What Mentor Foundation USA does

Mentor Foundation USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in the United States that delivers evidence-based programs to prevent youth substance use and promote adolescent health and wellbeing. The organization serves three primary stakeholder groups: underserved high school students (the direct beneficiaries of mentoring and prevention programming), parents and educators (who receive parenting skills and communication resources), and corporate partners (who fund and staff career mentoring initiatives). Its operational footprint is concentrated in the DMV area (Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland) for in-person programming, with national reach through digital platforms.

The organization's core product portfolio consists of five program lines: Mentor Inspo (career mentoring pairing underserved high school students with professional adult mentors), Individual Mentoring (one-to-one adult-youth relationships offered in 3, 6, or 12-month formats), Living the Example (peer-to-peer substance use prevention via social media campaigns), Shatter the Myths (youth rallies featuring NIDA scientists), and Mentor Talks (parent-focused skills training based on UNODC recommendations). Supporting program infrastructure includes an annual Living the Example National Video Contest for youth ages 13-24 (live since 2012, with cumulative reach exceeding 327,000 people) and a Youth Ambassadors program that trains high school seniors to lead school-wide change projects. The underlying technology is non-proprietary and consists of curriculum frameworks, mentorship matching processes, and digital outreach tooling rather than a defensible software platform.

The business model is donation-dependent. Revenue is generated through charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, supplemented by corporate partnership fees and grants. Pricing is not applicable as the organization does not sell services to end beneficiaries; instead, scholarships of up to $40,000 per student are distributed through the SFIG Foundation-funded Mentor Inspo program. Leadership consists of President & CEO Nicole Ostlund (appointed June 2023) and Chairman of the Board Marie-Thérèse Allen. The organization was founded in connection with the 2012 launch of the Living the Example program and operates without a parent company or institutional investors.

Name

Mentor Foundation USA

Legal name

Mentor Foundation USA

Website

https://mentorfoundationusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mentor Foundation USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers evidence-based youth substance use prevention and mentoring programs. It serves underserved high school students, parents, and educators across the DMV region and nationally, funded by donations, grants, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Substance Use Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth substance prevention
• Youth mentoring programs
• Drug prevention education
• Career mentoring services
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Mentor Foundation USA generates revenue through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization also offers partnership opportunities for companies seeking to invest in youth mentoring programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mentor Foundation USA delivers free, evidence-based youth substance use prevention programming through mentoring and peer-to-peer education. Its core offerings include Mentor Inspo (career mentoring for underserved high school students via corporate partners), Individual Mentoring (one-to-one adult-youth relationships), Living the Example (peer-to-peer social-media-driven prevention campaigns), Shatter the Myths (NIDA-partnered youth rallies), and Mentor Talks (parent communication skills based on UNODC guidance).

Product overview

Mentor Foundation USA offers a comprehensive suite of youth substance use prevention programs centered around mentoring and peer-to-peer education. The core offerings include Mentor Inspo (career mentoring for underserved high school students), Individual Mentoring (one-to-one adult-youth relationships in 3/6/12 month formats), Living the Example (peer-to-peer program with social media campaigns), Shatter the Myths (youth rallies with NIDA scientists), and Mentor Talks (parenting skills based on UNODC research). The organization also runs the annual Living the Example National Video Contest for youth ages 13-24 and trains Youth Ambassadors who lead school-wide change projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mentor Inspo: Career mentoring program that provides high school students with adult mentors through corporate partnerships, focusing on professional development and career guidance
• Living the Example (LTE)
• Shatter the Myths
• Mentor Talks

Products and services

• Mentor Inspo Career mentoring program that provides underserved high school students with professional adult mentors to prepare them for post-secondary education, trade schools, or entry-level professional success; delivered in partnership with corporate Career Mentoring Company Hosts and connected to SFIG Foundation scholarships of up to $40,000 per student.
• Individual Mentoring One-to-one relationship between an adult mentor and a young person aimed at empowering, inspiring, and motivating a more positive outlook for the future; available in 3-, 6-, or 12-month timeframes and delivered through partner schools.
• Living the Example (LTE) Peer-to-peer program that empowers youth to speak up against drugs through interactive outreach campaigns and social media strategies; supports the National Video Contest platform and trained Youth Ambassadors who lead school-wide change projects.
• Shatter the Myths Youth rally program implemented in partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) that dispels common myths youth believe about drugs through factual presentations by NIDA scientists and testimonials from inspirational guest speakers.
• Mentor Talks Parent-focused program based on UNODC research and recommendations that provides skills and techniques to enhance parent-child communication and relationships around substance use prevention.
• Living the Example National Video Contest Annual national video contest for adolescents and young adults ages 13-24 that provides a platform to showcase healthy living, passions, hobbies, and achievements through short videos demonstrating healthy alternatives; has reached more than 327,000 people since launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Findings from the first Living the Example pilot project conducted with George Washington University suggested that peer-to-peer substance use prevention via social media is a very promising strategy.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 core, flagship and minor.

• DEA and DEA Operation EngagecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2023Collaborative partnership for Red Ribbon Week awareness activities, including the LA City Hall lighting ceremony and community outreach events.
• U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2023Youth Advisory Committee member Richard Nukpeta participated in the Youth Forums for Substance Use Prevention meeting organized by INL, bringing together youth leaders from around the world.
• SFIG FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SFIG Foundation provides scholarship funding of up to $40,000 per student for Mentor Inspo program participants and connects scholarship winners with the broader structured finance industry network.
• Scholarship AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Mentor Foundation USA and SFIG Foundation to manage scholarship distribution for the Mentor Inspo program, having distributed over $3.1 billion to more than 2 million students historically.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplements the Shatter the Myths program in partnership with NIDA, providing scientifically-backed substance use education through youth rallies featuring NIDA scientists.
• George Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the first Living the Example pilot project, with research findings published in JMIR Mental Health supporting the efficacy of peer-to-peer substance use prevention via social media.
• Conrad Hilton FoundationminorOthersGenerous supporter of the Living the Example program.
• Second GenesisminorOthersGenerous supporter of the Living the Example program.
• Healthy DwightminorOthersGenerous supporter of the Living the Example program.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National 4-H Council: Youth development organization delivering mentoring, leadership, and healthy-living education through a national network. Partially overlaps on substance use prevention curricula and adult-youth mentoring, sharing school-based delivery and federal extension partnerships.
• Junior Achievement USA: Large youth-focused nonprofit delivering workforce readiness, career mentoring, and financial education in schools. Directly comparable on career mentoring for underserved high schoolers through corporate volunteer engagement — the same model as Mentor Inspo.

Direct peers

• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA): National nonprofit dedicated to building drug-free communities through coalition-based prevention. Comparable as a federally-engaged substance use prevention nonprofit that trains local coalitions, mirroring Mentor Foundation USA's school- and community-based prevention model.
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD): Youth-led organization focused on preventing destructive behaviors including substance use among teens. Directly comparable because it pairs school-based delivery with peer-to-peer advocacy and prevention education for youth, a near-perfect functional parallel to Living the Example.
• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National umbrella nonprofit advocating for and advancing quality youth mentoring across the U.S. Highly comparable as a federally-engaged youth mentoring intermediary partnering with schools, corporations, and government on evidence-based mentoring practice.
• Drug Free America Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to substance abuse prevention through education, awareness, and policy advocacy. Directly comparable given its exclusive focus on youth and adult drug prevention messaging paralleling Shatter the Myths and Mentor Talks.
• Partnership to End Addiction: National nonprofit tackling substance use and addiction with family- and youth-focused prevention and support resources. Highly comparable given direct overlap on youth substance use prevention, parent education, and digital engagement programming.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the U.S., directly comparable as a 501(c)(3) operating one-to-one mentoring and group mentoring programs for youth, including career-focused variants very similar to Mentor Foundation USA's Mentor Inspo and Individual Mentoring offerings.
• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD / dba Faces & Voices of Recovery): Legacy nonprofit advocacy organization focused on alcoholism and drug dependence prevention. Comparable as a national substance use prevention nonprofit providing public education and parent/youth outreach similar to Mentor Talks.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest youth-services nonprofit in the U.S., with school-based delivery and mentoring/career programming that intersects with Mentor Foundation USA's offerings. More broadly scoped, but serves the same underserved youth demographic through schools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mentor-foundation-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mentor Foundation USA