For some time now, I have been looking for a charity that Money Matters could be the benefactor of. After much searching, I have chosen one that I think is very worthy - Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County (BGCCC) helps young people by providing them with a safe, nurturing place to go after school and in the summer. They also provide these boys and girls tutors to help them with their school work, and a hot dinner every night. BGCCC's record is amazing. The organization serves over 5,000 Collin County children every year. Last year, 100% of BGCCC's high school seniors graduated from high school and were accepted to a college. One past BGCCC alumnus even went on to MIT! There are no BGCCC members involved in the criminal justice system, and there has never been a teen pregnancy in BGCCC. Without the help of the Clubs, these children would otherwise be at risk of academic failure, criminal activity and negative behaviors.

The dollars are also compelling. A child that drops out of high school costs our community $275,000. If a child goes to jail, it costs taxpayers $99,500 per year. Compare that to the cost of $1,500 per year to offer a child BGCCC preventative programs and services. The numbers are indisputable - BGCCC changes the lives of thousands of at-risk kids and saves Collin County taxpayers millions of dollars. It is a huge return on investment and the right thing to do. After all, our children are our future. The best thing we can do for them and for our community is to keep them out of trouble and get them properly educated. You will also be happy to learn that 84 cents of every dollar donated to BGCCC goes directly to the children. BGCCC works hard to keep their administrative costs extremely low at 14%, so our donations really reach the kids and have a significant impact on the kids.

This is a fantastic cause and I am very excited about what the Money Matters team (you and me) can do for these boys and girls. Thank you for your participation. Together, we can change lives!