Statistics

Nationally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been helping children reach their potential through one-to-one mentoring relationships for more than 100 years. Today, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 200,000 children in 5,000 communities across all 50 states. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ one-to-one mentoring makes a huge difference for the youth it serves.  Research consistently demonstrates that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring helps at-risk youth overcome the many challenges they face.  An independent study by  Public/Private Ventures (P/PV)  demonstrates compelling evidence that the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ model of mentoring works. The study shows that Little Brothers and Little Sisters are: 

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs; 
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol; 
• 52% less likely to skip school; 
• More confident in their schoolwork performance; 
• Able to get along better with their families.

Public/Private Ventures also conducted a study on the BBBS School-Based Mentoring program that shows:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters has more than 125,000 volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) involved in one-to-one mentoring matches with children (“Littles”) in more than 6,000 schools nationwide—one of the largest in-school volunteer forces in the nation’s history.
• The Study finds that the Littles demonstrate eight positive academic outcomes in the first year as a result of the mentoring match. These include overall academic performance, performance in science, written and oral language, quality and number of assignments turned in, lower serious school infractions, scholastic efficacy, and reduced skipping of school.
• The key? Big Brothers Big Sisters brings about these academic impacts through quality, professionally supported mentoring relationships with children in need—the fourth “R” for making academic gains.
• Conducted by the independent research firm Public/Private Ventures, the Study is the country’s first large-scale, national, random assignment evaluation of school-based mentoring. It followed more than 1,100 children over 15 months at ten diverse Big Brothers Big Sisters locations.