A Place for Growth Capital Campaign
Building the Greater Portland Youth Campus
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine is undertaking a $15 million renovation and expansion of its Cumberland Avenue campus—creating more space, stronger resources, and new opportunities for Southern Maine’s children and teens.
The Greater Portland Youth Campus will bring together a renewed Portland Clubhouse and the new James and Hilla Bruni Bridge to Success Center, creating a unified environment where young people can grow from childhood through young adulthood and prepare for successful futures.
Campaign Goal: $15 Million
More Young People Need a Place to Belong—and Room to Grow
For generations, the Portland Clubhouse has provided young people with a safe, welcoming place to learn, connect, and discover their potential. Today, the need for that support—and for programming that helps teens prepare for what comes next—continues to grow.
Children and teens across Southern Maine face challenges that can affect their ability to thrive, from food insecurity and limited after-school support to barriers to accessing college, career training, and meaningful employment opportunities.
Bridge to Success is already helping young people navigate those challenges by connecting them with mentors, hands-on experiences, career exploration, and individualized guidance. However, the program is nearing capacity, and the current facility does not offer all the dedicated spaces needed to expand this work.
The demand is already here. The A Place for Growth campaign will give Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine the space and resources to respond.
One Campus. More Opportunity at Every Age and Stage.
The Greater Portland Youth Campus is designed to support young people throughout their development—from their elementary-school years to their first steps into college, careers, and adulthood.
-
The renovated Portland Clubhouse will continue to provide elementary- and middle-school members with the safe spaces, caring relationships, healthy meals, and engaging programs that have made the Club an essential resource for generations of Portland families.
Updated and enhanced areas will support learning, creativity, leadership, wellness, recreation, and connection—helping young people build strong foundations for the future.
-
A new 13,000-square-foot addition will create a dedicated home for Bridge to Success, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine’s comprehensive workforce readiness programming for teens and young adults.
The center will give young people space to explore their interests, develop practical skills, connect with mentors and employers, and receive guidance as they plan for education, employment, and life after high school.
Together, the renewed Clubhouse and new Bridge to Success Center will allow the Portland campus to double its daily capacity—from approximately 200–250 young people to as many as 500.
-
The James and Hilla Bruni Bridge to Success Center will bring career exploration and skill-building to life through spaces designed specifically for teens and young adults.
The new center will include:
Three large garage bays for hands-on trades training
A virtual reality lab for career exploration
Dedicated areas for mentoring and individualized guidance
Flexible spaces for workshops, collaboration, and employer-led programming
Teen-focused spaces supporting academics, creativity, leadership, health, and wellness
Equipment and resources that help young people develop practical workforce and life skills
These purpose-built environments will make it possible for local employers, educators, community organizations, and industry professionals to engage directly with young people through workshops, demonstrations, mentoring, career exposure, and hands-on learning.
Explore Bridge to Success and our Workforce Readiness Program
-
The vision for the Greater Portland Youth Campus reaches beyond the boundaries of the Club. It reflects a broader commitment to strengthening Portland’s Bayside neighborhood and supporting the children and families who call it home.
As part of the campus redevelopment, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine donated a parcel of land on Cedar Street to Avesta Housing. The site is planned to include up to 30 modern affordable housing units, supporting the replacement and expansion of affordable housing in a neighborhood where many Club families live.
The campaign also brings together local expertise and leadership, with Portland-based SMRT Architects & Engineers and Wright-Ryan Construction helping transform the campus vision into reality.
Together, these investments will help create a stronger, more connected environment for young people, families, and the wider Portland community.
More Than a Building
The A Place for Growth campaign is about more than adding square footage. It is about what young people will be able to discover, experience, and accomplish within these new spaces.
The expanded campus will help more young people:
Build confidence and a stronger sense of belonging
Discover their interests, strengths, and possible career paths
Develop workplace, leadership, and life skills
Gain hands-on exposure to the trades and other industries
Form relationships with mentors and caring professionals
Connect with employers, colleges, and training programs
Receive individualized guidance as they plan their next steps
See a meaningful future for themselves in Southern Maine
By helping young people build strong foundations and prepare for fulfilling futures, the Greater Portland Youth Campus will create benefits that extend throughout the region—strengthening families, employers, neighborhoods, and communities.
A Gift Rooted in the Power of the Club
Honoring James and Hilla Bruni
More than 70 years ago, James Bruni came to the Portland Club as a teenager. The encouragement, belonging, and support he found there stayed with him throughout his life, and he continued volunteering with the organization for as long as he was able.
A $2.5 million lead gift from Jerome and Pamela Bruni honors James and his wife, Hilla, while helping ensure that future generations of young people can find the same sense of community and possibility.
In recognition of this transformational gift, the new teen and workforce readiness center will be named the James and Hilla Bruni Bridge to Success Center.
Their story demonstrates the enduring power of the Club: when a young person is given a place to belong and an opportunity to grow, the impact can continue for generations.
Help Bring the Greater Portland Youth Campus to Life
Construction began in summer 2026, marking an exciting step toward a campus designed to serve more young people and create more opportunities for generations to come.
Early leadership gifts—including $2.5 million from the Bruni family and $1 million from Unum—have created meaningful momentum. Reaching the campaign’s $15 million goal will require the continued support of individuals, families, businesses, foundations, volunteers, and community members who believe in the potential of Southern Maine’s young people.
Make a Campaign Gift
Every gift to the A Place for Growth campaign helps create the spaces, resources, and opportunities young people need to build successful futures.
Discuss a Leadership Gift
Individuals, families, businesses, and foundations interested in making a significant campaign investment are invited to speak directly with our development team.
Together, we can explore an opportunity that reflects your philanthropic goals and creates a lasting impact for Southern Maine’s young people.
Become a Community or Corporate Partner
Organizations can also support Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine through financial investment, employee engagement, professional expertise, event sponsorships, youth programming, and other resources.
Follow the Campus Transformation
Watch a New Future Take Shape
As construction progresses, we look forward to sharing project milestones, renderings, behind-the-scenes updates, and stories from the people helping bring the Greater Portland Youth Campus to life.
Follow the transformation and see how our community is building a stronger future for Southern Maine’s children and teens.
Have questions about the campaign or how you can get involved? Contact Rose Splint, Capital Campaign Director, rsplint@bgcmaine.org
