Michael Brooks
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit organization that provides one-to-one mentoring services to children and young adults. The organization was founded in 1904 by Ernest Coulter, a New York City court clerk who aimed to provide positive adult mentorship to young boys appearing before the court. Over time, similar initiatives emerged, including the Catholic Big Sisters organization, established by the Catholic Ladies of Charity to support young women through positive female role models. In 1977, the Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International merged to form the unified BBBSA organization. Today, BBBSA operates through a network of local agencies, matching adult volunteers (Bigs) with children (Littles) to foster their development and help them reach their full potential.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Establishment | 1904 |
| Founder | Ernest Coulter |
| Location | Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of nearly 400 agencies across the country |
| Number of Children Served | 250,000 annually |
| Type of Organization | Non-profit |
| Focus | Mentorship and youth development |
| Target Age Group | Children from age 5 to young adulthood |
| Mentoring Pairs | "Bigs" (adult volunteers) and "Littles" (children) |
| Mentoring Relationship Duration | Average of 50.2 months for Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles |
| Recognition | American Institute of Philanthropy's highest rating (A+), Blue Ribbon Social Enterprise by the Points of Light Foundation, National Big Brothers Big Sisters Quality Awards |
| Impact | Improved academic, economic, and social outcomes for mentees |
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What You'll Learn
History of Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit organization that aims to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships for children from the age of 5 to young adulthood. It was founded by Ernest Kent Coulter, a New York City court clerk, in 1904. Coulter noticed an increasing number of young boys appearing before the court and theorized that mentorship could help prevent youth delinquency. He began recruiting volunteers from local civic organizations to serve as mentors to these boys, leading to the establishment of Big Brothers of New York City.
Around the same time, a similar effort focused on young women emerged. The Catholic Ladies of Charity established the Catholic Big Sisters organization to support young women through positive female role models. These groups worked independently until 1977 when the Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International merged to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The 1950s marked a period of formal recognition for the organization's impact. In 1951, the Big Brothers of the Year program was established to honor outstanding mentors, and in 1958 Congress granted a federal charter to the Big Brothers Association. The organization continued to grow in the 1980s, establishing a national headquarters in Philadelphia and receiving recognition through a U.S. postal stamp.
In 2004, BBBSA marked its centennial, entering a period of expanded outreach and public engagement. The organization has been recognized by notable figures, including First Lady Laura Bush in 2006, and has received high ratings from organizations such as the American Institute of Philanthropy. Independent studies have also demonstrated the positive impact of BBBSA's mentoring programs on youth development, educational attainment, and social and emotional development.
Today, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves a quarter million children annually through nearly 400 agencies across the country. It is the nation's largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network, providing ongoing evaluation and support to help children reach their full potential.
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Catholic Ladies of Charity
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit organisation that aims to "create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth". The movement began in 1904 when Ernest Coulter, a clerk at the New York Children's Court, noticed a growing number of young boys appearing before the court. Coulter believed that positive adult mentorship could help prevent youth delinquency, so he started recruiting volunteers to serve as mentors. This initiative was focused on boys, but around the same time, the Catholic Ladies of Charity established the Catholic Big Sisters organisation to support girls in the New York court system. This group developed structured mentoring programs to support young women through positive female role models.
The Catholic Ladies of Charity, also known as Ladies of Charity, is a volunteer-based organisation that has been serving communities for over a century. In Nashville, for example, the Ladies of Charity have been providing assistance to those in need for more than 110 years. They run a thrift shop, and the proceeds from sales go directly towards providing emergency assistance to the community. This includes helping with past-due rent, overdue utility bills, and providing food and clothing. They also award annual scholarships to young women from diocesan schools who plan to attend Catholic high schools in Nashville.
The Catholic Big Sisters organisation, established by the Catholic Ladies of Charity, worked independently from the Big Brothers initiative until 1977 when the two groups merged to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This national organisation sets program standards, assists with fundraising and volunteer recruitment, and provides grant funding to its affiliates.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches adult volunteers ("Bigs") with children ("Littles") to provide guidance and support. The program has been proven through independent studies to help improve children's performance in school, avoid violence and illegal activities, and strengthen relationships with their parents and others. It serves a quarter of a million children annually and has received recognition from notable figures and organisations, including First Lady Laura Bush and the American Institute of Philanthropy.
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Mentoring programs
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit youth mentoring organisation that provides one-to-one mentoring services to children and young adults. The organisation was founded in 1904 by Ernest Coulter, a New York City court clerk who noticed an increasing number of young boys appearing in court. Coulter believed that positive adult mentorship could help prevent youth delinquency and set out to recruit volunteers to serve as mentors. This marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement.
Around the same time, a similar effort focused on young women emerged. The Catholic Ladies of Charity, concerned about girls in the New York court system, established the Catholic Big Sisters organisation. This group developed structured mentoring programs aimed at supporting young women through positive female role models. These groups worked independently until 1977 when the Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International merged to form Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Today, BBBSA operates through a network of nearly 400 local agencies across the country, serving a quarter of a million children annually. The organisation matches adult volunteers ("Bigs") with children ("Littles") aged 5 through young adulthood. The mentoring programs offered by local BBBS agencies are designed to help children reach their full potential and thrive in various aspects of their lives, including education, social skills, and personal development.
The effectiveness of BBBSA's mentoring programs has been supported by independent studies. For example, a 2005 study by Public/Private Ventures found favourable outcomes for the organisation. Additionally, a 2011 study evaluating the school-based Big Brothers Big Sisters Program also found positive results. In 2025, BBBSA released a comprehensive study examining the long-term effects of their mentorship programs, which demonstrated significant positive outcomes across educational, economic, and social dimensions.
Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles is a member of the National Big Brothers Big Sisters Network and has a long history of working with youth facing adversity. The organisation has received numerous awards for its superior management of volunteers and service quality. It serves approximately 300 young people annually with one-to-one mentoring matches.
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Studies on the program
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. The organization's roots can be traced back to 1904 when Ernest Coulter, a clerk at the New York Children's Court, noticed an increasing number of young boys appearing before the court. Coulter began recruiting volunteers from local civic organizations to serve as mentors to these boys, leading to the establishment of Big Brothers of New York City. Around the same time, the Catholic Ladies of Charity established the Catholic Big Sisters organization to address concerns about girls in the New York court system.
The BBBSA has been the subject of numerous studies over the years, which have generally found positive outcomes associated with the program. One notable study conducted by Tierney, Grossman, and Resch (2000) used a randomized design to evaluate the effectiveness of the BBBS Community-Based Mentoring (CBM) program. The study enrolled 1,138 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 16, randomly assigning them to either receive a mentor immediately or be placed on a waiting list. The results indicated that the intervention group, who received an average of 12 months of mentoring, showed significant improvements in various areas compared to the control group.
Another study by Grossman and Tierney (1998) was a randomized controlled trial that aimed to determine the efficacy of the BBBSA program. This study also had 1,138 participants who were randomly assigned to either the BBBSA program or a waitlist control group. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mentoring on the academic achievement of at-risk youth. The results indicated that boys in the BBBSA program made significantly higher academic gains than the control group.
A four-part report series called "Making a Difference" by Public/Private Ventures (1992-1995) analyzed the societal impact of BBBSA. This research provided evidence of the positive effects of mentoring programs on youth, finding that participants in the BBBSA program were less likely to initiate drug and alcohol use during the study period. Additionally, those in the program showed improvements in relationships with their families and increased confidence in their schoolwork.
Other studies have also examined various aspects of the BBBSA program, including the role of Big Brothers in the separation-individuation process of adolescents from single-parent families and the impact of mentoring on youth development. Overall, the research suggests that the BBBSA program has a positive impact on youth, helping them reach their full potential and thrive in various aspects of their lives, including education, social skills, and personal development.
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Recognition and awards
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is one of the oldest and largest youth mentoring organizations in the United States. The movement began in 1904 when Ernest Coulter, a clerk at the New York Children's Court, noticed an increasing number of young boys appearing before the court. At the same time, the Catholic Ladies of Charity established Catholic Big Sisters, aimed at supporting young women through positive female role models. These groups worked independently until 1977, when they merged to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The 1950s marked a period of formal recognition for the organization's impact. In 1951, the Big Brothers of the Year program was established to honour outstanding mentors, with recipients including Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. In 1958, Congress granted a federal charter to the Big Brothers Association. The organization received further recognition in the 1980s, including the establishment of a national headquarters in Philadelphia and a U.S. postal stamp.
In 2004, BBBSA marked its centennial with expanded outreach and public engagement. The following year, First Lady Laura Bush publicly supported the organization, continuing a legacy of presidential recognition. In 2006, a Super Bowl PSA featuring competing coaches significantly increased national awareness of the program.
In 2011, BBBSA received the American Institute of Philanthropy’s highest rating, an A+, and Philanthropedia ranked it as the #1 nonprofit for at-risk youth. The organization has also been recognized through various awards, including the NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards, NAACP Image Award nominations, and Adweek’s Podcast Host of the Year. In 2018, journalist and author Trymaine Lee, a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, won an Emmy and has also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting.
In 2024, several agencies were honoured at the National Conference Awards, including BBBS of Central Indiana, Inc. and BBBS Rhode Island, Inc. The criteria for these awards included factors such as retention rates, growth in the number of matched BIPOC male volunteers, and total children served.
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Frequently asked questions
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit, non-discriminatory youth mentoring organization. While it is not a Catholic organization, it was influenced by the Catholic Ladies of Charity, which established the Catholic Big Sisters organization in New York City in 1904. This group aimed to support young women in the court system by providing positive female role models. In 1977, the Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International (formerly Catholic Big Sisters) merged to form BBBSA.
The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to "create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth." They believe that every child has the inherent ability to succeed and thrive in life.
Big Brothers Big Sisters serves children from the age of 5 to young adulthood, with a focus on those from single-parent, low-income, or incarcerated households. They match adult volunteers ("Bigs") with children ("Littles") to provide guidance, support, and positive role models.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is headquartered in Philadelphia and has a network of nearly 400 agencies across the country, serving a quarter of a million children annually. There are also regional chapters such as Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, which serves Southern California, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens.
Multiple independent studies have demonstrated the positive impact of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program on youth development. Research has shown that mentoring helps at-risk youth succeed in school, work, and life, and improves social and emotional development, academic achievement, and self-esteem. In 2011, BBBSA received the highest rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy, an A+.
