As we say goodbye to 2025, we look back on all the people and companies who made our year such a successful one.
Please click on the graphic below to glimpse many of our donors. Every supporter means the world to us. Some may not appear here, but please know your generosity makes a real impact.
Thank you so much for allowing Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington to continue our mission. We are thankful for all of you!
We are thrilled to announce that Jessie Bustamante has joined the Washington State Association & Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs as Executive Director.
Jessie brings more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, having strengthened organizations such as the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, and most recently ACCEL, a nonprofit supporting individuals who have special needs.
Francisco Bueno, Board Chair, shared: “Jessie Bustamante comes to us with strong experience, a relationship-focused approach, and infectious energy that positions her well to move our collective work forward.”
Jessie shared: “I’m thrilled to join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington State. I look forward to expanding opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and supporting every young person across our state.”
We are thrilled to announce that Edward Jones has made a generous $100,000 investment to support Boys & Girls Clubs across Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, with a special focus on strengthening Clubs in non-metro communities. This incredible contribution reflects Edward Jones’ ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for young people and supporting the communities where they live and work.
This regional investment will provide meaningful support to qualifying Club organizations across the four states, helping expand access, enhance programming, and strengthen operations in areas where resources are often limited. Grant funds are unrestricted, offering Clubs the flexibility to meet local needs and serve youth in the ways that matter most.
In addition to the financial investment, Edward Jones is encouraging employees across the region to connect with their local Boys & Girls Clubs to volunteer and deliver financial literacy sessions for youth and families. This partnership not only strengthens financial capability within our communities but also deepens local engagement between Clubs and Edward Jones branch teams.
This investment, and the volunteer commitment behind it, will have a lasting and positive impact on young people throughout Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. We extend our sincere gratitude to Edward Jones for their generosity, partnership, and belief in the power of Boys & Girls Clubs to change lives.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington’s Deputy Director, Lauren Day, was honored with the 2025 Prevention Award of Excellence by the Washington State Healthcare Authority on October 29th during the monthly virtual Prevention Provider Meeting.
The award celebrates complex and innovative work in youth leadership. This award shines a spotlight on the importance of prevention work supported by afterschool organizations, and how critical it is in the continuum of care for our young people. We are humbled by this recognition and excited to further our work with HCA and empower kids across Washington in drug and alcohol prevention and mental health promotion. Thank you, HCA!
Clubs across Washington participated in Great Futures Week, October 20-24th, a time to recognize the support our legislators have on our Clubs and their members.
Some Clubs, like Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County, hosted their legislators–Representatives Peter Abbarno and Ed Orcutt–at their Club, giving them tours and highlighting the Club’s amazing programming. Still others took to social media to reflect on past encounters with their local legislators and thank them for their support. We’re so proud our Clubs showed up, reaching out to their local legislators, and sharing the great programming our Clubs do for thousands of Club kids every day.
In early September, Club staff gathered in Las Vegas for Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2025 Pacific Leadership Conference. The conference was a way for staff to come together and connect, learn, inspire, and celebrate.
Clubs across Washington were honored with awards at this year’s conference. We’d like to congratulate those Clubs by recognizing them here!
Congratulations to Brian Ace, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, for being awarded the Blue Spirit Award–an award given to an individual for embodying the spirit of Boys & Girls Clubs.
Several Clubs’ boards also received awards to include: the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula for receiving the Bronze League of EAGLES, the boards of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin and Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County for receiving the Silver League of EAGLES, the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County for receiving the Gold League of EAGLES. These awards were given to Clubs who had the highest board participation. Finally, we’d like to recognize the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County for receiving the SOAR Award, the award given to Clubs when they’ve qualified for the Gold League of EAGLES for three consecutive years in a row.
Finally, several Washington Clubs received the 100s Club Award. This award is given to Clubs for completing Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s five Operation Impact Goals: completion of a teen growth plan, submission of the life and workforce readiness assessment, submission of an average daily participation growth plan, completion of an individual giving and major gifts plan, and contracted for the MyClubHub Club management system. The Clubs recognized with the award were Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue, Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, JBG Lewis-McChord CYS Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County, Boys & Girls Club of the Yakama Nation, Boys & Girls Club of the Quinault Indian Nation, and Naval Station Everett.
Congratulations to all who were recognized for their hard work and dedication!
