Rotary Boys and Girls Club

The history of the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation (SRSF) is closely intertwined with that of the Rotary Boys & Girls Club, a relationship that spans more than eight decades and reflects Seattle Rotary's longstanding commitment to improving the lives of young people.

Our story began in 1939–1940, when members of the Rotary Club of Seattle established the Rotary Youth Foundation, the predecessor to today's SRSF. One of its earliest and most enduring initiatives was the George Colman Boys Club, located in the basement of Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Seattle.

By 1944, the club was serving approximately 300 boys offering a safe and supportive environment with recreational, athletic, vocational and social activities. In 1947, it became affiliated with the Boys Clubs of America, although Seattle Rotarians continued to manage and support its operations.

By the early 1950s, the program had outgrown its original home. In 1954, the Rotary Youth Foundation purchased property at 19th Avenue and East Spruce Street in Seattle's Central District. Seattle Rotarians raised approximately $160,000 toward the development of a new clubhouse, creating a permanent home for the growing program. Ground was broken in June 1954, during the Rotary International Convention in Seattle with Roy Denny, the first president of the Rotary Club of Seattle, participating in the ceremony.

The new building represented an extraordinary investment in Seattle's youth. Membership grew from approximately 470 to 716 boys during its first year in the new location.

As Rotary's community service activities expanded, so did the Foundation's mission. Beginning in 1967, operational responsibilities for the Boys Club were gradually transferred to the Boys Clubs of Seattle–King County, allowing Seattle Rotary to support a broader range of charitable initiatives. In 1968, the Rotary Youth Foundation officially changed its name to the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation to reflect that expanded mission.

The club subsequently welcomed girls, including during the 1977–1978 academic year, and evolved into the organization we know today as the Rotary Boys & Girls Club.

Rotary's commitment did not end with the transfer of operations. In 1987, Rotarians contributed $450,000 toward a major expansion of the clubhouse. Completed in 1989, the second floor provided space for the Rotary Educational Assistance Program (REAP), offering tutoring, mentoring, and educational support to young people. The addition honors longtime Seattle Rotarian and generous supporter Phil Smart.

From 2001 through 2003, an additional $375,000 was provided for capital improvements. Over the years, Rotarians have continued to serve as board members, mentors, tutors, donors, and volunteers. That commitment continues today through hands-on service projects and ongoing support for the club.

What began as a small boys' club in a church basement has become one of Seattle Rotary's most enduring legacies. Generations of young people have benefited from the vision, generosity, and personal involvement of Seattle Rotarians.

And the Rotary Boys & Girls Club is only one chapter in the Foundation's story.

Over the decades, SRSF has helped support major community initiatives, including Wellspring Family Services, Medic One, KCTS Channel 9, Woodland Park Zoo, Pike Place Market Foundation and Uplift Northwest along with hundreds of other projects addressing education, health, hunger, housing, and community needs, both locally and internationally.

Although the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation is a separate charitable organization from the Rotary Club of Seattle, the two share a common purpose. SRSF's mission is to raise, steward, and distribute funds in support of the service activities of the Rotary Club of Seattle.

Together, through the generosity and commitment of generations of Rotarians, we have raised and distributed millions of dollars to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

The Rotary motto, Service Above Self, is more than a statement of values. Through the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation, it becomes a lasting legacy of service, opportunity and community impact.