National CARES Mentoring Movement

What National CARES Mentoring Movement does

National CARES Mentoring Movement (NCMM) is a New York-based private nonprofit founded in 2005 by Susan L. Taylor, former Editor-in-Chief Emerita of Essence, to deliver trauma-healing mentoring programs to children living in poverty, with a primary focus on African American communities. Its core operating model centers on a 58-city Affiliate Leader Network that recruits, trains, and places volunteer mentors into schools, youth organizations, and detention centers; the organization reports 250,000+ volunteer mentors recruited and 350,000+ young people served cumulatively, with 500,000+ volunteer hours contributed annually. The service portfolio includes The Rising (signature in-school trauma-healing program delivered via Wellness Mentoring Circles), HBCU Rising (a three-tiered STEM mentorship model), University for Parents (workforce-readiness for economically vulnerable parents, delivered with Morehouse School of Medicine and 70 community partners), and the newly launched Coca-Cola FC Future Careers Academy operating across all 58 cities as a FIFA World Cup 26 partnership.

The underlying 'technology' is a proprietary 148-page curriculum document — 'A New Way Forward' — developed by a Braintrust of 60+ physicians, psychologists, wellness experts, scholars, and business leaders, with distinct facilitator training protocols for each program. Services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries. NCMM monetizes exclusively through charitable contributions: tiered individual online donations ($30, $60, $90, or custom), an annual gala (For the Love of Our Children, held at Ziegfeld Ballroom in NYC) that anchors a multi-tier corporate sponsorship stack (Premier through Bronze), foundation grants, merchandise sales via caresmentoring.shop, and corporate strategic partnerships. Notable sponsors and partners include Casey Family Programs, Coca-Cola, FedEx, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Grace Global Capital, Sephora, Georgia-Pacific, Citi, AARP, and Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, alongside operational partners such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, multiple Black Greek-letter organizations, and the Association of Black Psychologists.

Name

National CARES Mentoring Movement

Legal name

National CARES Mentoring Movement Inc.

Website

https://caresmentoring.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

National CARES Mentoring Movement is a New York-based nonprofit that delivers trauma-healing mentoring programs through a 58-city affiliate network to children living in poverty, primarily in African American communities, and monetizes via donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring and Human Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Trauma healing programs
• Community based mentorship
• Nonprofit youth development
• STEM education pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through the organization's website with tiered donation options ($30, $60, $90, or custom amounts) on a one-time, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide financial support at various levels: Premier Sponsor (Casey Family Programs), Presenting Sponsors (Coca-Cola, FedEx), Platinum Sponsors (Grace Global Capital, W.K. Kellogg Foundation), Silver Sponsors, and Bronze Sponsors. Sponsorships are tied to annual gala events and strategic partnerships.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of signature 'Love CARES' merchandise including t-shirts through the online store to support organizational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

National CARES Mentoring Movement provides holistic, trauma-healing mentoring and youth development programs to children and families living in poverty, delivered at no cost through a 58-city Affiliate Network of trained volunteer mentors. Core programs include The Rising (Wellness Mentoring Circles in schools), HBCU Rising (three-tiered STEM mentorship), University for Parents (workforce readiness for vulnerable parents), and the Coca-Cola FC Future Careers Academy (career-development in partnership with Coca-Cola and FIFA World Cup 26).

Product overview

National CARES Mentoring Movement operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of trauma-healing mentorship programs rather than a traditional software product. The core offerings include: The Rising (signature in-school trauma-healing program), HBCU Rising (three-tiered STEM mentorship), University for Parents (workforce-readiness for parents), and a 58-city Affiliate Network for mentor recruitment and placement. Programs are delivered through group-mentoring circles led by CARES-trained facilitators including psychologists and social workers. The organization also partners on the Coca-Cola FC Academy for career development. All programs are provided at no cost and focus on serving children living in poverty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Rising (Wellness Mentoring Circles) National CARES' signature research-based, trauma-healing program delivered in schools through Wellness Mentoring Circles, led by CARES-trained psychologists and social workers. The program helps children in crisis manage emotions, build self-worth, and work toward academic success.
• HBCU Rising (HBCU STEM Rising) A three-tiered STEM mentorship program where HBCU students mentor middle schoolers in under-resourced schools, while receiving mentorship from corporate STEM professionals, creating a pipeline of talent in STEM fields.
• University for Parents A workforce-readiness and economic mobility program for economically vulnerable parents, developed in partnership with 70 community organizations and The Morehouse School of Medicine, helping parents overcome systemic barriers and achieve self-sufficiency.
• Affiliate Network (58-City Mentor Network) A 58-city national network of affiliate leaders who recruit, train, and place volunteer mentors in schools, youth organizations, and detention centers to support children living in poverty. Over 250,000 mentors recruited, trained and placed; 500,000+ hours volunteered annually.
• Coca-Cola FC (Future Careers) Academy A soccer-inspired digital learning and career-development program providing skills-building workshops, educational resources, and community leadership events focused on sports marketing and related industries, operating across 58 U.S. cities through the Coca-Cola and FIFA World Cup 26 partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of students felt a sense of self-worth, guiding them to excel in school and life
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• The Coca-Cola CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Collaboration on Coca-Cola FC (Future Careers) Academy, a soccer-inspired digital learning and career-development program for young people. The program kicked off in December 2025 and will continue through 2026, offering skills-building workshops, educational resources, and community leadership events focused on sports marketing across 58 U.S. cities. As an official partner of FIFA World Cup 26.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational CARES serves as the nation's leading recruitment, training, and placement partner for African American mentors, supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters programs alongside its own initiatives.
• The Morehouse School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the University for Parents program, collaborating with 70 community partners to deliver curriculum that guides parents toward emotional wellness and economic mobility.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner and community impact partner providing support for youth programs through the organization's network of chapters nationwide.
• Jack and Jill of America, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner supporting children's programming through the organization's family-focused chapter network.
• The Links, IncorporatedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing support for youth development programs through the organization's national network of chapters.
• National Black Child Development InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner focused on child welfare and development issues affecting Black children and families.
• National Coalition of 100 Black WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing advocacy and support for programs serving Black women and children.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing volunteer mentors and support through fraternity chapters nationwide.
• Association of Black PsychologistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing psychological expertise and professional support for trauma-healing curriculum development and implementation.
• American Nurses EnterprisesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing nursing expertise and health-related programming support for children and families.
• National Medical AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing medical professional support and health programming expertise.
• CROWN MovementsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity impact partner supporting programs related to hair and self-esteem for young people.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Historic civil rights and direct-service organization serving African American communities through workforce, education, and health programs. Comparable for its overlapping mission around economic mobility and African American self-sufficiency.
• NAACP: The nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Comparable for serving the African American community and operating national programs addressing poverty, education, and youth outcomes.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: The largest U.S. youth-development nonprofit with a national club network. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing youth services to under-resourced communities, though focused on facility-based programming rather than one-to-one mentoring.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National workforce-readiness nonprofit for young adults from under-resourced communities. Comparable for its parallel mission to NCMM's University for Parents, targeting economic mobility through skills training and employer connections.
• KIPP Foundation: National college-preparatory charter school network serving low-income communities. Comparable as a youth-outcomes organization working in under-resourced schools, with overlapping school-district relationships for NCMM's in-school Wellness Mentoring Circles.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): Focused on HBCU access and scholarships, overlapping with NCMM's HBCU Rising STEM mentorship program that recruits HBCU students as mentors. Comparable for its mission-aligned HBCU pipeline work.

Direct peers

• National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI): National nonprofit focused on the healthy development of Black children and families. Listed as an NCMM strategic partner and directly comparable in mission and beneficiary population.
• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella and advocacy organization for the youth mentoring field. Directly comparable as a national-scale body that sets standards, recruits mentors, and supports affiliate mentoring programs across the U.S.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The largest youth mentoring organization in the U.S., directly comparable as a national one-to-one mentoring network for at-risk youth. Listed as both an NCMM strategic partner and as the dominant incumbent competing for the same African American volunteer mentor pool.
• Jack and Jill of America Foundation: A national African American family organization supporting children through education and development programming. Listed as an NCMM strategic partner with significant chapter-level overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CARESMentoring
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaresMentoring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-cares-mentoring-movement-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/caresmentoring/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National CARES Mentoring Movement