Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts (BBBSEM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth mentoring organization founded in 1949 and headquartered at 184 High Street, Boston. It operates as the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in New England and the second-largest in the United States, delivering professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships ("Bigs" matched with "Littles," typically youth aged 7–18) across six regions of Eastern Massachusetts: Brockton, Cape Cod & Islands, Greater Boston, Lowell, Merrimack Valley, and South Coast. The organization served nearly 3,000 youth annually historically and has set a target of more than 4,000 youth per year, with cumulative service exceeding 25,000 youth over its 75-year history.

BBBSEM delivers its services through a portfolio of program modalities: traditional community-based mentoring (2–4 hours twice monthly), site-based programs at schools and workplaces, school and campus-based programs (including partnerships with 12+ colleges), the Big Futures hybrid four-year high-school-to-post-secondary pathway program launched in 2023, and Girls' Gender-Intentional Programming. Its technology footprint is minimal and operationally oriented — the proprietary "Big Portal" provides resource, activity, and match-support content for mentors and families, but the organization is not technology-led. The merger with Big Sisters Association of Greater Boston, completed in February 2025, expanded gender-intentional programming capabilities.

The business model is donation- and event-driven. There are no fees charged to families or volunteers. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate partnerships (e.g., C-Space, TripAdvisor, Mother.ly, Ergobaby via the SitterStream 100 initiative), and a calendar of fundraising events including Big Night (annual gala, raised $1.5M+ in 2023), Big Golf Tournament (raised $600K+ cumulatively since 2003), the Boston Marathon team, and the Falmouth Road Race. Customer "segments" are non-paying end beneficiaries (youth and families) and contributing supporters (volunteer mentors, donors, corporate sponsors), accessed through direct volunteer enrollment, family enrollment, school and employer partnerships, and community outreach across the six operating regions.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts

Website

https://emassbigs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1949, that delivers one-to-one youth mentoring programs across six Eastern Massachusetts regions. It serves roughly 4,000 youth annually and is the second-largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• One-to-one mentoring
• Nonprofit youth development
• Volunteer mentor programs
• Community fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting youth mentoring programs in Eastern Massachusetts.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Big Night gala (raised $1.5M+), Big Golf Tournament (raised $600K+ total), Boston Marathon fundraising, and other community events.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporate sponsors like C-Space, TripAdvisor, and others providing financial support and employee volunteer opportunities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BBBSEM delivers professionally supported one-to-one youth mentoring services across Eastern Massachusetts, matching trained adult volunteer mentors (Bigs) with youth ages 7-18 (Littles) through community-based, site-based, school and campus-based, Big Futures Mentoring, and Girls' Gender-Intentional programs. Mentoring is delivered free of charge to families and funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts operates as a youth mentoring nonprofit organization offering multiple interconnected one-to-one mentoring programs. The core offerings include Community-Based Programs (traditional mentoring through outings), Site-Based Programs (at schools/workplaces), School and Campus-Based Programs (college student mentors), Big Futures Mentoring Programs (high school-to-career pathway mentoring, formerly Mentor 2.0), and Girls' Gender-Intentional Programming. The organization also provides the Big Portal as an online resource hub for mentors and families, and Big2Big as a peer support service for volunteer mentors. The portfolio spans community-based, school-based, workplace, and campus-based mentoring modalities serving youth across Eastern Massachusetts regions including Brockton, Cape Cod & Islands, Greater Boston, Lowell, Merrimack Valley, and South Coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Portal Online resource portal for mentors (Bigs) and families, used alongside Match Support calls to plan activities, support youth development, foster academic success, and address common mentoring difficulties. Includes activity ideas, FAQs, coaching tips, teen resources, and community resources.
• Community-Based Programs Traditional one-to-one mentoring program in which volunteer adult mentors (Bigs) are matched with youth (Littles) and meet 2-3 hours a couple of times per month for outings of their choice in the community.
• Site-Based Programs Mentoring programs delivered at specific sites such as schools, workplaces, or community centers where matches meet under supervision.
• School and Campus-Based Programs Mentoring programs in educational settings where college students or adult mentors provide academic and social support to youth during school hours or on campus.
• Big Futures Mentoring Programs Hybrid four-year high school mentoring program matching students with professional mentors who guide them through high school into post-secondary pathways (college, trade school, entrepreneurship, or military). Freshmen and sophomores focus on relationship building and experiential learning through weekly online communication and monthly in-person meetings.
• Girls' Gender-Intentional Programming Gender-specific mentoring programs pairing girls with female mentors and providing programming tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by young women.
• Boston City Hall Workplace Mentoring Program Work-based mentoring program delivered in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Health and Human Services, in which City of Boston employees mentor students from Donald McKay K-8 School one-to-one within City Hall.
• Big2Big A group of experienced volunteer Bigs available to support other Bigs through one-on-one calls, providing guidance on match challenges, brainstorming solutions, and navigating the mentor role.
• Match Hub Newsletters Monthly newsletter providing resources, activity ideas, and support information for Big-Little matches, available in English and Spanish.
• Stonehill College Campus-Based Program Campus-based mentoring program in which Stonehill College undergraduates mentor youth from Brockton Housing Authority, New Heights Charter School, and Brockton Boys & Girls Club, with youth transported to campus twice monthly for one-on-one and group activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Higher life-time incomes for Littles (youth in program)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stonehill CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2022Campus-based mentoring program where undergraduates mentor youth from Brockton Housing Authority, New Heights Charter School, and Brockton Boys & Girls Club. Youth transported to campus twice monthly for one-on-one and group activities.
• SitterStreamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2022Partnership to provide free virtual childcare and wellness sessions to BBBSEM families, mentors, and staff. SitterStream 100 initiative where companies signing up donate 100 sessions to BBBSEM community. Companies including TripAdvisor, Mother.ly, and Ergobaby have committed to the program.
• C-SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership for workplace giving and employee volunteer programs.
• Brockton Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership providing mentoring services to youth from housing authority communities.
• New Heights Charter SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership for campus-based mentoring program in Brockton.
• Brockton Boys & Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partnership for campus-based mentoring program.
• TripAdvisorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in SitterStream 100 initiative donating virtual childcare sessions to BBBSEM families.
• Revere High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Futures Mentoring Program launch at Revere High School with 30+ freshmen matched with Greater Boston professionals for four-year mentoring through high school and post-secondary planning.
• Madison Park Technical Vocational High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade workforce development mentoring program launching with the technical vocational high school.
• Boston Mayor's Office of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Boston City Hall Workplace Mentoring Program where City employees mentor students from Donald McKay K-8 School.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles: Another large regional BBBS affiliate operating one-to-one youth mentoring in a major U.S. metropolitan area. Directly comparable in mission, program structure, and donor/volunteer-driven operating model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City: Large BBBS affiliate serving youth in NYC with similar one-to-one mentoring programs, school-based partnerships, and event-based fundraising model. Highly comparable in scale and urban focus.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston: Boston-based youth development organization providing mentorship, academic support, and enrichment programs. Operates in the same region and competes for similar youth populations, volunteers, and donor dollars.
• Girls Inc. of Lynn: Massachusetts-based gender-intentional youth development nonprofit offering mentoring and empowerment programming for girls. Highly comparable to BBBSEM's recently expanded gender-intentional programming following the Big Sisters merger.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Greater Boston: Major regional youth services organization offering mentoring-adjacent programming, after-school care, and youth development across Eastern Massachusetts. Overlaps with BBBSEM in target demographics and funding sources.
• United Way of Massachusetts Bay: Large regional nonprofit funder and convener supporting youth development, education, and family services across Eastern Massachusetts. Comparable in fundraising model and donor base overlap.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization with club-based mentoring and programs. Competes with BBBSEM for philanthropic funding and corporate sponsorships at a national scale.
• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization advancing the mentoring field through advocacy, research, and resource provision. Operates in the same ecosystem and shares mission alignment with BBBSEM.

Emerging players

• iCouldBe: Online mentoring nonprofit providing virtual mentoring to underserved youth. Comparable mission with a different delivery model (technology-enabled vs. in-person), representing an emerging alternative approach.
• Year Up: Workforce development and mentoring organization for young adults transitioning to professional careers. Comparable to BBBSEM's Big Futures program in pathway-focused youth mentoring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/emassbigs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BigBrothersBigSistersofEasternMassachusetts
• Facebookfacebook.com/EMassBigs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emassbigs
• Instagraminstagram.com/emassbigs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts