Friends of the Children

What Friends of the Children does

Friends of the Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 in Portland, Oregon, that operates the only national long-term professional youth mentoring program in the United States. It selects children facing systemic obstacles—poverty, foster care involvement, housing instability, mental health challenges, and educational inequities—and pairs each youth with a paid professional mentor called a "Friend" for 12+ years, from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation, on a "no matter what" commitment basis. The organization has expanded to 43 chapter locations across 22 states and has served more than 20,000 children and caregivers cumulatively over its 30+ year history.

Its core product is the Long-term Youth Mentoring Program, supported by four specialized components: a Two-Generation (2Gen) Approach that serves caregivers alongside youth, Foster Care Services for child welfare–involved children, integrated Mental Health Support, and culturally-specific Indigenous Youth Services delivered in partnership with sovereign tribal nations. The model is validated by a multi-site randomized controlled trial launched in 2008 with $3M from the NIH, which underpins reported outcomes including 90% high school graduation/GED attainment, 96% avoidance of juvenile justice involvement, 95% avoidance of early parenting, and 92% enrollment in post-secondary education, military service, or the workforce.

The business model is a donation-funded nonprofit: FY2024 total operating revenue was $21.87M, sourced from individual donations (33%), property and rental income (31%), foundation grants (18%, including MacKenzie Scott and Ballmer Group), government grants (9%, including OJJDP), consulting fees (5%) from sharing the model externally, corporate support (1%), and other/in-kind contributions (3%). Services are provided at no cost to qualifying youth and families. Distribution is delivered through a chapter network with local executive directors and professional mentors, supplemented by partnerships with school systems, child welfare agencies, and tribal nations. The organization is building the Duncan and Cindy Campbell National Center of Excellence in Portland, scheduled to open in fall 2026, to serve as a national training, technical assistance, and research hub.

Name

Friends of the Children

Legal name

Friends of the Children - National

Website

https://friendsofthechildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friends of the Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pairs youth facing systemic obstacles with paid professional mentors for 12+ years, from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation, operating 43 chapters across 22 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAJALAL

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYBPAGADAO

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAK

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Professional mentoring programs
• Foster care support
• Youth development services
• Two-generation family support

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute 33% of operating revenue ($7,079,789 in FY2024), making it the largest revenue source.
2. Property & Rental Income: Property and rental income constitutes 31% of operating revenue ($6,855,763 in FY2024).
3. Foundation Grants: Foundation funding represents 18% of revenue ($3,989,626 in FY2024) from major donors including MacKenzie Scott, Ballmer Group, and others.
4. Government Grants: Government funding accounts for 9% of operating revenue ($1,938,932 in FY2024), including OJJDP and other federal grants.
5. Consulting Fees: Consulting fees represent 5% of revenue ($1,145,070 in FY2024) from sharing the Friends model with other organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Friends of the Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pairs children facing systemic obstacles (poverty, foster care involvement, housing instability, mental health challenges) with paid, full-time professional mentors called Friends for 12+ years, from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. The program is delivered through 43 chapter locations and includes a Two-Generation family support approach, foster care prevention and stabilization services, integrated mental health support, culturally-specific Indigenous youth services, and literacy programs, all provided at no cost to youth and families and funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

Friends of the Children is a nonprofit organization offering a long-term youth mentoring program as its core product. The organization operates 43+ chapters across the United States, pairing youth facing systemic obstacles (including foster care, poverty, housing insecurity, and mental health challenges) with paid professional mentors called 'Friends' for 12+ years, from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. The program includes specialized components: a Two-Generation (2Gen) Approach that supports entire families, Foster Care Services for child welfare system-involved youth, Mental Health Support integrated throughout, and culturally-specific Indigenous youth services. Additional offerings include literacy programs, an annual Impact Report, and the developing National Center of Excellence for Professional Youth Mentoring for practitioner training and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long-term Youth Mentoring Program The core Friends of the Children program pairs children facing systemic obstacles with paid, full-time professional mentors called Friends for 12+ years, from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation regardless of circumstances. Mentors provide individualized academic guidance, emotional support, life skills development, and family assistance, delivered at no cost to enrolled youth.
• Two-Generation (2Gen) Approach A program component supporting both enrolled youth and their caregivers/families together to address systemic barriers at the family level. Includes concrete supports, connections to therapy, domestic violence survivor programs, and community resources aimed at stabilizing the family unit alongside the youth's mentoring relationship.
• Foster Care Services Specialized mentoring and family support services for children involved with the child welfare system, focused on preventing foster care entry, shortening lengths of stay, and reducing re-entry. Professional mentors work directly with foster youth and their biological or foster families in coordination with child welfare agencies and family courts.
• Mental Health Support Mental health and emotional support services integrated into the mentoring model, addressing trauma, grief, anxiety, and behavioral health challenges faced by youth in the program. Mentors connect youth and families with professional therapy and clinical resources while providing ongoing relational support.
• Indigenous Youth Services (Flathead Nation) Culturally-specific chapter serving Salish, Qlispe, and Ksanka Tribal youth on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Programming integrates traditional practices, language learning, naming ceremonies, storytelling, cultural camps, and explicit connections to kinship and heritage alongside the standard long-term mentoring model.
• Detroit Read with Certainty Literacy Program Weekly one-on-one professional tutoring program offered at Friends of the Children clubhouses in Detroit, providing engaging literacy activities, personalized books, and confidence-building support to boost reading skills for youth reading below grade level.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of youth graduate high school or earn GED (up from 83%)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• NFL Inspire Change ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 December 2025Friends of the Children joined the NFL's Inspire Change program as a grant partner in the education focus area. Program provides resources to support enhanced training and expand youth served.
• Simone BilesflagshipOthersWorld champion gymnast and youth advocate serving as national ambassador since 2020. Unveiled limited-edition Wheaties boxes featuring Friends of the Children, hosted events, and uses her platform to raise awareness for foster care and youth mentoring.
• Oglala Lakota NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal nation partnership for He Sapa chapter's second location at Pine Ridge Reservation, serving Indigenous youth with culturally-specific programming.
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai TribescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Western Montana chapter to launch Flathead Nation location serving youth on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
• Klamath TribescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Klamath Basin chapter to establish second location in Chiloquin serving tribal youth.
• Detroit Read with Certainty ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy initiative at Friends - Detroit clubhouse supporting youth reading below grade level with one-on-one professional tutoring.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with young people facing adversity. Directly comparable as the largest volunteer-based youth mentoring organization in the US, operating in similar K-12 segments and geographies, though using volunteer rather than paid mentors.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit serving 4+ million young people at clubhouses across the US. Comparable as a youth-focused nonprofit serving similar disadvantaged demographics through local chapter networks, though delivers after-school programming rather than 1-on-1 long-term mentoring.
• Casey Family Programs: Major foundation focused on reducing the need for foster care and supporting children in child welfare systems. Comparable through shared focus on foster care prevention, long-term youth outcomes, and evidence-based program models, though operates as a philanthropy rather than direct service provider.
• iMentor: National nonprofit providing long-term mentoring to high school students from underserved communities. Comparable as a youth mentoring organization focused on college/career outcomes using structured pairings, though relies on volunteer mentors and emphasizes college access specifically.
• Harlem Children's Zone: Pioneering nonprofit providing cradle-to-career services to children and families in Central Harlem through a comprehensive pipeline of programs. Comparable as a long-term, multi-generational youth and family services model targeting children facing systemic barriers, with similarly strong outcome tracking.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): National nonprofit providing community-based services to children, youth, and families involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health systems. Direct comparable in foster care prevention, family preservation, and youth mentoring services across multiple US states.

Others

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization advancing youth mentoring through advocacy, training, and resources. Functions as an enabling/thematically-related organization rather than a direct service provider; Friends of the Children likely engages with MENTOR as a peer in the broader mentoring ecosystem.

Emerging players

• KIPP Public Schools: National network of public charter schools serving predominantly low-income students from pre-K through 12th grade. Comparable through the same K-12 underserved youth segment and similar emphasis on college/career outcomes, though delivers classroom-based education rather than 1-on-1 mentoring.
• Year Up: National nonprofit providing workforce training and education to young adults ages 18-24 facing economic opportunity gaps. Comparable in the youth development/education-to-workforce pipeline serving similar demographics, though focused on older youth and shorter-term program cycles.

Broad incumbents

• ChildFund International: Large international child-focused development and sponsorship organization operating in 24 countries. Comparable as a long-term child sponsorship/youth development model targeting disadvantaged youth, though operates internationally and uses sponsorship rather than professional mentor model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/friendsnational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries43 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Friends of the Children