Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc.

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc. does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, founded on October 12, 1976, originally as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marathon County. The organization delivers one-to-one youth mentoring services to at-risk children ages 6 through 19 across Marathon County, Abbotsford, and the Merrill Area, with school-based programs operating in seven districts (Abbotsford, Athens, D.C. Everest, Marathon, Merrill, Mosinee, and Wausau). In 2025 the organization served 210 at-risk children in mentoring relationships, up from 176 in 2023, and currently carries a waitlist of more than 130 children awaiting a match.

The core programmatic offering comprises four products: Community-Based Mentoring (weekly community activities for children ages 6-14), School-Based Mentoring (30-minute weekly on-campus sessions), Bigs with Badges (uniformed first-responder mentors in schools), and Mentors Plus (family-inclusive mentoring). All services are delivered free of charge to children and families. The organization operates with approximately eight to nine staff, supplemented by an Executive Director, a Program Director, and Enrollment and Match Support Specialists, and is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from local corporate and civic leadership.

Revenue is generated exclusively through philanthropy and event-based fundraising, with no service fees charged to beneficiaries. Funding sources include United Way of Marathon County and Merrill Area United Way, private foundations (Sonnentag, Judd Alexander, Greenheck, Davis, Lewitzke), corporate sponsorships tied to the signature annual events Big Taste and Bowl For Kids Sake, an endowment managed by the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, and individual donations. The organization receives no federal or state funding. Marketing is community-led, relying on social media, local radio sponsorships, and word-of-mouth referrals from school districts and United Way partners. There is no proprietary technology platform.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc.

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc.

Website

https://bbbsncw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin is a Wausau-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free one-to-one mentoring to at-risk youth ages 6-19 across Marathon County and surrounding areas. It operates four mentoring programs and funds them through donations, foundation grants, United Way support, and signature annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAJALAL

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYBPAGAEAC

Family & Parenting Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Volunteer mentor matching
• School-based mentoring
• Nonprofit youth programs
• At-risk youth support

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

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: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals. All donations stay local to support mentoring programs. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Event Revenue: Corporate sponsorships for events (Big Taste, Bowl For Kids Sake) and program sponsorships. Includes business lane sponsorships and vendor donations.
3. United Way Funding: Support from Marathon County United Way and Merrill Area United Way as major funding sources.
4. Private Foundations: Funding from private foundations including Sonnentag Foundation, Judd Alexander Foundation, Greenheck Foundation, Davis Foundation, Lewitzke Foundation, and others.
5. Enrollment Cost Recovery: Optional suggested donation of $25 from volunteers to cover enrollment expenses including background checks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin creates and supports professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteer mentors (Bigs) and at-risk children (Littles) ages 6-19 across Marathon County, Abbotsford, and the Merrill Area. Programs include Community-Based Mentoring, School-Based Mentoring, Bigs with Badges, and Mentors Plus, all delivered free of charge to children and families.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin offers a suite of youth mentoring programs centered around one-to-one relationships between adult volunteers (Bigs) and at-risk children ages 6-19 (Littles). The core offerings include Community-Based Mentoring for weekly activities in the community, School-Based Mentoring for on-site school meetings, Bigs with Badges for first responders mentoring students, and Mentors Plus for family-inclusive mentoring. The organization also hosts two major annual fundraising events—Big Taste and Bowl For Kids Sake—which fund the mentoring programs. The organization serves children struggling emotionally, socially, academically, or behaviorally across Marathon County, Abbotsford, and Merrill Area, with School-Based Programs operating in multiple school districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community-Based Mentoring Traditional one-to-one mentoring program where adult volunteer mentors (Bigs) and children (Littles) ages 6-14 meet weekly in the community to share activities such as sports, biking, hiking, and board games. Provided free of charge to at-risk youth.
• School-Based Mentoring One-to-one mentoring program where Bigs and Littles meet once a week during the school day at the child's school for a minimum of 30 minutes, participating in projects, reading, lunch, and games. Operates in school districts of Abbotsford, Athens, D.C. Everest, Marathon, Merrill, Mosinee, and Wausau.
• Bigs with Badges Specialized mentoring program in which police officers, firefighters, and EMTs mentor elementary or middle school students, visiting their Little during lunch periods in uniform.
• Mentors Plus Enhanced mentoring option that allows mentors' spouses, significant others, or family members to participate in match activities for a more family-inclusive mentoring experience.
• Big Taste Annual premier fundraising event featuring exceptional food and beverages, live music, and a silent auction, with all proceeds supporting youth mentoring programs in Northcentral Wisconsin.
• Bowl For Kids Sake Signature annual bowling fundraiser in which individuals and businesses form teams to raise money supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs and matching children with positive adult role models.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% of children served improved their level of confidence
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AutoSelectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Big Taste 2026 fundraising event.
• Nicolet National BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Big Taste 2026 and Bowl For Kids Sake 2026.
• Miron ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Big Taste 2026.
• Granite Peak Ski ResortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Big Taste 2026 event.
• UMR (United Healthcare)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Bowl For Kids Sake 2026.
• Ho-Chunk Wittenberg GamingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Bowl For Kids Sake 2026.
• Dale's Weston LanesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Bowl For Kids Sake 2026 event in Wausau area.
• School Districts (Abbotsford, Athens, D.C. Everest, Marathon, Merrill, Mosinee, Wausau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-based mentoring program partnerships allowing volunteers to mentor at local schools. Provides access to students and facilities for weekly mentoring sessions.
• Boys & Girls Club of Wausau AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite-based mentoring partnership allowing BBBS volunteers to mentor at their locations. Information sharing agreement for mentoring feedback.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Regional Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate operating the same one-to-one youth mentoring model (Community-Based and School-Based Mentoring) as BBBSNCW, but serving the Chicago metro area. Most directly comparable as a sister affiliate under the same national brand and program framework.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City: Another urban/regional BBBS affiliate delivering the same one-to-one mentoring programs for at-risk youth. Comparable model, donor mix (corporate, foundations, events), and outcome measurement methodology as BBBSNCW.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National umbrella organization that BBBSNCW is independently affiliated with. Operates the same mentoring model, POE outcome framework, and brand standards; provides curriculum and national corporate partnership leverage to regional affiliates like BBBSNCW.
• Boys & Girls Club of Wausau: Direct local youth-development partner of BBBSNCW in Wausau, serving overlapping at-risk youth populations through after-school programming, mentoring, and youth development services in the same Marathon County geography.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-services organization providing mentoring, after-school programming, and youth development across the U.S. Overlaps with BBBSNCW's mission of supporting at-risk youth through structured adult engagement, though via club-based rather than one-to-one mentoring.
• Girls Inc. National nonprofit delivering mentoring, education, and youth development programming for at-risk youth. Comparable mission and outcome measurement approach, though gender-specific (girls) rather than co-ed like BBBSNCW.
• 4-H (National 4-H Council): National youth development organization delivering mentoring and adult-led youth programming across rural and small-town America, overlapping with BBBSNCW's school and community-based youth engagement model in Wisconsin.

Regional players

• YMCA of Northcentral Wisconsin: Regional YMCA chapter serving the same northcentral Wisconsin geography as BBBSNCW, offering youth development, mentoring-adjacent programs, and competing for overlapping United Way and corporate sponsor dollars in Marathon County.

Others

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella and advocacy organization for youth mentoring, of which BBBSNCW is a member affiliate. Provides shared standards, training, and outcome frameworks (including elements of the POE methodology BBBSNCW uses) rather than direct services.
• United Way of Marathon County: Primary institutional funder of BBBSNCW. Comparable as a community-impact nonprofit operating in the same Marathon County geography and competing for the same local corporate and individual donor dollars.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/login
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSNCW

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, Inc.