Be A Mentor
Be A Mentor is a Charleston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pairs adult volunteer mentors with K-12 students in Lowcountry schools, serving roughly 260 youth across 21 schools via weekly one-on-one mentoring, girls' leadership, family support, and summer literacy programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Be A Mentor does
Be A Mentor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, that delivers school-based one-on-one youth mentorship across the Lowcountry region. Founded in 2017 after spinning out from Leadership Foundations, the organization currently operates in 21 schools across two school districts, supporting approximately 260 students with roughly 200 volunteer mentors committing one hour per week. Services are free to student participants and volunteer mentors; the organization is funded entirely through donations, grants, and fundraising events.
The core offering is the General Mentorship Program, in which adults aged 21+ who pass background checks and complete orientation training are matched with elementary, middle, and high school students. Supporting programs include Leading Ladies (a girls' empowerment and leadership group), Parent Village (family wrap-around support and resource referral), Reading Adventures Camp (a three-week summer literacy intervention for incoming second and third graders), and E-Mentoring (an email-based virtual model launched during COVID-19 that preserved relationships with roughly 400 pairs). Auxiliary assets include the Be The Village Podcast, the Mentor Resources Hub, a closed Family Support Facebook Group, and an annual gala with multi-tier corporate sponsorship.
The business model is nonprofit fundraising rather than commercial pricing. Revenue streams comprise individual donations and the Pathlighter monthly recurring giving program, foundation grants (notably a $25,000 Trident United Way Community Engagement Grant), corporate sponsorships tied to events like the BAM SLAM pickleball tournament and the annual Going Places Gala, and in-kind contributions. The underlying technology stack is modest — Squarespace for the website, CharityProud for online donations, Google Forms for applications and family needs assessments, and Zoom for virtual sessions — reflecting a human-delivered, community-anchored service rather than a technology platform.
Be A Mentor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Be A Mentor
- Legal name
- Be A Mentor
- Website
- https://beamentornow.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Be A Mentor is a Charleston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that pairs adult volunteer mentors with K-12 students in Lowcountry schools, serving roughly 260 youth across 21 schools via weekly one-on-one mentoring, girls' leadership, family support, and summer literacy programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Be A Mentor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Be A Mentor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Monthly Pathlighter membership program provides sustained support with benefits including welcome packet, exclusive quarterly updates, discounted gala tickets, and VIP event access.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for events including annual gala and BAM SLAM pickleball tournament. Sponsorship packages offer recognition in Be A Mentor community.
- Gala Events: Annual Going Places Gala (November 5, 2026 at The Waverly) serves as major fundraising event with ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities.
- Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Trident United Way $25,000 Community Engagement Grant and participation in Stand Together Foundation's City-Catalyst Program.
- In-Kind Donations: Goods and services donated by local businesses and individuals for programs like Reading Adventures Camp, holiday events, and community activities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Pathlighter Monthly Giving Program - Recurring donations with member benefits |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Be A Mentor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Be A Mentor provides free, school-based one-on-one youth mentorship in the Charleston Lowcountry, pairing volunteer adult mentors with elementary, middle, and high school students for one-hour weekly sessions. Supplementary offerings include the Leading Ladies girls' leadership program, Parent Village family support services, Reading Adventures Camp (summer literacy), and E-Mentoring virtual sessions, all funded through donations, grants, sponsorships, and fundraising events.
Product overview
Be A Mentor is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of youth mentorship programs centered around one-on-one school-based mentoring. The core offering is the General Mentorship Program, which matches caring adult mentors with students (elementary through high school) for weekly one-hour sessions. Supporting programs include the Leading Ladies girls' leadership group, Parent Village family support services, and Business Partnerships for corporate sponsorship. The organization also offers specialized programs like Reading Adventures Camp (summer literacy intervention) and E-Mentoring (virtual email-based mentoring). Supplementary offerings include the Be The Village Podcast, a Mentor Resources Hub with training materials and activity guides, and the Pathlighter monthly giving program for sustained donor support. Fundraising events include an annual gala with multiple sponsorship tiers. The organization serves the greater Charleston Lowcountry area, currently operating in 21 schools across 2 school districts with approximately 260 students and 200 mentors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Leading Ladies: A program for young women focused on empowerment, leadership development, and exposure to new experiences.
- Parent Village
- Pathlighter
- BAM Reading Adventures
Products and services
- General Mentorship Program One-on-one school-based mentoring program matching caring adult volunteer mentors (age 21+) with elementary, middle, and high school students in the Charleston Lowcountry. Mentors commit to one hour per week during the school year and must pass a background check and complete orientation training.
- Leading Ladies Program Group-based girls' leadership and empowerment program providing exposure to new experiences (such as Myrtle Beach trips, fencing lessons, hockey games, and Credit One Charleston Open outings) for female mentees in the Lowcountry.
- Parent Village Family support program connecting parents and guardians of mentees with community resources, needs assessments, and a peer support network through the BAM Family Support Facebook Group.
- Business Partnerships Program Corporate engagement program enabling businesses to sponsor mentorship activities, school support, and events at multiple sponsorship levels (Title Sponsor, Supporting Partners, Guiding Partners, Foundation Partners).
- Pathlighter Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program providing sustained funding for Be A Mentor's work; members receive a welcome packet, exclusive quarterly updates, discounted gala tickets, and VIP event access.
- Reading Adventures Camp Three-week summer literacy intervention camp for students entering 2nd and 3rd grade, featuring an evidence-based, hands-on curriculum led by a certified teacher to build reading proficiency and a love of reading.
- E-Mentoring Program Virtual email-based mentoring program allowing mentor-mentee pairs to continue their relationships when in-person school visits are not possible, using Be A Mentor guidelines for online communication.
- Mentor Resources Hub Online resource center for volunteer mentors offering virtual training materials, activity ideas, mindfulness exercises, and how-to videos for tools such as Zoom and Kahoot.
- Annual Going Places Gala Annual fundraising gala recognizing community mentors, donors, and supporters; features ticket sales and corporate sponsorship tiers (Title Sponsor, Supporting Partners, Guiding Partners, Foundation Partners).
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 200 mentors showed up weekly for young people in 2025, building consistent one-on-one relationships that create trust and lasting connection
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Be A Mentor
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Be A Mentor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Be A Mentor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CreatDminorPartnership with nationwide technology platform built to give creators a voice for positive change. Launched Hometown Heroes Challenge where public submits open letters to people who positively impacted their lives. Up to $2,500 awarded for most inspiring story.
- South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers DivisionminorGifted donation to fully fund Reading Adventures Camp covering costs for three weeks of reading instruction for students entering 2nd and 3rd grade.
- Charleston Recreation DepartmentcoreLong-standing partnership for community events and youth programming. Provided support for Leading Ladies group Myrtle Beach trip including access to Credit One Charleston Open.
- We are FamilyminorLGBTQ+ training partner providing virtual training sessions for mentors on how to best support youth through identity exploration and transition processes.
- Stand Together FoundationcoreCity-Catalyst Program participant - nine-month leadership development coaching using Market-Based Management philosophy. Program brings together nonprofits working to alleviate poverty through intentional and innovative means.
- Leadership FoundationscoreIdentified Be A Mentor as 'high-performing nonprofit' and selected organization for City-Catalyst Program. Includes National Leadership Foundations and regional affiliates.
- South Carolina StingraysminorProfessional hockey team partnership providing players for biweekly visits to community center, game tickets for youth, and formal partnership for school year programming.
- South Carolina StingraysminorPlayers and staff regularly visit St. Julian Devine Community Center to build relationships with youth mentees.
- David Aylor Law OfficesminorSponsored Chris Singleton book signing event, purchasing 50 books to give away to attendees.
- Bera Wealth AdvisorsminorSponsored Chris Singleton book signing event alongside David Aylor Law Offices, purchasing books for community distribution.
- Hamlin NeighborhoodminorMount Pleasant neighborhood community members who donated funds for Leading Ladies Myrtle Beach trip and holiday assistance for families in need.
- McMillian Law FirmminorParticipated in holiday giving program, purchasing gifts for families in need in the community.
- Savi Cucina + Wine BarminorParticipated in holiday giving program supporting families in need.
- Charleston HopeminorFounder Emily Kerr featured on Be The Village Podcast discussing intentional charity support alongside Executive Director Alexandra Moor.
- Local Fencing OrganizationsminorPotential partnership being developed to provide fencing lessons for Leading Ladies program participants following Myrtle Beach Medieval Times experience that sparked interest.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Be A Mentor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit with school- and community-based one-on-one mentoring programs. Closest direct competitor at the model level, with far larger infrastructure, federal/state funding relationships, and brand recognition that Be A Mentor must compete against locally.
- MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella organization that sets mentoring quality standards and convenes the National Mentoring Summit referenced in BAM's blog. Comparable as the sector-defining body for evidence-based youth mentoring practice.
Direct peers
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lowcountry: Local Charleston/Lowcountry affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters, providing one-on-one mentoring for youth in the same geography as Be A Mentor. Directly competes for mentor volunteers, school district partnerships, and donor dollars in the tri-county area.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Be A Mentor social profiles
Digital presenceBe A Mentor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Be A Mentor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Be A Mentor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Be A Mentor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Be A Mentor
What does Be A Mentor do?
Be A Mentor provides free, school-based one-on-one youth mentorship in the Charleston Lowcountry, pairing volunteer adult mentors with elementary, middle, and high school students for one-hour weekly sessions. Supplementary offerings include the Leading Ladies girls' leadership program, Parent Village family support services, Reading Adventures Camp (summer literacy), and E-Mentoring virtual sessions, all funded through donations, grants, sponsorships, and fundraising events.
Is Be A Mentor a public or private company?
Be A Mentor is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Be A Mentor founded?
Be A Mentor was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Be A Mentor based?
Be A Mentor is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Be A Mentor make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, gala Events, foundation Grants and in-Kind Donations.
Who are Be A Mentor's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership). Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lowcountry is listed as a direct peer.
Does Be A Mentor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Be A Mentor.