Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization and affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, incorporated in 1976 in San Antonio, Texas, by Harriette Furino and Barbara Alden. The agency provides one-to-one youth mentoring services across South Texas, matching adult volunteers (referred to as "Bigs") with children ages 5 to 16 ("Littles") who face adversity including academic struggles, poverty, family incarceration, or lack of positive role models. Operating from its headquarters at 10843 Gulfdale St. in San Antonio (the Harvey E. Najim South Texas Mentoring Resource Center) with regional branch offices serving the Texas Coastal Bend, Texas Hill Country, Comal & Guadalupe Counties, Brazos Valley, and Uvalde, the organization has supported thousands of children and families over a 50-year history and is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.

The core delivery model spans community-based mentoring, school-based mentoring (notably a multi-year partnership with San Antonio ISD showing 98% high school graduation rates and 81% college enrollment), and workplace mentoring programs with corporate partners including NuStar Energy, UT Health Science Center, and Southwest Research Institute. Specialized programs target distinct populations: Amachi serves children of incarcerated parents, Operation: Big Mentor recruits military-affiliated volunteers, and the SHARE framework (Support, Healthy Habits, Academics, Resources, Empowerment) provides a structured year-one activity curriculum. Technology supporting operations includes a mentoring program management platform with an Achievement Tracker for monitoring youth outcomes. The organization runs more than 50 events annually, including the 50-year-running Bowl for Kids' Sake fundraiser and newer initiatives such as RPS BBBS.

All mentoring services are provided free of charge to children and families. Revenue is generated entirely through donations from individuals, tiered corporate event sponsorships (ranging from $100 to $50,000), foundation grants (including the NBA Foundation, Richmond Family Foundation, and H.E. Butt Foundation), United Way allocations, and special-event fundraising. The organization is governed by a volunteer Governance Board of Directors, a Resource Development Board, a Black Advisory Council, and a Military Mentoring Advisory Council, with Denise Barkhurst serving as President & CEO since 2009. The agency publishes annual IRS Form 990 filings and independent audit reports and is launching its first-ever agency endowment in October 2026 to mark its Golden Celebration.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas

Website

https://bigmentor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate providing one-to-one youth mentoring across South Texas, matching adult volunteers with children ages 5-16 through community-based, school-based, and workplace programs funded entirely by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710), 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)

SECONDARYEDAJAKAK

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• One-to-one mentoring programs
• Community-based mentoring
• School-based mentoring
• Nonprofit youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals who want to support children in their community. The organization is 100% volunteer-based and supported by donations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships and donations from businesses including event sponsorships at various levels (Victory $50,000, Throwdown $25,000, Rumble $10,000, Clash $5,000, Brawl $2,500, Melee $1,000, Skirmish $500, TrashTalk $100)
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations including Richmond Family Foundation ($100,000 March Match Challenge), NBA Foundation grants, and support from San Antonio Area Foundation
4. United Way Funding: Support from United Way as a community partner providing funding and resources

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas delivers free one-to-one youth mentoring programs that match screened and trained adult volunteers (Bigs) with at-risk children (Littles) ages 5-16 across South Texas, with continued support until age 26. The organization supplements core mentoring with structured activity frameworks (SHARE), parenting education (Raising Highly Capable Kids), youth enrichment workshops, and signature enrichment programs including reading challenges, writing workshops, financial literacy, STEM, and cooking classes. All services are provided at no charge to youth and families, supported entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas operates as a nonprofit mentoring organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on one-to-one mentoring relationships. The core offering consists of community-based and school-based mentoring that matches adult volunteers (Bigs) with children (Littles) aged 5-16. Supporting programs include Youth Enrichment Workshops for teens, the SHARE structured activity framework, and parenting programs like Raising Highly Capable Kids. The organization also runs seasonal and event-based programs including Summer Reading Challenge, Summer Writing Workshops, STEM Workshops, Big Bite Cooking Class, and a Girl Scout Troop. Signature fundraising events include Bowl for Kids' Sake (50th anniversary in 2026) and the RPS BBBS Rock Paper Scissors initiative. Specialized programs like Operation: Big Mentor target military communities, while branches across San Antonio, Brazos Valley, Texas Coastal Bend, Texas Hill Country, Comal & Guadalupe Counties, and Uvalde serve regional needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHARE: A structured framework for mentoring activities organized into four categories: Support, Healthy Habits, Academics, and Resources — guiding mentors through recommended activities with their Little over the first year of the relationship.
• Amachi
• Youth Enrichment Workshops
• Raising Highly Capable Kids
• Youth Enrichment Program
• Operation: Big Mentor
• Who Mentored You

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of youth in Amachi program consistently promoted to next grade over past decade
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing funding and referrals for children and families in the child welfare system, including the Amachi program for children of incarcerated parents.
• San Antonio Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of San Antonio human services department partner providing support and resources for youth and families.
• Texas Conservation ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation and environmental organization partner.
• UP Partnership (Future Ready)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective impact initiative focused on future-ready outcomes for South Texas youth, aligning with BBBS mission.
• NuStar EnergymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate volunteer source partner providing employee mentors through workplace mentoring programs.
• UT Health Science Center San AntoniomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner providing employee volunteers as mentors and potential pipeline for future mentors.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResearch organization partner providing employee volunteers and potentially STEM-related mentoring opportunities.
• San Antonio Manufacturing AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry association connecting member businesses as volunteer sources for mentoring programs.
• Police Officer's AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaw enforcement association partner providing volunteer mentors and community connections.
• ChildSafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner connecting children affected by abuse to BBBS mentoring programs.
• Family Violence Prevention ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner connecting families affected by domestic violence to mentoring support.
• Communities in SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dropout prevention organization partner providing referrals and collaborative programming.
• Baptist Child & Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based social services partner providing referrals for children and families.
• Goodwill IndustriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService provider partner offering employment and training resources to families.
• San Antonio Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood security partner providing resources to families in the BBBS program, including joint Big Bite Cooking Class events.
• Café CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner helping youth and families navigate college admission and financial aid processes.
• San Antonio Education PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation-focused partnership supporting student success and scholarship opportunities.
• San Antonio Housing AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing authority partner connecting families in public housing to mentoring programs.
• San Antonio ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor school district partner with seven-year workplace mentoring partnership showing 98% graduation, 81% college enrollment, 63% STEM majors.
• Girl Scouts of Southwest TexasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering a BBBS Girl Scout Troop for matched youth to participate in together.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National parent organization of BBBSST and operator of the shared one-to-one youth mentoring model, evidence-based outcomes framework, and brand standards that BBBSST localizes across South Texas.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star: Another Texas BBBSA affiliate delivering the same one-to-one mentoring model in different Texas counties; directly comparable in mission, program structure, funding mix, and volunteer-driven delivery.
• Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio: San Antonio-based youth development nonprofit offering mentoring, academic support, and enrichment to at-risk youth — overlapping target population and donor/foundation base in the same geography.
• Communities In Schools of San Antonio: Local affiliate of the national dropout-prevention network and an existing BBBSST referral partner; delivers school-embedded youth support services to overlapping SAISD populations.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Antonio: Volunteer-driven nonprofit advocating for children in the child welfare system — comparable volunteer-based model serving overlapping at-risk youth populations in Bexar County.
• YMCA of Greater San Antonio: Regional youth-services nonprofit offering mentoring-adjacent programming (afterschool, youth development, family services) to overlapping San Antonio demographics with similar fundraising/event calendars.
• Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas: Regional youth-development nonprofit and existing BBBSST partner (joint BBBS Girl Scout Troop); comparable in mission, volunteer-driven delivery, and San Antonio/Corpus Christi service area.
• Junior Achievement of South Texas: Regional youth education nonprofit delivering workforce, financial literacy, and mentoring-style programming in schools — overlapping with BBBSST's SAISD partnership footprint and parent/family engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development umbrella serving similar at-risk youth populations through club-based programs; broader portfolio than BBBSST's mentoring focus but competes for the same philanthropic dollars nationally.

Others

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella and capacity-building organization for youth mentoring; not a direct service competitor but shapes the funding, policy, and research ecosystem in which BBBSST operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TEXASBIGMENTOR
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSSTX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-brothers-big-sisters-of-south-texas
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigmentorsatx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas