Mentor International

What Mentor International does

Mentor International is a Sweden-headquartered non-profit federation founded in 1994 by HM Queen Silvia of Sweden in collaboration with the World Health Organization, originally focused on drug and substance abuse prevention among youth. Operating through national member organizations in Sweden, Germany, Latvia, the USA, and across 22 Arab League countries, the federation has collectively reached more than six million young people across 80+ countries with mentoring programs that align with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10. Its core product portfolio comprises Individual Mentoring (one-on-one adult-youth pairings), Group Mentoring (career-focused programs including Mentor Inspo and Mentor Boost), the TUI Care Foundation-partnered Youth Academy in-school program, and Mentor Talks adult seminars.

The organization is funded through donations from individuals, corporate partnerships, and philanthropic foundations, with services provided free of charge to youth participants. Named corporate partners span travel (TUI Care Foundation), banking (SEB), pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca), defense (Saab), consumer goods (Coca-Cola), real estate (JM), and culture (Moderna Museet, CFHILL). Programs are delivered through schools, museums, and community organizations, and impact is supported by a Boston Consulting Group evaluation that reports a social return on investment of up to 14x. Governance combines royal patronage, honorary trustees, and a board chaired by David Haak, with Cecilia Bernard serving as Secretary General since December 2020.

The underlying technology is essentially human-delivered: evidence-informed mentoring rooted in positive youth development (PYD) research, delivered through personal interaction between adult mentors and young people. No proprietary software, AI, or platform architecture is disclosed; digital channels are limited to website/blog content, email outreach, social media campaigns (e.g., #myteenageme), and virtual event delivery. The federation operates as a low-tech, high-trust model whose defensibility rests on brand recognition, multi-stakeholder relationships, and outcome data rather than technological differentiation.

Name

Mentor International

Legal name

Mentor International

Website

https://mentorinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mentor International is a Sweden-headquartered non-profit federation, founded in 1994 by HM Queen Silvia, that delivers evidence-informed youth mentoring and drug-prevention programs across 80+ countries through national member organizations, schools, and corporate partners such as TUI Care Foundation and SEB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring and Drug Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), 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), Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring programs
• Drug prevention services
• Nonprofit youth development
• School-based mentoring
• Youth career guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: The organization is funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donations support mentoring programs that provide youth with protective factors against isolation, drug use, and other destructive behaviors.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor one or more programs, engage in corporate giving/matching programs, cause marketing events, and awareness campaigns. Partners receive recognition, employee engagement opportunities, and social value benefits.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mentor International is a non-profit federation that delivers youth mentoring programs focused on drug prevention and healthy life choices. It offers Individual Mentoring, Group Mentoring (Mentor Inspo, Mentor Boost), Youth Academy (in-school group mentoring with TUI Care Foundation), and Mentor Talks (adult communication seminars), all aimed at building protective factors that help young people avoid substance use, improve self-esteem, and engage with education and career opportunities.

Product overview

Mentor International is a non-profit federation offering youth mentoring programs focused on drug prevention and healthy development. The organization operates a portfolio of programs including Individual Mentoring (one-on-one adult-youth pairings), Group Mentoring (career-focused programs including Mentor Inspo and Mentor Boost), Youth Academy (in-school group mentoring with TUI Care Foundation), and Mentor Talks (adult communication skills seminars). The programs align with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 8, and 10 to help youth make healthy decisions and live drug-free.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Academy: A year-long in-school group mentoring program created with TUI Care Foundation, helping increase protective factors and enhance resonance among youth and adult mentors.
• Mentor Inspo
• Mentor Boost
• Mentor Talks

Products and services

• Individual Mentoring One-on-one mentoring program pairing young people with adult mentors to provide support, increase self-esteem, develop stronger social networks, and reduce isolation and risky behaviors such as substance use.
• Group Mentoring Career-focused mentoring programs that bridge the gap between education and employment, helping youth explore career options and develop skills through group settings.
• Youth Academy Year-long in-school group mentoring program created with TUI Care Foundation targeting vulnerable youth aged 13-17, including soft skills workshops, parental involvement, and career preparation across Germany, Jordan, and Sweden.
• Mentor Inspo Career inspiration program where volunteers share insights about their professions through interactive presentations with middle school students, either online or in-person.
• Mentor Boost Half-day career experience workshop for middle school students focusing on personal development, study motivation, and future planning with practical exercises led by industry professionals.
• Mentor Talks One-hour seminars for adults designed to enhance communication, listening, and leadership skills to help adults better connect with and support young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of students think it was rewarding to meet a Mentor volunteer
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CFHILLminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 November 2021Stockholm-based art gallery collaborating with Mentor and SEB to raise awareness for youth issues and mentoring as a powerful tool.
• TUI Care FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2019Global partnership to run Youth Academy mentoring program empowering young people from vulnerable communities in Jordan, Germany, and Sweden. Program rolled out under TUI Junior Academy umbrella. TUI employees volunteer as mentors and workshop leaders.
• SamhallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish state-owned organization creating meaningful work for people with disabilities. Partnered with Mentor to produce wristbands symbolizing commitment to being a strong role model for youth.
• AstraZenecaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Mentor Sweden's work to give young people self-esteem and ability to grow through mentoring. One mentor volunteer works as process engineer at AstraZeneca.
• Moderna MuseetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on youth x art workshops using art as a means to help young people communicate feelings and increase self-awareness. Museum has youth advisory council.
• SEBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner collaborating on social impact initiatives. Partnered with CFHILL and Moderna Museet for youth-art collaboration.
• JMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwedish real estate company participating as partner in Mentor Sweden events including Mentor Day at Stockholm Central Station.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner participating in Mentor Sweden events including Mentor Day at Stockholm Central Station.
• SaabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwedish defense and security company participating as partner in Mentor Sweden events including Mentor Day at Stockholm Central Station.
• Tim Bergling FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured at Mentor USA's virtual gala 'In Light Of Youth' with founders Anki Lidén and Klas Bergling participating in the event.
• Mentoring EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's grassroots mentoring association. Partnered with Mentor International and Mentor Latvia on workshops covering strategic partnerships and uniting the mentoring movement.
• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based mentoring affiliate network. Senior Director Joellen Spacek presented on building strategic partnerships and driving investment in mentoring.
• EffektfulltminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultancy facilitating Theory of Change workshops at Mentor International Summit 2023 to help program managers understand program interventions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): US-based affiliate mentoring network and an explicit strategic partner of Mentor International (Joellen Spacek is Senior Director). Directly comparable as a national/regional umbrella for youth-mentoring programs sharing Mentor International's federation logic.
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD): Youth-led organization focused on preventing destructive behaviors including substance abuse, with peer-to-peer and school-based delivery. Comparable target beneficiary (youth), mission overlap on drug prevention, and school-channel distribution model.
• Drug Free America Foundation: Nonprofit focused on drug prevention and substance-abuse avoidance, sharing Mentor's core prevention mission and advocacy-based positioning. Directly comparable in thematic focus, though US-domestic and policy-oriented rather than youth-mentoring delivery oriented.
• World Childhood Foundation: Founded in 1999 by HM Queen Silvia of Sweden (the same founder as Mentor International) to improve living conditions for vulnerable children. Closely comparable mission, founder identity, royal patronage structure, and Sweden-based nonprofit operating model.
• Communities In Schools: US-based nonprofit embedding student-support coordinators inside K-12 schools to deliver mentoring and wraparound services. Comparable in-school delivery channel, vulnerable-youth focus, and outcome emphasis on school engagement and graduation rates.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The largest volunteer youth-mentoring nonprofit globally, matching adult mentors with youth in 1:1 and group formats. Direct comparable to Mentor's Individual Mentoring and Youth Academy offerings in target beneficiary, delivery model, and funding structure.
• Mentoring Europe: Europe's grassroots mentoring association and explicit Mentor International partner. Comparable as a peer-level federation advocating for mentoring policy and partnerships across European member states.

Broad incumbents

• 4-H: US youth-development organization operating globally with positive-youth-development programming, mentoring, and career/college-readiness components. Comparable in PYD philosophy and volunteer-driven delivery, but with broader scope and public-sector ties.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest US youth-development nonprofit offering after-school programs, mentoring, and career readiness. Comparable end-beneficiary (vulnerable youth ages 10-18) and outcome areas, but with much broader mandate, scale, and government/CSR funding base.
• YMCA: Global youth-development nonprofit offering mentoring, after-school programs, and healthy-lifestyle programming across 120+ countries. Comparable end-beneficiary, global federation footprint, and health/positive-youth-development positioning, but with much broader service mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mentorinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Mentor International