About
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the national office of one of the country's oldest and largest youth mentoring organizations. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, it creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers ("Bigs") and young people ("Littles"), building on a legacy of more than 120 years of service.
Mission
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Its vision is that all youth achieve their full potential, guided by core values of access, belonging, and opportunity.
What they do
- One-to-one mentoring that matches adult volunteers with young people through a network of local agencies
- Group mentoring, workforce development, and mental health and well-being initiatives
- Game On, a sports-and-mentorship initiative launched with a goal of engaging 500,000 young people by 2035
- National programs such as the Alumni Network, National Youth Council, Little Reporters, and Bigs and Littles of the Year
History
The movement began in early-1900s New York. In 1902, court clerk Ernest Coulter helped establish the first Children's Court, and in 1904 he recruited 39 volunteers who each agreed to befriend one boy, founding the organized Big Brothers movement. In parallel, the Ladies of Charity (later Catholic Big Sisters) began mentoring girls. By 1912 the New York Times reported Big Brothers activity in 26 cities, and the first national conference was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1917. In 1977, Big Sisters International and Big Brothers Association merged to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, then comprising 357 agencies. The national headquarters relocated to Tampa, Florida, in 2015.
Scale and impact
The organization cites research showing that, compared with peers, youth in its programs are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, and 33% less likely to engage in physical altercations. Longer term, it reports participants are 20% more likely to enroll in college and earn 15% more over their lifetimes, and that mentorship helps close two-thirds of the economic opportunity gap.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for the fiscal year ending June 2025 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America reported total revenue of $69.2 million, total expenses of $61.7 million, and total assets of $51.0 million. Contributions accounted for 90.3% of revenue (about $62.4 million).
Governance
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 23-1365190), tax-exempt since 1948. Artis Stevens serves as President and CEO.