Impact Study
Our Impact
Each time Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs a child with a role model, we start
something incredible: a one-to-one relationship built on trust and friendship
that can blossom into a future of unlimited potential. And thanks to the
first-ever nationwide impact study of a mentoring organization, we have the
facts to prove it.
The Study
Public/Private Ventures, an independent Philadelphia-based national research
organization, looked at over 950 boys and girls from eight Big Brothers Big
Sisters agencies across the country selected for their large size and geographic
diversity. This study, conducted in 1994 and 1995, is widely considered to be
foundational to the mentoring field in general and to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Community-based program in particular.
Approximately half of the children were randomly chosen to be matched with a
Big Brother or Big Sister. The others were assigned to a waiting list. The
matched children met with their Big Brothers or Big Sisters about three times a
month for an average of one year.
Researchers surveyed both the matched and unmatched children, and their
parents on two occasions: when they first applied for a Big Brother or Big
Sister, and again 18 months later.
The Results Researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with
their Bigs, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters, compared to those children
not in our program, were:
schoolwork and getting along better with their families.
“We have known all along that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring has a
long-lasting, positive effect on children’s confidence, grades, and social
skills,” affirms Karen J. Mathis, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s
President and CEO, “and the results of this impact study scientifically confirm
that belief.”
“These dramatic findings are very good news, particularly at a time when many
people contend that ‘nothing works’ in reaching teenagers,” said Gary Walker,
then-President of Public/Private Ventures. “This program suggests a strategy the
country can build on to make a difference, especially for youth in single-parent
families.”
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Match
According to the study, our one-to-one matches are the driving
force behind making an impact on children. A Big Brothers Big Sisters’ match is
carefully administered and held to the strictest standards. Agency staff strives
for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child’s needs, but
also harmonious and built to last. The entire matching process, from the initial
screening to the final pairing—and beyond—is made possible by your financial support.
But don’t just think of us as simply matchmakers. We provide ongoing support
and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. We offer
training and advice to help ensure that the match is working for everyone
involved. Our local agency even receives ongoing training and consulting from
the Big Brothers Big Sisters national office. It is this web of support that
helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will
thrive.
The study found that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ matches consistently spend
more time together, and continue as a match for longer periods, than those in
other mentoring programs which Public/Private Ventures has studied.
“In mentoring programs without this infrastructure, we have found that
relationships evaporate too soon for effects to be possible,” said Walker.
The Impact
According to the study, Big Brothers Big Sisters programs were found to
“focus less on specific problems after they occur, and more on meeting youths’
most basic developmental needs.”
The matches that were observed shared everyday activities: eating out,
playing sports or attending sports events, going to movies, sightseeing, and
just hanging out together.
But what mattered to the children were not the activities. It was the fact
that they had a caring adult in their lives. Because they had someone to confide
in and to look up to, they were, in turn, doing better in school and at home.
And at a time in their lives when even small choices can change the course of
their future, the Littles were also avoiding violence and substance abuse.
In addition to the lives of Littles being changed for the better, the impact
is contagious.
"When Little Brothers and Little Sisters feel good about themselves," said
Mathis, "they can positively impact their friends and families, their schools,
and their communities. And as this important study has shown, these young people
believe in themselves because a Big Brother or Big Sister believed in them.”
Public/Private Ventures, a national research organization with more than 30
years of experience in studying child development and social service issues,
conducted the independent research.
The study was funded by the Lilly Endowment, the Commonwealth Fund, the Pew
Charitable Trusts, and an anonymous donor.
Each time Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs a child with a role model, we start
something incredible: a one-to-one relationship built on trust and friendship
that can blossom into a future of unlimited potential. And thanks to the
first-ever nationwide impact study of a mentoring organization, we have the
facts to prove it.
The Study
Public/Private Ventures, an independent Philadelphia-based national research
organization, looked at over 950 boys and girls from eight Big Brothers Big
Sisters agencies across the country selected for their large size and geographic
diversity. This study, conducted in 1994 and 1995, is widely considered to be
foundational to the mentoring field in general and to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Community-based program in particular.
Approximately half of the children were randomly chosen to be matched with a
Big Brother or Big Sister. The others were assigned to a waiting list. The
matched children met with their Big Brothers or Big Sisters about three times a
month for an average of one year.
Researchers surveyed both the matched and unmatched children, and their
parents on two occasions: when they first applied for a Big Brother or Big
Sister, and again 18 months later.
The Results Researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with
their Bigs, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters, compared to those children
not in our program, were:
- 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 a class
- 33% less likely to hit someone
schoolwork and getting along better with their families.
“We have known all along that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring has a
long-lasting, positive effect on children’s confidence, grades, and social
skills,” affirms Karen J. Mathis, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s
President and CEO, “and the results of this impact study scientifically confirm
that belief.”
“These dramatic findings are very good news, particularly at a time when many
people contend that ‘nothing works’ in reaching teenagers,” said Gary Walker,
then-President of Public/Private Ventures. “This program suggests a strategy the
country can build on to make a difference, especially for youth in single-parent
families.”
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Match
According to the study, our one-to-one matches are the driving
force behind making an impact on children. A Big Brothers Big Sisters’ match is
carefully administered and held to the strictest standards. Agency staff strives
for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child’s needs, but
also harmonious and built to last. The entire matching process, from the initial
screening to the final pairing—and beyond—is made possible by your financial support.
But don’t just think of us as simply matchmakers. We provide ongoing support
and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. We offer
training and advice to help ensure that the match is working for everyone
involved. Our local agency even receives ongoing training and consulting from
the Big Brothers Big Sisters national office. It is this web of support that
helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will
thrive.
The study found that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ matches consistently spend
more time together, and continue as a match for longer periods, than those in
other mentoring programs which Public/Private Ventures has studied.
“In mentoring programs without this infrastructure, we have found that
relationships evaporate too soon for effects to be possible,” said Walker.
The Impact
According to the study, Big Brothers Big Sisters programs were found to
“focus less on specific problems after they occur, and more on meeting youths’
most basic developmental needs.”
The matches that were observed shared everyday activities: eating out,
playing sports or attending sports events, going to movies, sightseeing, and
just hanging out together.
But what mattered to the children were not the activities. It was the fact
that they had a caring adult in their lives. Because they had someone to confide
in and to look up to, they were, in turn, doing better in school and at home.
And at a time in their lives when even small choices can change the course of
their future, the Littles were also avoiding violence and substance abuse.
In addition to the lives of Littles being changed for the better, the impact
is contagious.
"When Little Brothers and Little Sisters feel good about themselves," said
Mathis, "they can positively impact their friends and families, their schools,
and their communities. And as this important study has shown, these young people
believe in themselves because a Big Brother or Big Sister believed in them.”
Public/Private Ventures, a national research organization with more than 30
years of experience in studying child development and social service issues,
conducted the independent research.
The study was funded by the Lilly Endowment, the Commonwealth Fund, the Pew
Charitable Trusts, and an anonymous donor.
