Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area is a registered Canadian charitable organization founded in 1994 and accredited by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. It operates one-to-one mentoring programs for children and youth ages 6 to 24 facing adversity across Calgary, Airdrie, and Rocky View County. The organization's service portfolio centers on two core delivery models: Community Mentoring, in which adult volunteers meet youth in community settings three to four times per month for two or more hours per meeting, and In-School Mentoring, which pairs students in grades 1 through 9 with mentors who meet on school property once weekly for one hour. Specialized variants extend the core model to specific populations: PRISM pairs 2SLGBTQ+ youth with adult mentors who share that identity, Teen Mentoring connects elementary students with high school mentors, and Between Generations pairs elementary students with volunteers aged 55 or older. Wish You Were Here functions as a wish-granting adjunct program, and the Big Deal Card provides mentors and mentees access to discounts at local partner businesses including TELUS Spark and UCalgary Dino's Athletics.

The underlying methodology is the Developmental Relationships Framework licensed from the Search Institute, structured around five relational elements: Express Care, Challenge Growth, Provide Support, Share Power, and Expand Possibilities. Outcome measurement is anchored in a longitudinal research partnership with the University of Calgary's TREC Lab and Impact Genome verification, producing tracked metrics including $23 social return on investment per dollar invested for economically disadvantaged participants, $315,000 in higher average lifetime earnings for former mentees versus a control group (per a Boston Consulting Group study cited by the organization), and self-reported improvements such as 96% of youth reporting mentors express care through consistency and genuine interest. All programs are delivered free of charge to children and families.

The business model is donation-funded and event-driven. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and monthly), corporate sponsorships and employee matching gift programs, tiered campaign giving (the 94 Doors campaign structures donors at $5,000, $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000+ tiers), government funding (Alberta Family Community Support Services and other federal/provincial programs), and signature fundraising events including Big Brunch (presented by McCarthy Tetrault), the Alberta Treasury Management Charity Classic golf tournament, and Big Team peer-to-peer fundraising through the Calgary Marathon. Major corporate supporters include Cenovus (30+ year relationship), TD, ATB, Calgary Foundation, Rogers Charity Classic, Suncor Energy, Calgary Stampede Foundation, Bird Construction, Calgary Flames Foundation, ENMAX, Palix Foundation, Strategic Group, Prosser Foundation, and Greenfield Family Foundation. The organization operates from a single headquarters at 5945 Centre Street South in Calgary with a staff of approximately 35 led by President and CEO Ken Lima-Coelho, and is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area

Website

https://bbbscalgary.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area is a registered Canadian nonprofit founded in 1994 that delivers free one-to-one mentoring programs for children and youth ages 6 to 24 facing adversity across Calgary, Airdrie, and Rocky View County, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, government grants, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), 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)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring programs
• Nonprofit children services
• One-to-one mentoring
• In-school mentoring
• Community youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters to fund mentorship programs
2. Corporate Giving & Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships, sponsorships for events, and employee matching donation programs
3. Campaign Fundraising (94 Doors): Targeted campaign inviting donors at various investment levels ($5,000-$50,000+) to open pathways for mentorship matches
4. Government Funding: Funding from federal and provincial government programs including Alberta Family Community Support Services
5. Big Deal Card Partner Program: Partnership program where local businesses provide discounts and offers to mentors/mentees, creating community engagement without direct revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area provides free one-to-one mentoring programs that pair adult volunteer mentors with children and youth ages 6-24 facing adversity. Core programs include Community Mentoring (matches meeting 3-4 times per month in community settings) and In-School Mentoring (weekly one-hour matches on school property), supported by specialized streams such as PRISM for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, Teen Mentoring, and Between Generations intergenerational programming. All programs are delivered at no cost to families and funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and government grants.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area operates as a mentoring organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on one-to-one developmental mentoring relationships. The core offerings include Community Mentoring (flagship program for ages 6-24 meeting in the community) and In-School Mentoring (site-based program for grades 1-9 meeting weekly at school). Specialized variants include PRISM (2SLGBTQ+ focused), Teen Mentoring, and Between Generations (intergenerational). Supporting programs include the Big Deal Card membership, Wish You Were Here wish-granting, Trail Blazers Alumni Network, and 94 Doors fundraising campaign. The organization also runs annual events including the Big Brunch and Big Team marathon fundraiser. All programs are free for children and families, funded through donations and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 94 Doors Campaign: A fundraising campaign inviting 94 donors to open one door through a $5,000 investment, reflecting the year BBBS Calgary was founded in 1994.
• Trail Blazers Alumni Network
• PRISM Program
• Big Deal Card

Products and services

• Community Mentoring
• In-School Mentoring
• PRISM Program
• Big Deal Card
• Wish You Were Here

Quantifiable outcome

• $23 social return on investment per dollar for economically disadvantaged youth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CenovuscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting BBBS Calgary for more than 30 years through funding for BIG on STEM programs nationally, Trail Blazers Alumni Network launch, and event sponsorship.
• ATBcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading community investment through Impact Genome verification to demonstrate organizational impact.
• TDcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee matching donations, volunteerism support, corporate sponsorship, and opportunities for kids on waitlist.
• TELUS SparkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTELUS Spark Community Partner providing free admission to the Science Centre for BBBS matches.
• UCalgary (Dino's Athletic)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerComplimentary tickets to Dino's Athletic regular season home games for BBBS matches.
• Joey's Seafood RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBig Deal Card partner offering 20% off food and beverages at Airdrie location.
• Bolder Climbing CommunityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBig Deal Card partner offering 2 for 1 entry and free rentals when climbing with mentee.
• TREC Lab / University of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership bridging knowledge gap about long-term impacts of mentoring relationships within Canadian context.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta: Regional youth-serving nonprofit delivering education and mentoring-style programs focused on financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Comparable as a Calgary youth development and school-based mentoring provider competing for school and corporate partnerships.
• Distress Centre Calgary: Calgary-based nonprofit providing crisis line, mental health, and youth support services. Comparable as a regional youth and family wellbeing provider; BBBS Calgary staff have prior tenure at Distress Centre, indicating overlapping labor and mission.
• Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth: Calgary-based nonprofit supporting newcomer and refugee youth through settlement, mentoring, and wraparound services. Comparable as a regional provider running mentor-matching programs for vulnerable youth in overlapping Calgary communities.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Calgary and Area: Calgary-area federated funder and community impact organization supporting youth, family, and social services nonprofits. Comparable as both a peer for community impact focus and a downstream funder in BBBS Calgary's ecosystem.
• Kids Help Phone: National Canadian e-mental health service for children and youth, including crisis intervention, counseling, and referral. Comparable as a national youth wellbeing organization addressing overlapping issues of social isolation, mental health, and adversity referenced in BBBS Calgary's programming.
• YMCA Calgary: Major Calgary nonprofit delivering youth, child care, and community programming across the region. Comparable as a multi-program youth and family services organization competing for the same corporate sponsors, government grants, and volunteer base.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: National umbrella organization and parent entity of BBBS Calgary, operating the accredited agency network across Canada. Directly comparable as the system-of-record and brand owner for the same mentoring model BBBS Calgary delivers at the local level.

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary: Calgary-based youth development nonprofit delivering after-school and community-based programming for children and youth facing adversity. Closest local peer serving overlapping populations and competing for the same donor and volunteer pools.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto: Largest BBBS agency in Canada, delivering community, in-school, and group mentoring in the Toronto region. Closest functional peer running the same evidence-based mentoring model at larger scale with comparable program variants.

Regional players

• Calgary Children's Foundation: Calgary-based grantmaker funding programs that support children and youth facing adversity. Comparable as a regional funder and ecosystem partner serving overlapping populations and intersecting with BBBS Calgary through funding channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSCalgary
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbbscalgary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigbrothersbigsistersofcalgaryandarea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary & Area