Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley (BBBSMV) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, with a satellite office in Macomb, Illinois. The organization operates as a local affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and serves youth across the Quad Cities and broader Mississippi Valley region. Its core function is delivering one-on-one youth mentorship by recruiting, vetting, and matching adult volunteer mentors ('Bigs') with children and adolescents aged 6-18 ('Littles') through community-based and school-based programming. Core programs include traditional Community-Based Mentoring, the school-based 'The Big Experience' (evolved from the Big for a Day format), the Project Starfish 25-in-25 mentor recruitment campaign, and a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Club embedded within United Township High School.

The organization does not sell a product or licensed technology platform; its underlying 'technology' is the standardized program infrastructure, volunteer screening processes, and outcome measurement frameworks inherited from the national BBBS network, combined with a website, Constant Contact newsletter, and event-based engagement tools. Services are delivered at no cost to families and youth. Operating overhead is supported by a 22-person staff and a Board of Directors with corporate representation from regional institutions such as Ascentra Credit Union.

BBBSMV's business and revenue model is contribution-based, drawing on four streams: individual donations solicited through the website and newsletter, corporate support and sponsorships, signature event fundraising (Golf Outing, Putt-A-Round, Over the Edge, Euchre Night, Plant Sale), and volunteer time contributed by community mentors. The go-to-market approach is community-led and event-driven, relying on school partnerships, word-of-mouth, and recurring events to recruit mentors and donors rather than paid acquisition. Documented outcomes — 20% higher college enrollment, 15% higher lifetime earnings, and closing two-thirds of the economic gap for mentored youth — are used as the primary impact narrative to sustain fundraising.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley

Website

https://bbbs-mv.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley is a Davenport, Iowa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits adult volunteer mentors to provide one-on-one and school-based mentorship to youth ages 6-18 across the Quad Cities and Macomb regions, funded through individual donations, corporate support, and event fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), 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), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring programs
• Volunteer mentor services
• Nonprofit mentorship
• School-based mentoring
• Community-based mentoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Davenport

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. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support mentoring programs. The website features a prominent Donate button and newsletter subscription to engage individual supporters.
2. Corporate Support: Corporate partnerships and sponsorships provide funding and resources. The organization has a dedicated Corporate Support page and engages businesses through programs like Project Starfish.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual and recurring events including Golf Outing, Putt-A-Round, Over the Edge, Euchre Night, and Plant Sale generate donations and community engagement.
4. Volunteer Recruitment: Recruitment of volunteer mentors (Bigs) who donate their time, creating program capacity without direct revenue but enabling service delivery.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley recruits adult volunteer mentors (Bigs) and matches them with youth ages 6-18 (Littles) for one-on-one and group mentoring relationships. Programs are delivered free of charge through community-based and school-based settings in the Quad Cities region, supported by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley operates as a youth mentoring non-profit organization offering a portfolio of mentoring programs. The core offerings include one-on-one mentoring programs connecting adult volunteers with youth, school-based mentoring through The Big Experience, and the time-limited Project Starfish campaign for rapid mentor recruitment. Supporting services include event fundraising (Golf Outing, Putt-A-Round, Over the Edge, Euchre Night, Plant Sale), online donation capabilities, and newsletter subscriptions. The organization provides pathways for community members to either enroll a child, become a mentor, or support the mission through financial contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community-Based Mentoring Traditional one-on-one mentoring format in which adult volunteer Bigs and youth Littles meet in community settings to build lasting relationships outside of school environments. Designed for youth ages 6-18 who benefit from sustained adult role models.
• The Big Experience School-based mentoring program where volunteers spend lunch hours connecting with Littles, including peer-to-peer mentoring clubs at local high schools. Evolved from the 'Big for a Day' events and serves youth within the school setting.
• Project Starfish Targeted mentor recruitment campaign aimed at rapidly expanding the volunteer base by recruiting 25 Bigs in 25 days, enabling the organization to serve more Littles in the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• BBBS Littles are 20% more likely to enroll in college
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Township High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBBS launched the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Club partnership at United Township High School, enabling student-led mentorship initiatives within the school community.
• Ascentra Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinda Andry, President & CEO of Ascentra Credit Union, serves on the BBBSMV board. Ascentra and Ascentra staff support the organization through board leadership and corporate giving.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National umbrella organization for the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring network. Directly comparable as the parent network providing brand, program frameworks, and outcome research that BBBSMV operates under.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit offering mentorship-adjacent programming (afterschool, leadership) to at-risk youth. Comparable in mission and youth-outcomes focus, though broader in scope.
• Girls Inc. National nonprofit delivering mentoring, education, and youth development programming. Comparable as a youth-development counterpart with a similar donation- and event-based funding model.
• YMCA of the Mississippi Valley: Regional community nonprofit serving the Quad Cities with youth programming, volunteer-driven operations, and donation-based fundraising. Comparable in regional youth-services mission and event-led revenue model.

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Iowa: Sibling local BBBS affiliate operating in Eastern Iowa with the same one-on-one youth mentoring model, donation-based funding, and community/school-based programs as BBBSMV.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa: Another Iowa-based BBBS affiliate offering the same mentoring programs and revenue model; most directly comparable peer in terms of program mix and regional scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley: Local youth development nonprofit serving the same Quad Cities geography with comparable fundraising events, school partnerships, and a focus on at-risk youth outcomes.

Emerging players

• 4-H (Iowa 4-H / National 4-H Council): Youth development organization with mentoring-adjacent programming, school-based delivery, and outcome tracking. Comparable in its positive-youth-development mission and reliance on volunteer mentors.

Others

• MENTOR (The National Mentoring Partnership): National intermediary advancing the mentoring field through research, advocacy, and affiliate support. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler that BBBSMV affiliates plug into for standards and outcome research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 the Mississippi Valley