About Us

Mission

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh’s mission is to improve the lives of children and families.

Vision

Our vision is to be a generation-changing leading provider of programs emphasizing youth development services and family outreach support to meet the needs of young people ages 6 to 18 years old and their families, especially those who need us most.

2025 At a Glance

2025-2027 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan Brochure

History

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1968, and the doors officially opened in 1970. Since then, the Club has proved to be an essential organization in the Oshkosh community.

Timeline of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh

1970 The Boys Club of Oshkosh was founded, and the headquarters officially opened at Main Street and Merritt Avenue.

1974 The Rockwell Foundation purchased the property at 502 N. Main and donated it to the Boys Club of Oshkosh. The Club became owners of its headquarters, which is now home to Wagner Market.

1981 The Radford family donated 45 acres of land near New London, which has been developed into our summer day camp (Camp Radford) and environmental education area.

1981 The Boys Club of Oshkosh Alumni Association was formed. It now raises about $10,000 annually for the Club and Camp Radford. Members also log many hours of volunteer service.

1984 A permanent endowment fund was established with $200,000.

1988 The Boys Club of Oshkosh began after-school programs in local elementary schools.

1989 Girls were officially welcomed in common membership, and the Club was renamed the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, Inc.

1992 The “Campaign for Kids” raised $1.7 million dollars to construct a new facility by CR Meyer.

1993 The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh moved to our new and current facility at Parkway Avenue and Broad Street.

1994 A new facility was constructed to house Head Start. Club members use the facility on non-school days, and 160 children in Head Start use the Club building on school days.

1997 Adjacent property was purchased and converted to a Teen Center and administrative offices.

2007 The “Opening the Doors” campaign raised $2 million dollars for the new Teen Center, $100,000 for the baseball field, and $2.2 million dollars in pledges and cash for the endowment.

2007 The new Teen Center, “The CLUB,” and administrative offices opened in April.

2011 The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh hosted its first independent WineFeast event, establishing it as a signature fundraiser for the Club. That same year, the Club launched its first Afternoon Tea, an event dedicated to celebrating and empowering Club girls.

2014 The Club officially launched our Great Futures Mentoring Program, providing one-on-one mentoring support to youth in 6th-8th grade. This program expanded in 2021 through a three-year partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Wisconsin thanks to a grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership. Today, the Club continues to provide mentoring support with the Great Futures Mentoring Program and the BE GREAT: Graduate teen mentoring program. 

2015 The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh opened a branch unit in Berlin after a $6 million capital project. The Tri-County Club, formerly known as the Boys & Girls Club of Berlin, was established in 1997 and later became its own independent organization in 2018. The Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County continues to serve youth and families in Berlin, Green Lake, Ripon, and Markesan.

2016-2017 Camp Radford received an extensive renovation, including the building of a new Arts & Crafts building and a new garage. Improvements were also made to the main cabin, including installing a new roof and windows, building an enclosed porch, fixing the foundation and remodeling the interior (new bunk beds, new appliances, etc.).

2018 The Club underwent an interior remodel that included building safer more secure entrances, the addition of four new offices, and making updates to many of our program areas in the CLUB Teen Center and the Radford Center.

2020 The Club celebrates its 50th Anniversary!! Tracy Ogden was named CEO, the first female in our Club’s history.

2021 The Club holds 50th celebration Block Party after Covid-19 shut-down and announces the expansion of its facilities and new community center.

2021 The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh began offering after-school programming in Omro for the 2021-2022 school year in partnership with the School District of Omro. This program serves students in kindergarten through 5th grade by providing homework help, STEM learning, arts and crafts, athletics, field trips and more. The Club also began offering summer care in Omro in 2022.

2022 The Club breaks ground on its $20 million building expansion and new community center with Building Project Contractor CR Meyer.

2023 The Club completes the first phase of its building expansion, including the complete renovation of all three floors of J. Wilcox Head Start with a new circle drive and entrance, additional parking and a new playground. The Club completes the Bergstrom Automotive Learning Center, an expansion of the Radford Center (elementary ages) classrooms, and its new Community First Credit Union Multi-Purpose Field.

2024 The Club holds an open house and ribbon cutting in May to celebrate the completion of the next phase of the Club’s facilities expansion, including the Hyde Family Community Center, Verve Administrative Center, OshKosh B’gosh Middle School Center, and Amcor Teen Center. By the end of 2024, the Club has completed the final pieces of its expansion, including a new J.R. & Suzanne Vette Playground and second gym. This project expanded the size of our Club from 32,000 to 73,000 square feet and allows us to serve 500 children daily, up from 300.

2025 The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh expands its reach into Winneconne through a new partnership with the Winneconne Community School District. Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, the Club launches a new after-school program at Winneconne Elementary School, providing students in kindergarten through fifth grade with a safe, enriching place to learn, grow and thrive after school. The Club also began offering summer and 4k wrap-around care in Winneconne in 2026.