Peter Fortenbaugh, longtime BGCP CEO, died on Friday, October 7, 2022 surrounded by his family in Palo Alto, California. Peter was a larger-than-life figure who focused his remarkable passion, experience and energy on making the community a better place for all kids to grow up, and he will be deeply missed.

The Peter Fortenbaugh Legacy Fund will fuel the continuation of Peter’s incredible life work of supporting the youth and families who need us most in our community. Peter felt so strongly that every student deserved the opportunity to thrive and take full advantage of BGCP’s many programs. He liked to say, “Let’s use sports to hook more students,” so we started the Barry Carr Sports Leagues. He repeatedly advocated for investing in our staff, and often said, “In order for our youth to thrive, our staff must thrive as well.”

Peter often pointed out that although we have many disparate neighborhoods, we are all interconnected with a shared responsibility: “Our Kids, Our Town, Our Watch.”

This is what Peter wanted – to ensure BGCP could continue to grow our programs and expand to serve more and more students. This Fund will continue Peter’s legacy of service to the community by providing academic supports, enrichments like art, technology and culinary, critical mental health services and career development.

Peter was a Silicon Valley nonprofit pioneer and “Chief Community Builder” who mobilized thousands around the mission to support students and families in the lowest-income neighborhoods of San Mateo County. Under Peter’s 20 years of leadership BGCP has experienced extraordinary growth: 

• 400 to 3,500 students

• 4 to 24 sites

• 30 to 290 staff

• 50 to 1,100 volunteers

• an annual budget of $2 million to $28 million.

In a recent communication to the BGCP community, Peter said, “Time is our most precious asset, and the most important thing we do every day is decide how we spend it. For me, I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time than by working with you for a brighter future for our kids and families.”

If you are interested in contributing to The Peter Fortenbaugh Legacy Fund, you can visit our Donate page for ways to give and note that your gift is for “The Peter Fortenbaugh Legacy Fund.” We will notify Peter’s family about any gifts that are made in his memory.

If you have additional questions or if you are interested in making a multi-year commitment, please reach out to:

Tina Syer (BGCP - Chief Advancement Officer) at tina@bgcp.org or 650-387-9504 or Jenny Obiaya (BGCP – CEO) at jenny@bgcp.org

Rob Burgess, Chair of the BGCP Board of Directors, reflected on his time with Peter: “Peter established a true community based on values and partnership. His vision and leadership have inspired thousands of people. As Peter passes the BGCP baton on, it will not be accepted by one person, but by the whole community because he changed lives. Peter has positioned his beloved BGCP community to thrive into the future. His physical presence may have changed, but his life’s work will go on. Peter was a giant of a man who made a dent in the universe.”