Quick Facts

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound partners with actively involved community members to match caring adults with children, both of whom benefit from our one-to-one mentoring programs.

Our History
Big Brothers was founded in Seattle in 1957, while Big Sisters opened its doors in 1973. In 1999, the two agencies joined to form one of the nation’s largest Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates. Later that same year, the agency extended service into Pierce County, becoming Big Brothers Big Sisters of King & Pierce Counties. In 2004, Jefferson County joined us at the third county our agency serves.

Who We Serve
The mentors (called Bigs), children (called Littles), and families we serve come from all walks of life. What Littles have in common is a desire to have a caring adult other than their parent or guardian in their lives. What Bigs have in common is a willingness to share fun, little moments that have a big impact on a young person’s life. Big Brothers Big Sisters matches these children and adults, supports their relationship, and strives to present them with opportunities to learn, grow, and explore the world together.

How We Do It
We offer two programs—community-based and school-based. Volunteers in our community-based program spend time with their Little three or four times a month, visiting museums, playing sports, watching movies, or just spending time together. Our school-based volunteers meet their Little for one hour a week, every week, on the campus of the child’s school. They share time in the gym, library, playground, or other places on the school grounds. Throughout the relationship, we provide orientation and trainings, professional match support, monthly activities, and more.

How It’s Funded
We deliver our services with support from United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, corporate sponsors, individual donors, and foundations. A large portion of our funding also comes from events such as the Dinner and Auction Gala and from our donation center.

Our Future
In 2006, we served 1935 children, and we’re on track to serve 2231 in 2007. However, there are thousands of kids in Puget Sound who could benefit from having a mentor in their lives. We have plenty of room to grow, and we’ve set aggressive goals for the next three years, including:

• Matching 2500 young people with a mentor per year.
• Increasing the number of schools we serve, up from the 39 schools we serve today.
• Reducing the cost of our service delivery, serving more children with less money.