Helps BGCS Upgrade Software
UNITED WAY OF SIDNEY board member Colleen Crisell presents a check to James Tweedie, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Sidney. The funds will allow the organization to upgrade its membership tracking system.
SIDNEY - Thanks to the support of the United Way of Sidney the Boys & Girls Club of Sidney (BGCS) will be upgrading its membership racking system with nFocus.com’s KidTrax software. The newly acquired nFocus Software is used by youth groups across the country to monitor children’s progress, analyze trends and forecast children’s performance.
The software records group members’ attendance, demographic information, survey results and other vital membership information. The data can then be examined to determine the success and impact the BGCS has on our local youth and communities. The software, which is loaded onto a server, will enable the BGCS to print bar-coded ID cards for each participating member. Members swipe the card across a scanner when coming and going from activities. The scanner transmits the information to a server where it is stored for future evaluation. The software will also allow the BGCS to build a more comprehensive database of member’s information, such as age, gender, ethnicity, address, phone number and parents.
"For us to service our members better, we need to know their background and better understand their needs," says James Tweedie, executive director of the BGCS. "KidTrax will give us that ability while also allowing us to better service our members and families. Additionally we will be able to give more accurate information to programming partners and financial supporters like the United Way of Sidney."
Developed six years ago and updated annually, the software is currently used in about 50 percent of Boys & Girls Clubs of America across the nation and provides easy access to information and minimizes the amount of paper work required for various reporting and grant development.
"Because of the strong support we receive from local individuals, businesses and agencies like the United Way of Sidney, our Club facility and programming is continuing to constantly improve" stated Tweedie. "As one of the smallest Boys & Girls Clubs in the nation it’s amazing the services and facilities we have been able to provide locally which are on par with clubs that can be found in much larger communities and cities. This new software is a huge progression in our continuing evolution. On behalf of the members, staff and Board of Directors we thank the United Way of Sidney and their members for their continued fi nancial support."
The BGCS provides afterschool and summer programming to more than 500 youth annually between the ages of 5 to 19. The club is open Monday through Friday from 3pm to 8pm and is located on the 2nd floor of the Sidney Civic Center. For more information on the BGCS log on to our official web page at www.bgcsidney.com.
Reprint from The Tri-Town News