Boys & Girls Club of South Central Kansas to Conclude Emporia Programming Following Multi-Year Effort to Sustain Local Support
The Boys & Girls Club of South Central Kansas (BGCSCK) will conclude its Emporia-based afterschool programs ahead of the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, following a multi-year effort to build a sustainable financial foundation in the community.
This decision was not made lightly - and while it ultimately came down to funding, it was not driven by a pursuit of funding alone. BGCSCK doesn’t go where the money is; they go where they are needed. The program came to Emporia because the community asked for support, and they chose to stay because of their belief in supporting children. But after years of effort, when sustainable community investment didn’t come together, the Board of Directors had to make the most responsible choice for the future of the organization and the families that they serve.
BGCSCK was invited into the community in 2022 to help expand access to safe, consistent afterschool programming for local students. The program launched with funding from the Emporia School District to serve children at six school sites. However, maintaining that level of service required significant, ongoing investment - costing the organization more than $800,000 per year to operate.
From the beginning, BGCSCK worked to raise local support to meet these costs. Despite following every proposed funding plan and protocol, including multiple grant applications and outreach to community partners, the organization was unable to secure the necessary financial commitment. In response to recent and unexpected changes in funding the projected local support was not even going to cover a third of the program costs for the upcoming school year, creating a gap that could no longer be responsibly bridged.
“This decision is heartbreaking - but it’s rooted in the financial realities of sustaining high-quality programs,” said Junnae Campbell, CEO of BGCSCK. “We’ve been transparent with the district from the start about what it takes to run this program. Our team followed every recommendation, met with every suggested contact, and applied for every viable grant. We came to Emporia because we wanted to provide a safe space for children and families - but a program like this simply can’t survive without broad community backing.”
Throughout the past few years, BGCSCK has raised family participation fees, applied to all funders who aligned with the program’s mission, and advocated consistently for continued support. While many efforts did not result in funding, BGCSCK is grateful for the organizations who did step up including the Emporia Community Foundation and the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation. Their support made an impact and is deeply appreciated. Unfortunately, the overall funding needed to sustain six sites year-round did not materialize.
Where funders did require letters of support, the district generously provided them. However, those applications were not selected. In many other cases, funders shared that their giving priorities did not align with afterschool programs like ours.
“This is not about giving up - it’s about being honest,” Campbell added. “We are proud of the impact we made in Emporia, and we stand by the effort, care, and integrity we brought to this community. We hope others will continue to build on the work that’s begun here.”
BGCSCK will conclude operations in Emporia before the start of the 2025 - 2026 school year. The organization is committed to supporting staff and families through the transition with care and transparency.