Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Names Local Boards of the Year

Boards Recognized for Time and Talent Furthering National Mentorship

Tampa, Fla. (June 3, 2015) — During the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s 2015 National Conference Awards Gala, BBBSA recognized local affiliate boards whose leadership results exemplified the highest standard of quality and sustained growth. Three local boards were named Board of the Year, including BBBS of Cumberland & Salem Counties, BBBS of Greater Pittsburgh and BBBS of Orange County.

“The Board of the Year awards honor the hard work of dedicated individuals who give selflessly of their time and talents to improving the lives of children through mentorship,” said Pam Iorio, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America president and CEO. “This board leadership translates into additional community mentors, which results in successful, measurable outcomes and lives changed forever.”

The Small Agency Board of the Year award was presented to BBBS of Cumberland & Salem Counties, New Jersey, whose board has provided an incredible level of accountability. Through 100 percent board giving, defined recruitment processes and continuous monitoring of their strategic and annual operating plans, the board provides exceptional leadership as they track to meet their ambitious long-term goals.

BBBS of Greater Pittsburgh received the Midsize Agency Board of the Year award. In 2014, its board invested in innovative programming such as mentor2.0, STARTup SOMETHING and Match Makers. The mentor2.0 program, specifically, has allowed the agency to remain on the cutting edge of mentoring in its community and expand its scope of services.

BBBS of Orange County, California, was recognized as the Large Agency Board of the Year. Continuing to grow, the agency recently purchased a new facility and secured $2.1 million in capital campaign pledges, with 90 percent coming from board members. Additionally, the agency’s non-capital campaign fundraising is forecasted to increase by 20 percent in 2015.

The Board of the Year award winners are determined by growth in the number of children served, quality and length of mentoring matches as well as increased revenues.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth — areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 110-year history. With 325 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves approximately 200,000 children, their families and 200,000 volunteer mentors. Learn more at www.BigBrothersBigSisters.org.