The past year of Girls on the Run St. Louis programming has yielded tremendous outcomes for our community and we could not be more grateful for the dedication of our coaches, partners and Girls on the Run families!
The Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 GOTR seasons were the largest since before the onset of the pandemic, serving 4,557 participants and 1,750 coaches from 250 different sites across our 23-county territory in MO and IL. Girls on the Run St. Louis was the largest of more than 160 councils in North America this program year! We also proportionally provided greater financial assistance to participants than any other council in North America. We are proud to be living our mission so fully in partnership with the incredible St. Louis community.
You might be wondering HOW we partner with sites or HOW we provide such significant financial assistance. Girls on the Run St. Louis only partners with site and school leaders who invite us to be part of their unique community. While we make sure that all site leaders are aware of the opportunity, we only move forward with a site when administrators and coaches are fully prepared and confident in our collective ability to serve kids with the high-quality GOTR program. This typically looks like several meetings in advance of launching a site, coach recruitment and training, support throughout the season and 5K, and follow-up feedback. GOTR staff are very actively involved in each site’s program implementation and there to support all stakeholders involved in the process. We are nimble and flexible, always focused on meeting communities where they are. This approach continues to work, as we maintain an 85% site retention rate, year over year.
Additionally, GOTR staff fundraise the nearly $500,000 in financial assistance provided to participants across our region annually, ensuring that all girls, regardless of their family’s financial situation, are able to fully participate in the program. Fundraising revenue is strategically diversified across multiple streams, including grants, corporate sponsorships, events (gala and trivia), and individual donors. Our contract with the State of Missouri Department of Economic Development for YOP tax credits allows us to steward qualifying individual and corporate donations to support our highest scholarship sites while also providing a 50% state tax credit.
As we move into the next fiscal year and launch a new strategic plan, Girls on the Run St. Louis is energized and determined to grow and deepen positive outcomes in the St. Louis region. Our strategic plan priorities are focused on racial, gender, and socioeconomic representation across all aspects of our organization and programming, as well as sustainable, diverse revenue streams to ensure equitable, accessible programming for many years into the future.
We are committed to the big picture. We are committed to changing the way society talks about and treats women and girls. We are committed to moving the needle on the gender pay gap. These big numbers and big goals are really critical, yet the MOST important number that we are constantly focused on is ONE. One girl…One coach…One team…One supporter…There is a place for everyone at Girls on the Run St. Louis. We reach big goals and move societal needles by building and supporting authentic relationships, one girl, one coach, one supporter at a time. Thank you for being part of this movement with us.