Be a part of something big

Join us in starting something big

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the largest mentoring organization on the West Coast, serving 3,000 children per year. Our agency reaches out to the most vulnerable children in our community:

• 90% live at or below the poverty level;
• 54% are children of color;
• 34% have a parent in jail;
• 17% are living in foster care.

Every time we match a child with a mentor, we start something big – a friendship that has life-changing potential. It costs the agency $1,200 per year to professionally support a volunteer and child. Please consider making a donation to help fund the careful one-to-one matching and ongoing professional mentoring support. The gift you make today will lead to successful outcomes for that child and our community.

Our outcomes prove it
We focus on measurable results and have the resources of our national affiliate to help with research and analysis. In a study of 1,200 children mentored by Big Brothers Big Sisters, we found that 87 percent graduated from high school.

Children mentored by Big Brothers Big Sisters are: 

• 45% less likely to start using drugs;
• 27% less likely to start drinking;
• 52% less likely to skip school. 

In the Classroom:
We’ve always known our impact spread beyond the individual child. Now we have the research to prove it. With three to five mentors in a classroom, achievement scores of the entire classroom increase. When 20 to 40 of our mentors volunteer at a school, the entire school shows improvement.

But, we don’t do it alone. We have nearly 3,000 volunteers who mentor our children – and we’re proud that 35 percent of those volunteers are individuals of color. Our African American, Latino, and Native American Mentoring Councils ensure that our program is culturally-specific and appropriate to each child.