Capital Campaign

Campaign Progress

$5,233,165.93

Dollars Raised

Capital Campaign Fundraising Goal: Raised $5,233,165 out of $7,000,000

The Vision: to serve more kids in Story County!

Our vision is to expand our current capacity of 11,250 square feet to serve more kids! The updated 18,750 square feet building, located in Ames, will give our current families and new families on our waiting list an improved space and experience!

Why now?

The current Ames facility was built in 1998 and has reached its capacity! Due to facility constraints, we are only able to serve 105 youth which leaves us turning away those who need us most.

Completion of our expansion will provide a continuous, affordable and safe place for more children and teens in our community that truly need it.

Thanks to a $2.7 million grant from the Iowa Non-Profit Innovation Fund and donations from other local donors, we are well on our way to seeing our dream become a reality!

Site benefits & features

Proposed floor plan

Illustration on top of a satellite image of the current BGCStory Ames Club showing the current building and the expanded addon.

View location

It's about the kids

At the Boys & Girls Clubs, kids feel respected, understood, valued and important. They have positive adult role models and mentors who provide guidance and support every day.

The club is a fun place where kids laugh, learn and grow! It’s a trusted support system for families because parents know their children are safe while they are at work. In communities where Clubs exist, kids are less likely to become involved in risky behaviors.

Studies have proven that kids who attend the Club regularly are more likely to graduate high school and plan a future, develop good habits in health and nutrition and grow into adults of good character who believe in giving back to their community.

Your support of our Ames Club will make this happen!

Ways to give

Pledge

Pledge form: Please download this form, fill it out, and email it to jjohnston@bgcstory.org 

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Mail

Donations and the pledge form can be mailed to:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Story County
210 S 5th Street
Ames, IA 50010

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All donations are 100% tax deductible. All donors will be listed on the permanent donor recognition signage.

Naming right opportunities available starting at $10k. Please contact Judge Johnston at jjohnston@bgcstory.org for more information.

One-time donations and multi-year gifts can also be made online or by mail.

Thank you donors!

Thank you to the Burke Family for making a generous leadership gift!

Captial Campaign Corporate Donors

First Interstate Bank logo
Fareway logo
Ag Leader logo
Toyota logo
Northwest Bank logo
Avalia Bank logo
Ames Lincoln logo
Woodruff Construction logo
Wilson Toyota of Ames logo
Blomgren Seed logo
Knapp Tedesco Insurance logo
1st National Bank logo
Eurosource logo
Carney logo
Cornerstone logo
Vision Bank logo
Lone Wolf logo
Ames Home Builders Association logo
Invision logo
Prairie Meadows logo
Variety Children's Charity logo

What's the impact?

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County has positively impacted the lives of countless children and youth by providing them with a safe and supportive environment to grow, learn, and develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Through a wide range of programs, including academic support, health and wellness programs, leadership development, and more, the organization has helped students build confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of community. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County is an invaluable resource for families in the area, and it plays a critical role in shaping the future of the community by empowering the next generation of leaders.

Your contribution reaches beyond the individuals directly impacted by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County. By investing in the development of our youth, you are investing in the strength and vibrancy of our community as a whole. By enabling children to reach their full potential, your donation fosters a generation of responsible, compassionate citizens who will go on to positively impact the world around them. Help us create a ripple effect of lasting change.  

-Ryan Santi (CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Story County)

Why we give

Burke Family Foundation Four Sisters Foundation.

The Ames location of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County is a vital part of the Ames community, providing a safe, positive, caring, educational, and all-inclusive environment for our community’s youth.

Our family values the health, education and general welfare of our children and all the children of our community.  When we heard that the Ames Club had outgrown their current facility and had a plan to expand we were excited to help support the project.  We share the blessings we have received to support our family values as they are reflected by the overall philosophy of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County program.

Children are our greatest resource.  Providing them with as many advantages and opportunities for success as possible is what Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County does well.  The current Ames Club capital campaign will enhance the programming and resources for education across the spectrum—life skills development, support of our K-12 curriculum, and socialization while teaching about and providing healthy meal planning and opportunities for our community’s children. 

-The Burke Family Foundation and Four Sisters Foundation enthusiastically support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Story County and the Ames Club capital campaign.

Jan and Don Payer

The Boys and Girls Club of Story County, which began in 1963, has a long history of support from our community. The Club was first located above the Hobby Shop at 200 Main St, Ames. In 1970 they bought and refurnished Earl’s Garage at 104 Kellogg and in 1998 they moved to a new building at 210 South 5th St, their present location. Now it is time to expand and renovate this building to serve more of our youth. The Club provides a safe place for learning, leadership, fellowship and fun. There is a waiting list for new members.  We are happy to continue our support of this good program. 

-Jan Payer and the late Don Payer

Tyler Farner, Board President

My family has been in Ames since 1971. I grew up here and my wife, LeAnn, and I raised our four children here. The Ames community has been so good to my family and is very special to us to say the least. We enjoy the opportunity to be able to contribute – to give back – in the way of our time and resources.

We love the mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Story County…”To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most…”. It is what inspired me to join the Club’s board four years ago. We have so many young people in our community who need us – now more than ever. The closer I get to the Club, the more I see it. Expanding the Club will not only help us to serve more kids in the community, it will also give us an even better ability to equip our young people to “…reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”  What a great investment!

-Tyler Farner on behalf of the Farner Family

Judge Johnston, Development Director

Both Patty and I have been inspired to not only support the capital campaign personally, but also to join the growing list of local donors and supporters that want to help our kids at the Club have a safe and enriching environment that they can prosper in. We encourage you to support this project and to feel good about helping these kids and families that need us the most in this great Ames community we live in. 

-Judge and Patty Johnston

Thank you to all of our individual capital campaign donors!

Kids holding up signs with individual letters spelling 'THANK YOU!'