Be A Mentor

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for events including annual gala and BAM SLAM pickleball tournament. Sponsorship packages offer recognition in Be A Mentor community.
3. Gala Events: Annual Going Places Gala (November 5, 2026 at The Waverly) serves as major fundraising event with ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities.
4. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including Trident United Way $25,000 Community Engagement Grant and participation in Stand Together Foundation's City-Catalyst Program.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CreatDminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2022Partnership 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 DivisionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Gifted donation to fully fund Reading Adventures Camp covering costs for three weeks of reading instruction for students entering 2nd and 3rd grade.
• Charleston Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-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 FamilyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLGBTQ+ training partner providing virtual training sessions for mentors on how to best support youth through identity exploration and transition processes.
• Stand Together FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity-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 FoundationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdentified Be A Mentor as 'high-performing nonprofit' and selected organization for City-Catalyst Program. Includes National Leadership Foundations and regional affiliates.
• South Carolina StingraysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional hockey team partnership providing players for biweekly visits to community center, game tickets for youth, and formal partnership for school year programming.
• South Carolina StingraysminorOthersPlayers and staff regularly visit St. Julian Devine Community Center to build relationships with youth mentees.
• David Aylor Law OfficesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Chris Singleton book signing event, purchasing 50 books to give away to attendees.
• Bera Wealth AdvisorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Chris Singleton book signing event alongside David Aylor Law Offices, purchasing books for community distribution.
• Hamlin NeighborhoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMount Pleasant neighborhood community members who donated funds for Leading Ladies Myrtle Beach trip and holiday assistance for families in need.
• McMillian Law FirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipated in holiday giving program, purchasing gifts for families in need in the community.
• Savi Cucina + Wine BarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipated in holiday giving program supporting families in need.
• Charleston HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Emily Kerr featured on Be The Village Podcast discussing intentional charity support alongside Executive Director Alexandra Moor.
• Local Fencing OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPotential 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/beamentornow
• Instagraminstagram.com/beamentornow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/be-a-mentor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Be A Mentor