The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio announced it will permanently close the Rayburn clubhouse on the South Side on Sept. 25 and suspend services at the Eastside location after Sept. 30. The nonprofit, which serves children ages 6 to 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds, cited a sharp decline in donations and the loss of COVID‑19 relief funds as the primary cause of its financial challenges.
Impact on local youth
CEO Debbie Powell said the organization is working to transition children from the Rayburn site to after‑school programs in Harlandale ISD. The Eastside clubhouse, however, still needs a partner organization to absorb the kids who now have nowhere to go after school. “You have kids that don’t have any other place to go after school to be nourished … to learn, to have mentors,” longtime coach Skip Wilson told the San Antonio Report. “You take that away from Black and Brown communities, and that’s leaving a gaping hole.”
Council action on emergency funding
At a city budget meeting on Wednesday, Councilman Jalen McKee‑Rodriguez (District 2) asked fellow council members to approve three months of emergency funding for the Eastside clubhouse from the Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ). He noted that the TIRZ already supports a new senior center and an aquatics center in the district. “I just found out a couple days ago that the Boys & Girls Clubs intends to close on the 30th, disrupting services for a number of my residents,” McKee‑Rodriguez said.
McKee‑Rodriguez proposed that the city provide operating funds to place the Eastside Clubhouse in a “better financial position” while the nonprofit seeks a longer‑term solution. He added that if the grant does not materialize, the city could consider having the Parks and Recreation Department run the facility or solicit another nonprofit to take over.
Councilmembers Misty Spears, Ric Galvan and Sukh Kaur voiced support for the measure. The proposal will move forward only if the TIRZ board approves the allocation.
Nonprofit’s recent financial picture
IRS Form 990 filings show the Boys & Girls Clubs’ total revenue and contributions have fallen steadily over the past several years. Net income turned negative $1 million in 2025, and the organization reported over $2 million in losses in 2022. The nonprofit’s West Side Calderon clubhouse remains temporarily closed, leaving only the Mays Family Clubhouse in Southtown operating—down from six locations in 2020. On‑site school facilities have also shrunk dramatically, from 37 sites in 2020 to just 12 today.
Community response
Former board member Tony Trevino, who served from 2012 to 2022, said the financial strain mirrors a nationwide trend among nonprofits. “There’s only so many dollars to go around, and everybody’s trying to figure out how to spend those dollars,” he said.
Local residents and volunteers expressed deep concern that the closures will leave many children without safe, structured after‑school environments. “What are these kids going to do? Where are they going to turn?” Wilson asked.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio continues to seek additional partners and donors to sustain its mission of providing after‑school care, youth development programs, food, and health resources to the city’s most vulnerable children.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
