The non-profit organization “Boys Hope Girls Hope” helps students from fifth grade to college maximize their academic potential. The Baton Rouge affiliate serves over 120 students, but like any other non-profit, they struggle to find funding.
“The purpose we exist for is to help young people see their full potential,” said the program’s executive director John Daniel. “We want them to identify with success and develop an agency…that is work hard for it.”
Daniel grew up in Philadelphia during the ’60s and ’70s. He’s very familiar with his students’ stories.
“I was one of these kids,” Daniel said. “When I was 13 or 14-years-old I was being shot at on a regular basis. It was just a very unfortunate circumstance.”
Daniel’s parents put him in a program similar to Boys Hope Girls Hope and sent him off to Wisconsin when he was a teenager. Daniel said that was the best thing his parents could have done for him at the time.
Daniel retired as an economic developer and moved from Omaha, Neb. to Baton Rouge in 2013. He took over Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baton Rouge in November of that year.
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baton Rouge took a turn upward when Daniel took the helm. They’ve quadrupled the amount of children they send to college since 2013. They’ve also increased their average GPA by one full point.
But they have also faced some harsh realities that all non-profits face. They’ve cut their budget in half since Daniel took over. 
“Funding is an extreme problem today,” Daniel said. “There’s a greater demand because there are more non-profits [organizations].”
Daniel said the cut to the budget has not deterred them, however. Instead of spending, they’ve focused more of their efforts by promotion through social media. 
“The biggest challenge is always promoting yourself,” said LSU student Corey Howard. Howard runs the programs’ social media pages. He also puts out digital content on their behalf.
“Mr. Daniel says it all the time, they’re the best kept secret in Baton Rouge,” Howard said.
With the help of digital promotion, Daniel organizes a fundraiser each fall called “Bowl for Hope.” 
“An event like ‘Bowl for Hope,’ if it’s done properly and we have the right people supporting us, it could make $100,000,” Daniel said. “It’s done that in the past.”
Daniel said he will look for more local fundraising opportunities in the future. He also said community involvement is vital to their success.
“We are advocates of collective impact and community engagement,” Daniel said. “Sometimes you hear the expression ‘it takes a village.’ It’s bigger than that. It takes a village that’s willing to work.”
Daniel said Boys Hope Girls Hope gets money via local and state grants, as well. He also mentioned there is a possibility the program could receive federal funding in the future. For more information visit their Facebook page “Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baton Rouge.”