After School Programs in Peril for Boys & Girls Club of Harlem as NYS Cuts $1.4M in Funding
Youth programs run by the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem are in peril as the state suddenly halts $1.4 million worth of funding allotted to its after-school programs since 2019. The state funds make up more than half of the organization’s revenue.
| 08 Jul 2024 | 04:07
BGC Harlem’s STEM programs focus on project-based learning in science, mathematics, and technology, with a focus on highlighting not just content, but also cultural and career connections. Such programs may have to be discontinued as $1.4 million in state funding is not being renewed. Photo: Boys & Girls Club of Harlem
The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem has heavily relied on a $1.4 million state fund since 2019, and the termination of that fund will cause significant loss in the club’s programs, organizers say. (
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In 2019, the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH) was awarded $1.4 million in state funding under a five-year funding formula that was to last through fiscal 2025 thanks to the Advantage After School Programs (AASP) and Empire Program.
But in June the BGCH was informed that due to recent state budget cuts the program is being allowed to sunset. The loss of the funds could be devastating for the 44-year-old organization which currently serves over 2,000 youths and receives 80 percent of its funding from government sources.
“We will need to close one or more of our afterschool programs,” warns Sharon Joseph, the CEO of the BGCH. The state has not indicated why the funding program has not been renewed. According to the organizations IRS form 990 filed last year covering the 2022 fiscal year, the $1.4 million from the state comprised 54 percent of club’s revenue, which was listed at $2.58 million.
The $1.4 million fund was instrumental in the Boys and Girls Club’s operations at four local elementary schools, PS 186, PS 368, PS 241, and PS 92, said Joseph. For the past five years, the funding has been used for afterschool programs of all kinds–tutors, youth development specialists, STEM courses, dance classes, and more. These programs are “critical” in providing quality youth development opportunities, particularly in the hours directly after school when students’ learning can be most impacted, she said.
The BGCH programs serve 2,200 children between the ages of 5-18, 93 percent of which come from low-income families and 33 percent of which are unhoused, Joseph said. It is an important institution and resource for Harlem’s youth, helping kids and teenagers with academic success, offering internships, providing social and emotional instruction, and enriching the lives of the kids by offering support.
The group’s website shares impressive statistics: 93 percent of their teen students are expected to graduate, compared to 74 percent of the youth in the district overall. Eighty three percent of teens in the after-school programs reported receiving A’s and B’s on their report cards, versus 67 percent of their peers nationally. The developmental impact is widespread, and deeply beneficial to the city’s youth as New York is home to large educational inequities, Joseph said.
Joseph told the West Side Spirit that some after-school programs across the state have sent letters protesting the budget cuts, although it’s unclear if any of those efforts will result in change. The BGCH website offers opportunities to volunteer both as an individual or an organization. Visit https://bgcharlem.org/volunteer/ to learn more.
Straus News reached out to District 7 council members but did not receive a comment by presstime.