Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle H. Moore.
Danielle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I follow in the footsteps of my family in community involvement and public service. My mother, Lesly Smith was mayor of the Town of Palm Beach and is a well-respected philanthropist. My grandmother, Mary Alice Fortin supported many local and national organizations and numerous buildings around the country are named after her. I raise my two daughters to follow the family legacy of being catalysts for profound community impact.
I serve on the executive committee of the board of directors of Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County (BGCPBC) and on the board of the Town of Palm Beach United Way.
I also give my time as a member of the board of trustees of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach as well as the Palm Beach Town Council. An avid golfer with a single digit handicap, I am a Director for the Women’s Southern Golf Association.
Born in New York City, I moved to Palm Beach as a baby and have called the island home ever since. I attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in American History in 1985.
I am a licensed Realtor Associate with Brown Harris Stevens.
I have previously served on the boards of The ARC of Palm Beach County, Rosarian Academy, The Town of Palm Beach Recreation Advisory Commission, The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, The Historical Society of Palm Beach County, The Garden Club of Palm Beach, and the Women’s Trans National Golf Association.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When raising funds for any cause, there are always bumps along the way. I’m really glad to have a circle of friends and associates that support one another in each of our causes.
My family and I have a soft spot for the community of Belle Glade, one of the country’s poorest and most neglected cities with a crime rate of 414% of the national average. With 31 known gangs in Belle Glade, we want to reach more youth before they get involved with street life.
That is why my mother, Lesly Smith and I gave the lead gift of $1 million to kick off a capital fundraising campaign to construct a larger Boys & Girls Clubs Teen Center in Belle Glade a safe haven for kids.
We are focusing on a Capital Campaign to raise $10 million for a new 13,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to serve 200% more kids daily in the Belle Glade area. The Belle Glade Teen Center currently sees about 125 youth daily. The new clubhouse, which will be named The Smith & Moore Family Teen Center will allow us to see more than 350 youth daily.
Our goal is to raise $4 million to construct the building and $6 million toward an endowment fund to keep the facility running in perpetuity.
Please tell us about Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County provide underserved youth award-winning programs that create opportunities to perform better in school, develop character and leadership, make positive and healthy choices, get ready for a career, as well as engage in sports, arts and culture, and technology programs. Although we are nationally recognized, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is locally run – responsible for raising its own funds, allowing every site to be responsive to the specific needs of the neighborhood and youth served.
Thirteen Club sites are intentionally located in resource-constrained neighborhoods throughout Palm Beach County, allowing it to bridge the opportunity gap between lower-income and higher-income communities. Half of these club sites are stand-alone state-of-the-art facilities with gymnasiums, fully equipped kitchens, soundproof music studios, dance studios, computer labs, classrooms, community gardens, as well as an art studio with a kiln. I have seen firsthand the outcomes that truly impact lives and I have aligned myself with its mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. This organization is such a life changer for the youth it serves.
Once school is out for the day, one-third of children are home unguided and unsafe. Boys & Girls Clubs is a fun and constructive alternative to being home alone while engaging Members in developmental programs that build their life skills, self-esteem, and values. Programs are also designed to improve Members’ reading, math and science skills.
The Boys & Girls Club model has received the highest effectiveness rating from the National Dropout Prevention Center. Club members graduate at a higher rate than the general population. Regular attendees also perform better in school; make healthier choices than their peers; and volunteer thousands of hours.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is nationally renowned as America’s premier youth development organization. Founded in 1971, BGCPBC has 13 clubhouses in Palm Beach County that serve more than 8,000 young people.
Some club members have gone on to have prominent careers, such as Shaquille O’Neal, Jennifer Lopez, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Smokey Robinson just to name a few.
In order to produce the kinds of outcomes that result in world-class citizens, the organization’s leadership understands that program quality and positive outcomes are a direct reflection of its staff. Therefore, it has partnered with the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality in order to implement the research-based Youth Work Methods training. The hands-on, youth-centered training will provide Boys & Girls Clubs staff with further cutting-edge skills in addition to current training in order to enhance the experiences they provide youth.
What are you most proud of as a company?
The construction of two new Boys & Girls Clubs clubhouses within years of each other has allowed more families in the county to be able to enroll their kids in the affordable after-school and summer programs. Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club of West Palm Beach and Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club of Riviera Beach are beacons in the community that represent hope and great futures for many underprivileged children.
Thanks to some generous people, the Winter Ball for Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County raises more than $1 million years after year. More quality programming for underserved youth has followed. As a result, Club members who attend regularly have a higher tendency to abstain from crime, alcohol, tobacco, and early sexual activity. In addition, the youth has a graduation rate of 98% and logs more volunteer hours than their peers.
One of these programs is teen employability, which is already making a deeper impact on the next generation of community and business leaders. In addition to teaching soft skills critical to career success, the organization is working with various community corporate partners to provide teen members with work experiences, exposure to different industries, networking opportunities, and college tours.
What sets you apart from others?
Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Club members. Each year, one exceptional Club member is selected to be the Palm Beach County Youth of the Year.
Although the Youth of the Year is a national program, Boys & Girls Clubs-Palm Beach County took it a step further. This year, a donation by the Mary Alice Fortin Foundation allowed the program to provide a 4-year Florida Prepaid College scholarship to each of the Club Youth of the Year finalists, and a 4-year University scholarship, including room/board, and applicable fees for the County Youth of the Year overall winner! With the addition of the scholarship program, the event now has the ability to provide life-enhancing possibilities to its teen participants.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My grandmother, Mary Alice Fortin, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 97 was not only a force in the community, she was everything in our family. Her philanthropic endeavors spawned four generations of women philanthropists. I’m still inspired by the change she was able to produce in this world with her generosity and concern for community. She along with my mother taught me early in life that I could make a change and I do everything in my power to uphold my family’s tradition of giving.
Pricing:
- Many of the families attend at no cost since membership at the Clubs does not depend on their ability to pay the annual fee of $30.
- To provide the programming, food, supplies, etc., it costs us about $1,500/annually per child.
Contact Info:
- Address: Administrative Office
800 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, FL 33407 - Website: www.BGCPBC.org
- Phone: 561-683-3287
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/boysandgirlspbc
- Facebook: Facebook.com/BGCPBC
- Twitter: Twitter.com/BGC_PBC
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