencebgc.com  or by phone at 978-683-2747, x118 or visit our website at www.lawrencebgc.com