Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance

What Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance does

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Painesville, Ohio, that provides volunteer-led youth mentoring services across Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties in Northeast Ohio. The organization operates four program lines: Community-Based/Traditional One-to-One Match Mentoring (pairing individual adult mentors with youth ages 6-16), the C.O.U.L. (Club of Unmatched Littles) for children awaiting mentor matches, Lake and Geauga Foster Care Programs (group mentoring for foster youth ages 12-24 focused on life skills and aging-out preparation), and School/Site-Based Mentoring (group mentoring in school settings pairing college/high school students with elementary and middle schoolers). All programs are provided free of charge to participants and are supervised by professional staff. The organization has created and maintained over 10,000 mentoring relationships over its 40-year history, with approximately 30 children typically on the waiting list at any given time.

The organization's revenue model relies entirely on diversified contributed income: individual donations (one-time and recurring at $10–$40+ tiers), corporate and foundation grants/sponsorships, United Way allocations from Geauga and Lake county chapters, government funding through county Mental Health and Recovery Services Boards and the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and four signature annual fundraising events (Charity Golf Classic, Festival of Trees Gala, Light Up the Lanes Bowl-A-Thon, and the One Last Round Golf Outing). The go-to-market motion is community-led: volunteer mentors are recruited through the website, events, and partner organizations, while youth enrollment is handled via phone, website applications, and referrals from counselors, caseworkers, foster parents, and schools. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on standard tools (Squarespace, SurveyGizmo). The organization is led by Executive Director Tia Lawrence with a team of 8 staff and a Board of Trustees chaired by Mark Hufgard (Acuity Brands Lighting).

Name

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance

Legal name

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance

Website

https://torchlightyma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance is a Painesville, Ohio-based nonprofit founded in 1979 that provides free, professionally supervised volunteer mentoring to youth ages 6-24 across Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties through four program lines including one-to-one community matches, school-based group mentoring, and foster care support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Community-based mentoring
• Foster care mentoring
• School-based mentoring
• Nonprofit youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Painesville

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: The organization accepts one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual donations from individual supporters. Donations can be made at various price points ($10, $20, $30, $40 or custom amounts) through their website.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants/Sponsorships: Funding from corporations, foundations, and special event sponsors including organizations like the Rowley Foundation, Great Lakes Mall, Hope for Kids, and numerous local businesses that sponsor annual events.
3. Government Funding: Support from Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Mental Health and Recovery Services Boards of Geauga and Lake Counties.
4. United Way Support: Funding through local county chapters of United Way (Geauga County and Lake County chapters).
5. Event Revenue: Revenue from signature events including the Annual Charity Golf Classic, Light Up the Lanes Bowl-A-Thon, Festival of Trees Gala, and 'One Last Round' Golf Outing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance delivers free volunteer-based mentoring programs for youth ages 6-24 in northeast Ohio through four distinct program modalities: Community-Based One-to-One Match Mentoring, C.O.U.L. (Club of Unmatched Littles) for children awaiting a match, Foster Care group mentoring for youth ages 12-24, and School/Site-Based Mentoring for elementary and middle school students. All programs are professionally supervised by Torchlight staff and supported through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance is a nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of four distinct youth mentoring programs. The core offerings include Community-Based/Traditional One-to-One Match Mentoring (individual mentor-mentee pairings), C.O.U.L. (Club of Unmatched Littles) for children awaiting matches, Lake and Geauga Foster Care Programs (group mentoring for foster youth ages 12-24), and School/Site-Based Mentoring (group mentoring in educational settings). All programs are provided free of charge to youth and families, supported by donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.O.U.L. (Club of Unmatched Littles): Monthly staff-supervised events for children waiting to be matched with mentors, providing fun and active engagement opportunities.

Products and services

• Community-Based/Traditional One-to-One Match Mentoring

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 mentoring relationships created and maintained over 40 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• 4-H (National 4-H Council): A national youth development organization offering mentoring-style programming through cooperative extension. Comparable on positive youth development outcomes, though primarily group/club-based rather than 1:1.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: The national youth development organization running club-based mentoring, education, and life-skills programs across the country. Overlaps with Torchlight on youth mentoring and life-skills program delivery for school-age youth.
• MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): The national convener and advocacy organization for the youth mentoring field. It directly overlaps Torchlight's mission by promoting quality mentoring standards, funding local affiliates, and convening funders interested in youth mentoring outcomes.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: The national umbrella organization supporting 1:1 youth mentoring affiliates across the U.S. It uses the same match-based mentoring model Torchlight operates locally and is the dominant incumbent in youth mentoring services nationally.
• National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP): A national nonprofit providing community-based services for children, youth, and families, including mentoring, foster care, and behavioral-health programs. Comparable in serving foster youth populations with group mentoring approaches.

Direct peers

• OhioGuidestone: A large Ohio-based nonprofit providing foster care, behavioral health, and youth mentoring services statewide. Compares to Torchlight on its foster-care mentoring track and state-level behavioral-health funding model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland: A regional Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate serving Northeast Ohio with community-based and site-based youth mentoring, closely overlapping Torchlight's service area (Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties) and core operating model of volunteer-led 1:1 matches.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio: A regional affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America providing youth development programs in Northeast Ohio, including areas overlapping Torchlight's footprint. Both organizations serve school-age youth through community-based programming with similar volunteer-driven models.

Others

• Family Promise of Greater Cleveland: A Northeast Ohio nonprofit serving at-risk families and youth experiencing instability. It shares overlapping donor networks and target population with Torchlight but focuses on family housing stability rather than direct youth mentoring.

Emerging players

• FosterClub: A nonprofit serving current and former foster youth with peer support, mentorship, and transition resources. Directly overlaps with Torchlight's Lake and Geauga Foster Care Programs for youth ages 12-24 aging out of care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/torchlight-youth-mentoring-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance