Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation awards $250,000 grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties for Staffing and Recruitment of Youth Development Professionals

In continued support of empowering youth development, Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation recently awarded Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties a $250,000 grant to support staffing across the organization. The grant will also support efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of quality team members to ensure maximum impact and stability for the youth and families they serve.

A strained labor market coupled with pay and benefit constraints has presented challenges in recruiting quality staff for the critical youth mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. There are currently hundreds of open positions for childcare professionals in Sarasota County along with a teacher shortage, which has increased the pressure to be competitive and resourceful in recruiting local talent and, in particular, youth development professionals. 

With support from this grant from Barancik Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties will be able to continue their efforts to sufficiently staff all six Club locations and programs, while also;

• Furthering efforts to increase compensation and benefits for both full and part-time staff to remain competitive in the current environment.
• Developing marketing tools and incentives to bolster recruiting outreach and attract quality youth development professionals.

• Providing additional training and development opportunities for team members to grow their skills, thereby increasing employee retention and establishing a pipeline for an upward career trajectory.

“We are grateful for our longstanding partnership with Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation and their commitment to empowering youth to excel in the classroom, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, and build leadership skills in a positive place with trusted professionals,” said Bill Sadlo, President & CEO. “We are committed to maximizing the impact of this funding to retain and attract quality youth development professionals in the region who can lead our programmatic opportunities for youth to achieve their full potential and become the leaders of tomorrow.”

 “We love the work of the Boys & Girls Club and understand how difficult it is to stay competitive in this job market,” commented Barancik Foundation President | CEO Teri A Hansen. “The impact speaks for itself, particularly when it comes to the Club’s nationally recognized programs. The reality, however, is those programs do not exist without passionate, well-trained, and well-paid professionals. This investment will not only build quality staff but also build quality future leaders.”