Reflecting on a Nonprofit’s Impact and Evolution

07 SEP 2017

Founded in 1876, the Boys’ Club of New York (BCNY) is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to supporting youth in the country. It has also been a part of Valentino Carlotti’s life since he was a child growing up in New York City.  Val is the global business partner for the Investment Banking and Merchant Banking Divisions at Goldman Sachs.

“I took advantage of all the programs at the Club, athletic teams, mentorship, academic programs, and spent hours having tremendous fun,” said Val. “It’s near and dear to my heart, I cherish those memories and experiences.”  BCNY today offers academic opportunities through an independent school placement program, as well as athletics, summer jobs, internships and mentorship with the goal of encouraging young people ages 6 through 21 to seek the highest standards of scholarship, moral development and physical achievement.

An Executive Committee member of the nonprofit’s Board of Trustees for the last 10 years and a “Boys’ Club boy,” as the nonprofit refers to its alumni, Val has remained active in supporting BCNY into his adult years.

“The Boys’ Club speaks to the importance of developing the whole individual and walking that walk on a day-to-day basis – building men of high moral value, of character,” Val explained.

“My parents imbued me with a mindset that anything you want to do in the world is yours to do, and that when you decide to focus on something, you have all the capacity you need to master it,” Val said. He remembers fondly one of the first times he used a computer at a BCNY clubhouse in the 1980s – when computers were still difficult to come by.

Today, the nonprofit continues to evolve, and differentiates itself through the depth and breadth of its programs, which include a focus on providing access to the arts and culture through art, music, literature and dance as well as computer science, coding and technical training.

“In addition to providing academic scholarships and school placements to high-performing students, we try to hold the fort on these important pillars of child and human development,” Val noted. “We’ve also given a lot of thought to how to adapt to demographic shifts, so as not to let the physical space of our clubhouses be a limiting factor in bringing services to those who need them.”

Val hopes that in the future, the Boys’ Club of New York will develop an even bigger voice as a thought leader in the youth development space given its history and practice serving young men in New York.

For his dedication to the nonprofit over many years, Val received the Boys’ Club of New York’s Harriman Award for Civic Leadership at a ceremony on May 17.