Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois (BBBSCIL) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a full affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, delivering professionally supported one-to-one youth mentoring across 10 Central Illinois counties (Champaign, DeWitt, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, Macon, Morgan, Piatt, Sangamon, and Vermilion). Established in 1987 in Macon County as a YMCA-sponsored program, the organization became independent in 1995 and currently serves approximately 250 children and 650+ families annually through a volunteer base of 700+ adult mentors. It operates from offices in Springfield (headquarters, 928 S. Spring St) and Decatur.

The organization's service portfolio comprises three core mentoring programs: Community-Based Mentoring (Bigs spend 2–4 times per month with Littles in community settings for a minimum 12-month commitment), Site-Based Mentoring (weekly ~30-minute school-based visits during lunch or non-core class time), and Big Futures (a college and career readiness program launched in 2019 for high school students with weekly email and monthly group activities). Underlying technology is minimal: there is no proprietary platform; the organization uses TFA Forms for enrollment, a Wix-hosted website, and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X) for community engagement. Outcomes are evidence-based and tied to national BBBS impact data — children matched are reported as 46% more likely to avoid illegal drugs, 27% more likely to avoid alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, and projected to earn 15% more over their lifetime.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy rather than service fees — all mentoring is provided free to families. Streams include the Match Maker monthly recurring donation program ($10–$175/month across five tiers), one-time gifts, corporate sponsorships and employee volunteer partnerships, foundation grants (including Illinois Prairie Community Foundation), and signature annual events such as Golf fore Kids' Sake (Springfield, Decatur, Champaign), Bowl for Kids' Sake, and Queen of Hearts. The organization is led by CEO Saramanda Hall, a ~10-person professional staff, and a Board of Directors drawing from anchor regional institutions including ADM, Wells Fargo, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Parkland Community College, and Springfield School District 186.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois

Website

https://bbbscil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois is an independent nonprofit affiliate delivering one-to-one youth mentoring across 10 Central Illinois counties, serving ~250 children and 650+ families annually through 700+ volunteer mentors and three core programs: Community-Based, Site-Based, and Big Futures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), School Counseling Services (Individual & Group) (EDAKAMAB)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• One-to-one mentorship
• Nonprofit youth programs
• Volunteer mentorship programs
• College career readiness

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly Match Maker recurring donation program with tiered levels ($10-$175/month) and one-time donations ($50-$1,000). Donors can opt to cover transaction fees.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Philanthropic Gifts: Business and corporate partners provide philanthropic gifts, employee volunteer programs, and cause-related marketing partnerships. Described as fundamental to supporting children and contributing to stronger communities.
3. Fundraising Events: Signature annual events including Golf fore Kids' Sake (multiple locations), Bowl for Kids' Sake, and Queen of Hearts raffle. These events generate revenue through registration, sponsorships, and participant fundraising.
4. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations provides programmatic funding. The organization has received grants from community foundations supporting youth programs across their service area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois provides free, professionally supported one-to-one youth mentoring relationships across ten Central Illinois counties through three program tracks: Community-Based Mentoring, Site-Based Mentoring, and Big Futures college/career readiness. Adult volunteer mentors ('Bigs') are screened, trained, and matched with youth ('Littles') facing social and academic challenges, with ongoing case management support.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois operates as a youth mentorship nonprofit organization offering three core mentoring programs: Community-Based Mentoring (for out-of-school activities), Site-Based Mentoring (school-based visits), and Big Futures (college/career readiness). The organization also runs a Match Maker monthly giving program with tiered donation levels supporting different aspects of mentorship services. Programs serve youth across ten counties in Central Illinois through professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community-Based Mentoring One-to-one mentoring program in which volunteer Bigs (16+, with valid driver's license) spend time with Littles exploring community activities such as parks, museums, sporting events, and movies. Bigs must commit to at least 12 months of 2-4 monthly meetings with their Little. Delivered to youth and families across ten Central Illinois counties free of charge.
• Site-Based Mentoring School-based mentoring program where Bigs visit their Little at the child's school, after-school program, or youth-serving agency for approximately 30 minutes per week during non-core class or lunch breaks during the school year. Delivered in partnership with local schools and youth-serving organizations across Central Illinois.
• Big Futures College and career readiness mentoring program for high school students that provides one-to-one support, weekly email communication, and monthly in-person group activities with local businesses to help students graduate high school, succeed in college, and become workforce ready.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% more likely to avoid illegal drugs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Schools and Youth-Serving OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBBS maintains affiliations with local schools and various youth service organizations across their 10-county service area. These partnerships enable site-based mentoring programs where volunteers visit Littles at school during lunch or after-school programs. The partnerships provide structured environments for mentoring relationships and help reach youth who can benefit from positive role models.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 4-H (Illinois Extension): Youth development program operated through University of Illinois Extension across Illinois counties. Offers mentoring-like youth development programming and competes for the same volunteer mentors, youth participants, and community foundation grants.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois: Regional youth development nonprofit serving Central Illinois youth through after-school and enrichment programs. Competes for the same donor dollars, volunteer pool, and youth participants in overlapping Central Illinois counties.
• Girls Inc. of Central Illinois: Youth development nonprofit serving girls in Central Illinois through mentoring and enrichment programming. Competes for female volunteer mentors, youth participants, and community foundation funding in the same geography.
• Mentor Illinois: Statewide mentoring advocacy and capacity-building nonprofit supporting mentoring programs across Illinois. Directly aligned with the youth mentoring mission and supports similar evidence-based mentoring outcomes.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Another Illinois-based BBBS affiliate operating in a different geography. Provides direct comparison on affiliate-level operating models, program mix, fundraising approaches, and outcomes in the same state context.
• Junior Achievement of Central Illinois: Regional nonprofit providing youth education and workforce readiness programs in Central Illinois. Overlaps with BBBS's Big Futures college/career readiness program and competes for similar corporate sponsorships and school partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR): National umbrella organization that champions and supports youth mentoring programs nationwide, including affiliate mentoring organizations. Directly comparable as the broader category leader in the mentoring nonprofit space.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National parent federation that BBBS of Central Illinois is an affiliate of. Operates the overarching brand, methodologies, and standards for all local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates across the U.S., providing the most direct organizational comparison.

Emerging players

• YMCA of Decatur: The original sponsor of BBBS of Central Illinois when it launched in 1987. Continues to operate youth development programs in the region and represents an adjacent youth services organization competing for similar volunteer and donor support.

Others

• United Way of Central Illinois: Regional funder and convening nonprofit that channels corporate donations to youth-serving agencies including BBBS. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem partner and potential funding source for the affiliate's programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bbbsofcentralil?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSCentralIllinois
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbbs_central.illinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-brothers-big-sisters-of-central-illinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Central Illinois