Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Karen Mathis. Karen Mathis is President and Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation's largest donor-based volunteer network of mentors for youth, a non-profit organization proven to help children of single, low-income and incarcerated parents beat the odds. She joined the top-rated network in September of 2009, after completing a one-year assignment as executive director for the… See full bio.

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Story: For over a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping change kids’ perspectives and giving them the opportunity to reach their potential. And we have over a century of volunteers, donors, and advocates just like you to thank. It all started in 1904, when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement. At around the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters. Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. More than 100 years later, Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring role models into the lives of children. And, today, Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states—and in 12 countries around the world.

Evidence of Impact Summary:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been praised for its strong programs and effective model. When implemented correctly, the long-term mentor model employed has been shown to create lasting, positive impacts on youth involved, including increases in confidence, achievement in school, and better future prospects.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

Over the past decade, the organization was able to expand its reach in the number of youth served and also developed funds well. Additionally, Big Brothers Big Sisters' marketing is very good, especially with their use of technology. They also use diverse fundraising approaches.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

Experts observe that, because each local association is independent, the leadership quality and implementation of the model varies. Big Brothers Big Sisters would benefit from strengthening its local centers.
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Karen Mathis is President and Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation's largest donor-based volunteer network of mentors for youth, a non-profit organization proven to help children of single, low-income and incarcerated parents beat the odds. She joined the top-rated network in September of 2009, after completing a one-year assignment as executive director for the Central European and Eurasian Initiative (CEELI) Institute, a preeminent international non-profit provider of post-graduate professional legal education in Prague. Mathis served as the third woman president of the American Bar Association, the world's largest voluntary professional organization, where she created the Youth at Risk program. She practiced law for 34 years, most recently as a partner of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, a multi-state diversified law firm with 230 practicing attorneys. Mathis is a collaborator with many external relationships. She has significant experience as an organizational leader, coalition builder, fund raiser, and advocate. She has partnered with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education, testified before many congressional committees and worked with White House staff. She has addressed prestigious audiences worldwide and nationally including the National Conference of State Court Chief Justices, Justices of the International Criminal Court and many Universities. She has worked with all five branches of the U.S. military and lobbied successfully on behalf of servicemen and women, as well as their families. Mathis is a director on the Board of Volunteers of America; and she is a past board leader for the Mile High Girl Scout Council. She is also a former Big Sister. Mathis is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Denver, received a law degree from the University of Colorado Law School and has honorary degrees from five other institutions. She has been honored by many organizations, including the National Network for Youth, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Association of Women Lawyers.

The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at feedback@myphilanthropedia.org with your request.