Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska is a 501(c)(3) youth-mentoring nonprofit operating the largest geographic service area of any Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate in the United States. The organization was formed in 2007 through the merger of three regional Alaska affiliates and is headquartered in Anchorage with 28 employees. It delivers one-to-one mentoring by matching adult volunteer mentors ("Bigs") with youth ages 6 through 16 ("Littles") across communities including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and other Alaska locations. As of the available data, the active match population includes 125 Alaska Native children against an Alaska Native mentor pool of approximately 20, and the program maintains a waitlist of roughly 620 youth awaiting a mentor.

The organization's revenue model is entirely donation-based and distributed across multiple channels: a Match Makers monthly recurring giving program ($10–$100 per month tiers), online donations processed through standard web forms (qgiv, tfaforms), structured corporate sponsorships with capped tiers of $6,500, $3,500, and $2,500, IRA rollovers, stock donations, donor-advised funds, corporate matching gifts, participation in Alaska's Pick.Click.Give. program, and a goods donation pickup program that generates revenue while also distributing support to other Alaska nonprofits. Annual fundraising events include The Big Give campaign and the Role Models Gala. Technology infrastructure is intentionally light: no proprietary platform, no AI-enabled matching, and no data flywheel is described — donor intake and volunteer applications run through standard third-party form and payment vendors.

Operationally, BBBS Alaska faces structural supply-side constraints relative to demand, evidenced by a multi-hundred-child waitlist and a documented shortage of Alaska Native male mentors (only five reported) against the Alaska Native youth enrolled. Strategic posture is one of incremental channel and segment expansion — adding fundraising vehicles and deepening cultural outreach — rather than geographic or programmatic pivots. The organization's competitive position rests on the national BBBS brand, the unique difficulty of replicating a state-wide Alaska footprint, and the relational lock-in of long-duration mentoring matches.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

Website

https://bbbsak.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska is a 501(c)(3) youth-mentoring nonprofit serving the largest geographic area of any BBBS affiliate, matching adult volunteers with youth ages 6–16 across Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and other Alaska communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• One-to-one mentoring
• Nonprofit mentorship programs
• Volunteer mentor matching
• Youth development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

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. Monthly Giving (Match Makers): Recurring monthly donations from individual supporters at tiered levels ($10-$100/month), providing predictable revenue for volunteer screening, orientation, match support, and match creation.
2. Online Donations: One-time and recurring cash donations processed through the organization's website donation portal.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate partners sponsor events and programs. Sponsorship tiers for events include $6,500, $3,500, and $2,500 levels.
4. IRA Charitable Rollover: Qualified charitable distributions from IRAs for donors 70.5+ years old, up to $100,000 annually.
5. Securities/Stock Donations: Appreciated marketable securities accepted as charitable gifts with tax advantages.
6. Goods Donation Program: Pickup service for gently used items (clothing, housewares, toys, media) that are sold to raise funds. Also partners with other Alaska nonprofits to support their fundraising.
7. Pick.Click.Give: Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend donation program allowing Alaskans to donate portion of their PFD to eligible charities.
8. Donor-Advised Fund Gifts: Grants from donor-advised funds. Federal Tax ID: 80-0064172.
9. Corporate Matching Gifts: Employer matching gift programs that multiply individual employee donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BBBSAK delivers professionally supported one-to-one youth mentoring by recruiting, screening, and training adult volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and matching them with children ages 6–16 ("Littles") across Alaska communities, with ongoing Match Support Specialists maintaining relationship quality. The organization sustains this service through diversified fundraising including monthly giving, online donations, corporate sponsorship, annual events, and in-kind goods donation pickups. No fees are charged to participants.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska operates a portfolio of programs centered on one-to-one youth mentoring. The core offering is the professionally supported mentoring program that matches adult volunteers ('Bigs') with children ages 6-16 ('Littles'). Supporting services include youth enrollment, volunteer recruitment and screening, and ongoing match support through dedicated specialists. The organization also runs fundraising operations including The Big Give annual campaign, the Role Models Gala, and various donation vehicles (online, goods pickup, IRA rollover, Pick.Click.Give., stock donations). Youth safety resources include educational video content via BBBSA Shorts. Corporate partnership and matching gift programs enable business community involvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-to-One Mentoring Program Flagship program creating and supporting professionally matched one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and youth ("Littles") aged 6-16 across Alaska, with ongoing support from Match Support Specialists.
• Volunteer Big Recruitment, Screening & Onboarding Recruitment and structured onboarding of adult volunteer mentors, including application, background checks, reference checks, intensive interview, and youth development training, delivered through a four-step self-service funnel (Apply, Interview & Training, Get Matched, Ongoing Support).
• Youth Enrollment Service Online enrollment process for parents and guardians to enroll children ages 6-16 into the mentoring program, including parent/guardian application, child interview, and ongoing communication with BBBS staff.
• Match Support Services Ongoing professional support for active mentoring matches, including guidance, advice, outing ideas, and activities organized by Match Support Specialists to sustain relationship quality.
• Match Makers Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donor program with tiered giving ($10, $25, $50, $100 per month) that funds specific operational costs such as volunteer screening, orientation, ongoing match support, and match creation.
• The Big Give Annual Campaign Annual virtual fundraising campaign held in April with a $75,000 goal to underwrite mentor matching activities, accompanied by local Big Bash community events.
• Role Models Gala Annual black-tie fundraising gala held at Marriott Anchorage Downtown in September, featuring Big and Little of the Year recognition, silent auctions, and corporate sponsorship opportunities.
• Goods Donation Pickup Program Scheduled pickup service for gently used items (clothing, accessories, housewares, media, toys) that are resold to raise funds, with partnership opportunities for other Alaska nonprofits to benefit from the cause-marketing arrangement.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Custom corporate partnership opportunities connecting Alaska businesses with youth through event sponsorship (tiers at $6,500, $3,500, $2,500), program underwriting, and employee engagement.
• Online Donation Platform Secure online donation portal (qgiv) processing one-time and recurring cash gifts, stock transfers, donor-advised fund contributions, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of Littles report improved academic performance
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

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.

• Nonprofits Across Alaska (General Partnership Network)minorOthersBBBSAK partners with nonprofits throughout Alaska to help them raise money through the goods donation pickup program. If a church, school, or nonprofit wants to work together, they can contact General Manager Claudia Lara at 907-563-1997. This is a cause-marketing arrangement where donated goods support multiple charitable organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National umbrella organization of which BBBSAK is an affiliate. Operates the same one-to-one youth mentoring model at scale, sets brand and screening standards, and is directly comparable in mission even though it operates at a far larger national scope.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization with a much broader programming model (education, athletics, character). Comparable in mission and youth-segment focus, but offers facility-based group programming rather than one-to-one mentoring.
• Mentor (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella and advocacy organization for youth mentoring, providing resources, standards, and research that affiliates like BBBSAK leverage. Comparable in mission focus but operates as an enabling/network organization rather than direct service provider.
• Girls Inc. National nonprofit inspiring and supporting girls through research-based programming. Comparable as a youth-development nonprofit competing for similar donor dollars and corporate partnerships, though its gender-specific focus differs from BBBSAK's co-ed model.

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Alaska: Operates club-based youth development programs across Alaska, serving a similar geography and youth population (ages 6–18). Directly comparable as a competing Alaska-based nonprofit serving similar families and competing for the same donor and corporate sponsorship pools.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles: One of the largest BBBS affiliates in the country, operating the same one-to-one mentoring model in a major metro area. Directly comparable affiliate for benchmarking fundraising tactics, mentor recruitment, and outcome measurement.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County: Another large BBBS affiliate delivering the same one-to-one mentoring model. Closely comparable in program structure, fundraising mix, and outcome reporting — useful peer for benchmarking operating efficiency and donor engagement.
• iMentor: National youth mentoring nonprofit focused on college-access mentoring for high school students. Directly comparable in mission and one-to-one matching model, but differentiates by targeting older students and leveraging virtual mentoring technology.

Regional players

• Covenant House Alaska: Anchorage-based nonprofit serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and trafficking. Operates in the same Alaska geography and serves an overlapping youth demographic, competing for state-level foundation and corporate funding.

Others

• United Way of Anchorage: Regional funder and convener that aggregates workplace giving and regrants to Alaska nonprofits including BBBSAK. Comparable as a regional funding ecosystem participant rather than a direct service peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-c_LPVSqEeNJ4PoMy66AGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSAK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-brothers-big-sisters-of-alaska
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbbsak

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 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska