About Us

Children  have been coming to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee since 1887, when Annabell Cook Whitcomb transformed two basement rooms at Plymouth Church in downtown Milwaukee into a Club for boys.
 
Today, we are the oldest and largest youth-serving agency in the city. Everyday, thousands of Milwaukee's most disadvantaged youth stream through our doors and meet positive role models, feel safe and secure and participate in life-changing programming.
 
Our mission is simple: to inspire and empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. To ensure we fulfill this mission, the Clubs charge only a $5 membership fee and no one is turned away because they cannot pay.
 
We have more than 700 full-and-part-time employees and 300+ volunteers who help Milwaukee's youth succeed. They are led by a top-notch executive team and a 70+ member Board of Trustees, and are guided by the same passion that drove Cook Whitcomb: reach the youth who need us most.
Agency Facts
  • Membership: 35,466
  • Average daily attendance: 4,629
  • Operating budget: $21,817,743
  • Agency resources go towards:
    • Youth programming: 86%
    • Administration: 8%
    • Development: 5%
  • Locations:
    • six legacy Club locations throughout Urban Milwaukee
    • one year-round rural camp in Hartland, Wis.
    • one Club at the Ethan Allen School for Boys in Wales, Wis.
    • thirty-two school-based Clubs in Milwaukee & Waukesha
  • Membership fee: $5

Membership Facts

  • Age:
    • 53%  6-12 years old
    • 47%  13-18 years old
  • Household Income:
    • 50%  $0-$14,999
    • 14%  $15,000-$24,999
    • 15%  $25,000-$49,999
    •   7%  $50,000+
    • 14%  unknown
  • Ethnicity:
    • 74%  African-American
    • 18%  Hispanic
    •   5%  Caucasian
    •   2%  Multi-racial
    •   .5%  Asian
    •   .6%  Native-American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
  • Family Structure:
    • 58%  one parent
    • 30%  two parents
    •   4%   foster care
    •   8%   unknown