What Building Men Program does

Building Men Program Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Joe Horan in Syracuse, New York. It delivers in-school and afterschool youth mentorship and character development programming primarily to middle and high school boys in the Syracuse City School District, structured around a proprietary S.I.R. (Significance, Integrity, Relationships) framework. Core offerings include a Middle School Program (chalk talks, guest speakers, peer mentoring, community service, rite of passage), a High School Program (leadership sessions, Men of Strength Club, My Brother's Keeper mentoring, career building, S.I.R. University), a four-week Summer Institute Sports Camp, a Community Crew service initiative, and Special Events such as Leadership Conferences and a Day of Peace.

The organization does not operate a technology product; its "delivery infrastructure" is a network of school-based partnerships, staff facilitators, and volunteer mentors. Service delivery is direct-to-student, free of charge, and conducted on SCSD premises during school hours, afterschool, and summer. The operating geography is regional (Syracuse and Central New York), with public messaging indicating aspirations to expand nationally.

Revenue is derived entirely from donations and charitable contributions, including annual fundraising events (e.g., "The Promise of Tomorrow" breakfast), a PayPal charity fundraising account (charity ID 1410943), and online volunteer recruitment. The organization employs 1-10 staff, is founder-led, and operates under a Board of Directors without institutional investment, parent company, or external capital. In 2026 it is launching a 20th Anniversary fundraising campaign to support continued operations.

Name

Building Men Program

Legal name

Building Men Program Inc.

Website

https://buildingmenprogram.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Building Men Program is a Syracuse, NY-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that delivers in-school mentorship and character development programming to middle and high school boys via partnerships with the Syracuse City School District, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentorship and Character Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Character development education
• After-school leadership programs
• Community service youth
• Nonprofit youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies entirely on donations from community supporters to fund programs, activities, field trips, guest speakers, and operational costs. Programs are provided free of charge to participants.
2. Volunteer Services: Relies on volunteer mentors, guest speakers, and community role models who contribute their time and expertise to support program activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Building Men Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, in-person youth mentorship and character-development programming to middle and high school boys in Syracuse, NY, through its Middle School Program, High School Program, Summer Institute Sports Camp, Community Crew Program, and Special Events. All programming is built around the proprietary S.I.R. framework (Significance, Integrity, Relationships), with weekly sessions, guest speakers, community service, peer mentoring, and rite-of-passage experiences delivered inside partner schools.

Product overview

The Building Men Program is a single unified youth mentorship offering comprised of five interconnected programs serving young men in Syracuse, NY. The core programs include the Middle School Program (character development through chalk talks, guest speakers, and community service), High School Program (leadership sessions, mentoring, and career building), Summer Institute Sports Camp (summer academics and athletics), Community Crew Program (high school community service), and Special Events (leadership conferences, peace days, and basketball tournaments). All programs are built around the S.I.R. framework (Significance, Integrity, Relationships) and emphasize mentorship, brotherhood, and rite of passage experiences. The program operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006, relying entirely on community donations and volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program Character development program for middle school boys featuring chalk talks, guest speakers, community service projects, peer mentoring, honorable competition, and rite of passage trips, all centered on S.I.R. values (significance, integrity, relationships). Delivered free of charge inside Syracuse City School District middle schools.
• High School Program Fellowship program for high school young men including weekly Building Men Leadership Sessions, Men of Strength (MOST) Club violence prevention, My Brother's Keeper mentoring, Career Building course, and S.I.R. University personal development modules. Delivered free of charge to Syracuse high school students.
• Summer Institute Sports Camp Four-week summer program for rising 6th–8th grade boys combining academics, character building, physical fitness, and sports instruction. Operates during Syracuse City School District summer school to combat summer learning loss.
• Community Crew Program High school student group that participates in monthly community service projects around Central New York, teaching young men the importance of giving back to their community.
• Special Events Program Annual events including the Leadership Conference, Day of Peace (focused on mental/social/spiritual health), Mid-Winter Break Community Service, 3v3 Basketball Tournament, and Mini Lock-Ins for middle school students. Held at community venues including Elmwood School.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Syracuse City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner providing access to middle and high schools for delivering Building Men programs. Students from SCSD schools participate in Building Men sessions, mentorship activities, and special events. The organization clarifies they are not financially funded by the district but operate programs within school settings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• National Fatherhood Initiative: National nonprofit focused on fatherhood involvement and positive male role models for children. Comparable mission of promoting responsible male mentorship, though operates more as advocacy/resources than direct youth programming.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: Large national youth development organization offering afterschool programs, character building, sports, and summer camps. Comparable in scope of school-based youth programming, mentorship, and summer camp offerings.
• My Brother's Keeper Alliance: Obama Foundation initiative supporting mentoring and youth development pathways for boys and young men of color. Building Men explicitly partners with MBK, making this a primary framework partner and comparable national movement.

Others

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization advancing the mentoring movement through research, advocacy, and resource provision. Comparable as a peer institution in the youth mentoring ecosystem and potential funder/convener.

Direct peers

• Jackie Robinson Foundation: National scholarship and leadership development program for minority youth combining mentorship, career development, and character education. Comparable as a youth development nonprofit for young men of color with leadership and college/career pipeline.
• Boys to Men Mentoring Network: School-based group mentoring program for adolescent boys focused on healthy masculinity, character development, and rite of passage. Nearly identical mission and school-based delivery model to Building Men Program.
• 100 Black Men of America: National mentoring organization focused on educational and economic empowerment of Black youth through mentorship, leadership development, and scholarships. Closely comparable to Building Men's focus on mentoring young men of color with character and leadership curriculum.
• The ManKind Project: International nonprofit training men in emotional literacy, accountability, and authentic masculinity through group mentoring and rites of passage. Directly comparable framework for character-driven masculinity education.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization providing mentorship, character education, and afterschool programming for youth. Directly comparable as a multi-site, school- and community-based youth character development nonprofit.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring organization pairing adult volunteers with young people for sustained one-on-one mentoring relationships. Directly comparable mission of providing positive role models and mentorship to youth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buildingmenprog
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@buildingmenprogram6351
• Facebookfacebook.com/BuildingMenProgram
• Instagraminstagram.com/buildingmenprogram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/building-men-program-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Building Men Program