What We Do

Over 100 years old, Big Brothers Big Sisters was founded by Ernest Coulter in New York City in 1904. Coulter, a clerk of the Juvenile Court at the time, was appalled by the suffering of the thousands of children who repeatedly came through the court system. At a meeting of civic and business leaders on December 4, 1904, Coulter appealed to those present to take on the role of a “Big Brother.” All forty men present stepped forward, creating the movement that is now Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Across town, similar work was being done by a group of women who befriended girls who came before the Children’s Court. This developed into the organization that later became Big Sisters. In the decades to follow, Big Brother and Big Sister programs sprang up throughout the country and today, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading youth mentoring organization in the United States.

It is the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington to improve the quality of life for children in our community. We do this by building supporting relationships between children and positive role models. We provide these services to give children additional support and skills to become healthy and self-confident. By doing so, children grow into responsible adults, capable of positively influencing their own lives and the community

The ‘big difference’ is real. Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring makes a huge difference for the youth it serves. Research consistently demonstrates that Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring helps at-risk youth overcome the many challenges they face. The most compelling evidence was found by Public/Private Ventures showing that Little Brothers and Little Sisters are:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs;
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol;
• 52% less likely to skip school;
• 37% less likely to skip class;
• More confident in their schoolwork performance;
• Able to get along better with their families.

Research and anecdotal evidence show specifically that BBBS one-to-one mentoring helps at-risk youth overcome the many challenges they face. Little Brothers and Sisters are less likely to begin using illegal drugs, consume alcohol, skip school and classes, or engage in acts of violence.1 They have greater self-esteem, confidence in their schoolwork performance, and are able to get along better with their friends and families.

Big Brothers Big Sisters was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of its top ten charities, making the publication’s “gold star” list of charities which it believes are worthy of donor consideration, in its annual survey of 200 large charities. The magazine surveyed 200 non-profits and rated them on how efficiently they collect and distribute dollars. Forbes looked at three categories: charitable commitment; fundraising efficiency, and donor dependency.

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