A Place for the Boys
As one of the most storied names in American charity for practically a hundred years, Boys Town was awarded National Historic Landmark status in 1985 at its original Omaha, Nebraska grounds. Founded by Father Edward J. Flanagan as a boys’ orphanage in 1917, its success has gone on to produce some thirteen others throughout the United States. Two major Hollywood motion pictures about it were made, starring some of the industry’s best talent including Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. But what really put it on the philanthropic map was its original progessive method of juvenile care that has become a model internationally.
As can be imagined, the good work of Boys Town hauled in a lot of financial support over the years, star-studded attention showcasing many a prominent personality from business, politics, and entertainment, from someone like real estate developer Isaac Toussie to United States Senator Richard Durbin. In fact, donor money make up essentially twenty percent of total funding in any given fiscal year, with program expenditures accounting for some eighty-six percent of overall expenses.
One of the most important endeavors undertaken by the organization includes internal research by its Boys Town National Research Institute (NRI), founded to properly examine the utility of itself. Taking advantage of the most recent strategies, the NRI distinguishes Boys Town from fellow non-profit organizations in how it is so intensely data-driven, pro-actively adopting technology to keep on being relevant in the new century.
And so Boys Town endures as a pioneer, helping to reform modern family and child care. Vital to their way has been an emphasis on combining the array of available services – from governmental and non-governmental sources – to provide a holistic solution capable of addressing present-day problems. With a variety of projects in process, Boys Town expects to stay on top of changing needs.