Investing in Greater Boston's Girls 2023

Our mission is to ignite girls’ passion and power to succeed through positive mentoring relationships with women and enrichment programs that support girls’ healthy development. Ultimately, our vision is to create a mentor-rich community in which every girl has access to the individual nurturing, guidance, and support she needs to become a confident, competent and caring adult. We are a national model for gender-sensitive mentoring for girls which can be replicated in other mentoring programs.

Big Sister Boston is proud to be recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as the 2015 national Agency of the Year for our substantial growth in the number of children served, quality and length of mentoring relationships, and increased revenues that support our agency financially. We believe that all children can benefit from the care and guidance of an adult mentor and, that when girls’ unique needs are addressed, they thrive with increased confidence, improved relationships and the ability to achieve their individual goals. We are part of a network of more than 230 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America agencies. We are the only affiliate solely serving girls.

In 2022, 1,146 girls in 69 cities and towns throughout Greater Boston participated in our programs. For more information about our programs, visit our website.

Big Sister raises more than 80% of our budget annually through private philanthropy. Your contribution is critical to our success. 

In The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring, research from 2017 found that “by the age of six, girls become less likely than boys to associate brilliance with their own gender and are more likely to avoid anything they think may require it.” The special care and attention of an adult mentor can help support girls in overcoming these early obstacles. According to Mentor, young adults with a mentor are “130% more likely to hold leadership positions.” BSAGB's gender-intentional one-to-one mentoring and enrichment programs improve girls’ self-confidence, academic achievement, educational expectations, and avoidance of risky behaviors. These outcomes are inherently connected to girls’ mental health, which has been challenged in recent years due to the pandemic. According to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control, 57% of teen girls persistently feel sad or hopeless, and they are experiencing high levels of violence and suicide risk.

Big Sister Boston is immersed in the diverse communities we serve through a variety of programs. We make and support one-to-one mentoring relationships in the community, in schools, and in workplaces throughout Greater Boston. These relationships are strengthened by the enrichment programs we provide for our Big and Little Sisters which are focused on career awareness, the arts, STEM, safety, wellness, and healthy decision-making. Our programs are designed to support the unique social-emotional needs of girls between the ages of 7-24.

Big Sister's door never closes. We are community connectors to strengthen the resiliency of the girls of Greater Boston.