A Message to Our Funders, Strategic Partners, and Community Stakeholders

For more than 20 years, our Regence Boys & Girls Club—one of five Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro (BGCP) Club locations—has been a place where young people in North Portland have built friendships, discovered their strengths, and developed meaningful relationships with caring adults. Thousands of young people have walked through its doors, finding encouragement, opportunity, and a community that believes in their potential.

Because of that legacy, the decision to transition from the Regence Club facility has been one of the most difficult decisions. After careful consideration, we have made the decision to conclude operations at our Regence Club location at the end of our summer programming cycle on August 14, 2026, and pursue the sale of this property.

We recognize this news may raise questions among our funders, partners, community, and supporters. We want to provide context for why this decision was made and, more importantly, where Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro is headed.

While this announcement centers on one Club location, it is also part of a larger vision for the future of BGCP—one focused on strengthening our organization, evolving how we deliver our mission, and ensuring we can continue serving more young people for generations to come.

Our Commitment to North Portland Remains Strong

First and foremost, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro is  not leaving North Portland.

We recognize that concluding operations at the Regence Club facility has an immediate impact on the young people and families who call this Club their community. We do not take that lightly. The relationships built at Regence, the memories created, and the sense of belonging experienced by youth and families over the years are meaningful and cannot simply be replaced by a change in location.

Our team is committed to supporting Regence families throughout this transition. Families will be engaged and surveyed to better understand their needs, transportation considerations, and program preferences as we identify pathways for continued Club membership at our other Club locations (e.g. Blazers Club in NE Portland). Our goal is to ensure that every young person who wants to remain connected to Boys & Girls Clubs has an opportunity to do so.

At the same time, concluding operations at the Regence Club facility does not mean we are stepping away from North Portland. This decision is part of a broader vision to strengthen how we deliver our mission and create more opportunities for young people throughout the communities we serve.

For decades, Boys & Girls Clubs have been defined by the buildings we operate. While our Clubhouses will always remain the foundation of our work, we recognize that today’s young people learn, gather, and build relationships in many different places. As we look toward the future, we have an opportunity to build on the strength of our Clubhouses by creating more pathways for young people to access the relationships, experiences, and opportunities that define the Boys & Girls Club experience.

As part of this long-term vision, we are exploring opportunities to deepen partnerships around several of our Club locations—working alongside schools, businesses, and community organizations to expand programming, improve access for youth and families, and strengthen the connection between our Clubs and the communities they serve. These partnerships will allow us to thoughtfully maximize the spaces and resources we have while creating more opportunities for young people to engage in meaningful programming closer to where they live, learn, and grow.

Why This Decision Was Necessary

Like many nonprofit organizations across our community, BGCP has experienced significant financial pressures over the past several years. Rising operating costs, increasing personnel expenses, inflation, and a more competitive fundraising environment have challenged our ability to sustain our organization in its current form. More recently, reductions in federal funding have created additional uncertainty for nonprofits across our region.

Over the past year, our Board of Directors and leadership team have engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of our organization, not simply asking where we could reduce expenses, but what kind of organization BGCP needs to become to best serve young people in the future.

That work led to one guiding principle:

Operate within our means today while building the capacity to grow strategically tomorrow.

The transition from the Regence facility is one component of that strategy. Across BGCP, we are focused on thoughtfully using our resources—including our facilities, staffing, and partnerships—to maximize impact for youth and families.

By making thoughtful decisions about how we operate, we can reduce structural costs, preserve resources, and reinvest in the areas that have the greatest impact on young people: high-quality programming, caring staff, workforce development opportunities, and partnerships that prepare youth for success.

Building the Club of the Future

The world our young people are preparing to enter has changed dramatically. Artificial intelligence, automation, rapid technological advancement, and evolving workforce demands are reshaping what young people need to succeed in school, careers, and life.

Today’s youth need more than a safe place after school—they need opportunities to develop leadership skills, financial capability, career awareness, workplace experiences, digital fluency, and the adaptability to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

We believe our Club model must evolve alongside those changing realities.

For generations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro have provided young people with safe spaces, caring mentors, and opportunities to discover their potential. Those fundamentals will always remain at the heart of our work. What is changing is how we create access to those experiences and how we partner with communities to meet young people where they are.

The Club of the Future is not about moving away from our traditional Clubhouse model—it is about building upon what has always made Boys & Girls Clubs impactful. It means combining strong Clubhouse experiences with expanded partnerships, innovative programming, and new pathways that prepare young people for the future.

This evolution allows us to think differently about how we use our resources, how we engage teens, and how we create opportunities for young people across the Portland metro region. By strengthening connections with schools, employers, and community partners, we can provide youth with more experiences that build confidence, develop essential skills, and prepare them for success beyond high school.

Going forward, our success will not simply be measured by the number of buildings we operate, but by the number of young people whose lives we transform, the relationships we build, and the opportunities we create for youth to thrive.

Looking Ahead: Building the Future of Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro

The work ahead will require vision, investment, and partnership. Our focus is building an organization positioned to meet the changing needs of young people and the communities we serve.

Over the coming years, our goals include:

• Expanding our Club footprint to 30+ locations, including traditional Clubhouses, school-based programs, and community partnerships.
• Increasing average daily participation to serve more than 1,000 young people each day.
• Expanding teen engagement opportunities to reach 500+ teens daily with leadership, career readiness, and workforce development experiences.
• Reaching more than 10,000 youth and families annually through Club programming and community outreach.
• Continuing to invest in our Club locations, including the future expansion and modernization of our Inukai Club in Hillsboro.

Achieving this vision will require collaboration and shared commitment from partners who believe in the potential of young people. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro—one prepared to help every young person discover their full potential and thrive.

Moving Forward Together

We recognize this transition represents the end of an important chapter for many people who have invested their time, passion, and resources into the Regence Club over the past two decades. We honor that legacy and the countless lives that have been impacted within its walls.

At the same time, we believe the greatest way to honor that legacy is to ensure Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro remains strong enough to serve future generations.

The transition from the Regence facility is one step in a broader effort to build a stronger, more sustainable, and more accessible organization that continues to show up for young people and families across North Portland and throughout the Portland metro region.

We are grateful for your continued partnership and trust as we navigate this transition. The work ahead will require collaboration, innovation, and shared commitment, and we look forward to building this next chapter together.

Together, we can build the Club of the Future—one that is financially strong, deeply connected to our communities, and prepared to ensure every young person has the opportunity to discover their full potential and thrive in an ever-changing world.

Thank you for all the ways you support our mission. We cannot do this work without you, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership.

Terry Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro