Teammates Mentoring Program
TeamMates Mentoring Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that pairs screened volunteer adult mentors with K–12 and post-secondary students across 200+ chapters in six U.S. Midwest states, supported by donations, sponsorships, and scholarships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersLa Vista, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Teammates Mentoring Program does
TeamMates Mentoring Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 by Coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy Osborne in Lincoln, Nebraska. The organization runs a one-on-one school-based mentoring program that matches screened volunteer adult mentors with students in grades 3 through 12 across 200+ local chapters embedded in school districts in six U.S. states (Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming). Mentors commit to a minimum three-year relationship and meet their mentees weekly for 30–60 minutes during the school day; the program also extends into post-secondary mentoring for college, trade school, apprenticeship, certification, and military pathways, supported by scholarships and an emergency fund. Reported outcomes include a 97% graduation rate, 59% academic improvement, 87% fewer disciplinary referrals, and 71% fewer unexcused absences among mentees, with over 51,000 cumulative matches since inception.
The program's underlying technology is intentionally minimal: CiviCore handles volunteer applications and background-check workflows, and Community Force powers the scholarship application portal, with a third-party vendor (Shirts 101) running the merchandise store. The differentiated "product layer" is human-centered — Gallup CliftonStrengths assessments are integrated into mentor training and delivered by three on-staff Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches. Revenue is generated entirely from tax-deductible donations (operational gifts, multi-year pledges, planned/estate gifts), corporate event sponsorships (headlined by the Osborne Family Legacy Golf Tournament), institutional scholarships (notably the Aksarben Foundation), and merchandise. Named direct cost metrics are $50 per background check and $500 per mentor-mentee match-year, with the average match lasting three years; the program states it operates at roughly one-fourth the national average cost per match.
Go-to-market is community-led: volunteer mentors apply online, complete background checks and training, and are matched with students based on common interests; chapters are hosted inside school districts, with regional coordinators (nine named geographies) providing local operational support. The organization is currently operating under Interim CEO Vicky Howick with a national CEO search underway, is governed by separate Program and Foundation Boards, and reported 9,655 youth served in the 2023–2024 academic year.
Teammates Mentoring Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Teammates Mentoring Program
- Legal name
- TeamMates Mentoring Program
- Website
- https://teammates.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TeamMates Mentoring Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that pairs screened volunteer adult mentors with K–12 and post-secondary students across 200+ chapters in six U.S. Midwest states, supported by donations, sponsorships, and scholarships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Teammates Mentoring Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO), Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM)
Keywords
Where Teammates Mentoring Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Vista
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Teammates Mentoring Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Operational Gifts: Tax-deductible donations to support overall program operations, local chapter funding, background checks, annual fees, and mentor/mentee program support. Includes one-time gifts and multi-year pledges.
- Planned Gifts: Legacy gifts through estate planning including bequests, scholarships, and memorial contributions to support the TeamMates Foundation and ensure long-term program sustainability.
- Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for annual events including golf tournaments, conferences, celebrations, and scholarship programs. Sponsors receive recognition and branding opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-based funding model |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Teammates Mentoring Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teammates Mentoring Program runs free school-based mentoring that pairs volunteer adult mentors with students in grades 3-12 for weekly 30-60 minute sessions during the school day, with a minimum three-year commitment through high school graduation. It extends into post-secondary mentoring for students at colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, certification programs, and the military, supported by scholarships, an Educational Success Emergency Fund, strengths-based coaching via Gallup CliftonStrengths, and mentor training resources.
Product overview
TeamMates Mentoring Program is a single, unified mentoring program with two primary service tracks: School-Based Mentoring (grades 3-12) and Post-Secondary Mentoring. The program operates on a technology platform that includes an online mentor application system (CiviCore) and scholarship portal (Community Force). Additional offerings include a merchandise store (via Shirts 101), the Mentoring Matters book publication, an Educational Success Emergency Fund, and annual events (Celebration, Conference, Golf Tournament). Mentor support resources include the CliftonStrengths strengths-based coaching program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- School-Based Mentoring Program Free one-on-one school-based mentoring connecting students in grades 3-12 with volunteer adult mentors who meet weekly for 30-60 minutes during the school day, with a minimum three-year commitment through high school graduation. Operated through 200+ local chapters across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
- Post-Secondary Mentoring Program Mentoring program for mentees continuing into two- and four-year colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, certification programs, or military service. Includes twice-monthly mentor connections, strengths-based coaching, scholarship access, and emergency funds.
- TeamMates Scholarship Program Scholarship funding for TeamMates mentees pursuing post-secondary education at colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, certification programs, or military pathways, administered via the Community Force scholarship portal.
- Educational Success Emergency Fund Financial assistance program providing emergency support to post-secondary mentees facing unexpected hardships that threaten their educational success.
- Gallup CliftonStrengths Coaching Program Strengths-based assessment and coaching using Gallup CliftonStrengths to help mentors and mentees identify and apply their natural talents; three staff members are Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches.
- Mentor Resource Toolkit Online resources supporting volunteer mentors with well-being guidance, relationship-building tools, career readiness materials, and college readiness guides.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% graduation rate among mentees
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Teammates Mentoring Program
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Teammates Mentoring Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Teammates Mentoring Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Nebraska-LincolncoreUniversity partner for post-secondary mentoring program, host of Scholarship & College Graduation Celebration at Memorial Stadium, significant involvement in program history through co-founder Tom Osborne's connection
- Northeast Community CollegecoreEducation partner supporting post-secondary mentees through scholarships and educational pathways
- Southeast Community CollegecoreEducation partner providing post-secondary opportunities and scholarships for TeamMates mentees
- University of South DakotacoreEducation partner supporting mentees pursuing higher education in South Dakota
- Creighton UniversitycoreEducation partner providing post-secondary pathways for TeamMates mentees
- University of Nebraska at OmahacoreEducation partner hosting former mentee Jacie Ambrose as marketing intern, post-secondary support
- Augustana UniversitycoreUniversity partner with head football coach serving as keynote speaker for 2026 Annual Conference and active TeamMates mentor for 5+ years
- GallupcoreProvides CliftonStrengths assessment and training resources for mentors and mentees; three staff members are Gallup-certified strengths coaches
- MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityminorPartner providing graduate-level continuing education credits for TeamMates Annual Conference attendees
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Teammates Mentoring Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Reading Partners: Nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to provide literacy tutoring to K-12 students in under-resourced schools, embedding in schools during the school day. Comparable to TeamMates on school-based volunteer-mentor delivery model and student-outcome measurement, but narrower literacy-focused curriculum.
- City Year: Education nonprofit deploying near-peer AmeriCorps mentors in K-12 schools to support attendance, behavior, and academic outcomes. Comparable on K-12 school-based mentoring mission and the same operational practice of measuring attendance/behavior/academic metrics, though uses paid AmeriCorps members rather than community volunteers.
- College Possible: Nonprofit providing near-peer coaching and application support to low-income high school students pursuing higher education. Comparable to TeamMates' post-secondary mentoring and scholarship pillar, with overlapping target population and college-access outcomes focus.
Direct peers
- iMentor: Nonprofit that pairs college-educated volunteer mentors with low-income high school students to support college access and graduation. Closely comparable to TeamMates' school-to-post-secondary mentoring pathway, with similar target population and outcomes orientation.
- MENTOR (MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership): National advocacy and capacity-building organization advancing quality youth mentoring through Affiliate Partners and evidence-based program standards. Directly comparable in mission (school and community mentoring for youth outcomes) and as a peer in the U.S. youth mentoring sector, while operating more as an umbrella/convener.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest U.S. youth-mentoring nonprofit running school- and community-based one-to-one mentoring for youth ages 6-18. Directly comparable to TeamMates on mission (caring adult mentors for youth), delivery model (school-based matches), and nonprofit funding structure, though at much larger scale and national footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Junior Achievement USA: Large youth-serving nonprofit delivering work-readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship programming via volunteer role models in K-12 schools. Comparable on volunteer-driven, school-day K-12 delivery and youth outcome focus, though more curriculum/instruction oriented than relationship mentoring.
- Boys & Girls Club of America: Nationwide federation of youth development organizations serving K-12 students with mentoring, education, and out-of-school programming. Comparable in nonprofit youth development mission and student outcome reporting, but much broader programmatic scope and physical-club delivery model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Teammates Mentoring Program social profiles
Digital presenceTeammates Mentoring Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Teammates Mentoring Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Teammates Mentoring Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Teammates Mentoring Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Teammates Mentoring Program
What does Teammates Mentoring Program do?
Teammates Mentoring Program runs free school-based mentoring that pairs volunteer adult mentors with students in grades 3-12 for weekly 30-60 minute sessions during the school day, with a minimum three-year commitment through high school graduation. It extends into post-secondary mentoring for students at colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, certification programs, and the military, supported by scholarships, an Educational Success Emergency Fund, strengths-based coaching via Gallup CliftonStrengths, and mentor training resources.
Is Teammates Mentoring Program a public or private company?
Teammates Mentoring Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Teammates Mentoring Program founded?
Teammates Mentoring Program was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Teammates Mentoring Program based?
Teammates Mentoring Program is headquartered in La Vista, United States, in the North America region.
How does Teammates Mentoring Program make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Operational Gifts are the primary driver. The others are planned Gifts and event Sponsorships.
Who are Teammates Mentoring Program's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Reading Partners, City Year and College Possible. Direct peers are iMentor, MENTOR (MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Broad incumbents are Junior Achievement USA and Boys & Girls Club of America.
Does Teammates Mentoring Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for Teammates Mentoring Program.
What industry is Teammates Mentoring Program in?
Teammates Mentoring Program's product category is Youth Mentoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGADAD, Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.