Our Impact
Big Brothers Big Sisters' one-to-one mentoring program empowers youth to thrive! We help children have success in school, make positive choices, and improve their self-confidence by providing children with mentors that leave a BIG impact. Our program is designed to help children and teens achieve their full potential. We believe that by providing a caring and supportive mentor, we can make a difference in the lives of children and our community.
What our current Littles say...
Our impact on our Little's self confidence is confirmed by those closest to it: our Littles.
In 2009, we commissioned industry leader Civic Enterprises to conduct a nationwide survey of our Bigs and Littles. The results speak volumes about the ways in which Big Brothers Big Sisters helps to change a child's life for the better, forever:
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Despite the barriers they face, 94% of Littles said they have a lot or some confidence they will achieve their goals.
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93% of Littles said to have adults who care and look out for them is very important to helping them achieve their goals.
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80% of Littles said they feel their Bigs help them a lot.
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What our Alumni say...
Our impact on a child's self-confidence and emotional well-being is felt long after Littles graduate from high school. In 2009, Harris Interactive conducted an online survey of alumni Littles from across the nation. Among those former Littles,
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90% agreed their Big made them feel better about themselves.
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86% agreed they lead a fulfilling life.
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72% said they are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their relationships with friends.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Match
According to the Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) study, our one-to-one matches truly make an impact in children's lives. A Big Brothers Big Sisters’ match is carefully administered and held to the strictest standards. Agencies strive for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child’s needs, but also harmonious and built to last. The entire matching process, from the initial screening to the final pairing—and beyond—is made possible by your financial support.
But don’t just think of us as simply matchmakers. We provide ongoing support and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. We offer training and advice to help ensure that the match is working for everyone involved. And our local agencies even receive their own ongoing training and consulting from the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Office. This web of support helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will thrive.
Measuring Our Impact
Big Brothers Big Sisters believes that it must hold itself accountable to the families, children, and mentors enrolled in our program. We must hold ourselves accountable to the donors, partners, and advocates who fund our work. That is why a commitment to continuous learning, improvement, and research is at the heart of what we do.
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Continuous learning through technology
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Our commitment to measurement, analysis, and improvement is so core to who we are that we have developed a unique, proprietary method of tracking the interactions between Bigs and Littles. Known as the Agency Information Management system (or AIM), this performance management tool helps guide the decisions of our network of professionally trained staff members. Built to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, AIM provides the intelligence and data to continually improve our services to children.
Continuous learning through partnerships
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Through the generous support of corporations, foundations, and donations, Big Brothers Big Sisters regularly participates in nationwide or local research opportunities.