The ABCs of School-Based Mentoring

This revised version incorporates the fresh research from Public/Private Ventures and other mentoring leaders into a guide for school and community partners. This guide provides an excellent starting point for schools or districts thinking about adding on-site adult-youth mentoring services.

Making the Grade: A Guide to Incorporating Academic Achievement Into Mentoring Programs and Relationships

This 100+ page guidebook provides guidance on designing and implementing a school-based mentoring program that is grounded in research and best practices. It also provides advice for mentoring relationships in school settings, including tips for building trust, setting goals, and improving academic and personal competencies for participants.

Making the Transition to Middle School (Fact Sheet)

The transition to middle school can be a difficult one for many youth, and this fact sheet explores how mentoring programs and relationships can help students cope with the challenges of moving to middle school.

Summertime Program Tune-Up (Fact Sheet)

The summer months are an ideal time to make adjustments to services and develop new curriculum for the coming year. This fact sheet explores strategies for strengthening school-based programs during the "off" months.

Partnership Growing Pains: Creative Solutions for Strengthening School-Community Collaborations (Case Study)

This case study explores how one local mentoring program used creative partnerships with schools and other organizations to help its school-based services thriving.

Mentoring Program Sustainability Resources

Sustainability Planning and Resource Development for Youth Mentoring Programs

One of the major challenges facing mentoring programs of all types is the search for funding and resources that can sustain the program over time. This guidebook, revised in 2007, provides detailed advice for creating a customized sustainability plan. Specific chapters cover common funding streams, such as government grants, foundations, and individual giving campaigns. The appendix also features essays from some of the country's leading nonprofit consultants on topics such as the role of the board in fundraising, effective advocacy, and ethical issues in raising funds for youth-serving programs.

Marketing for the Recruitment of Mentors

This comprehensive guide connects the principles of marketing with the recruitment of volunteer mentors. Designed as a workbook, it offers numerous worksheets and tools to help your program plan for and implement a marketing plan. It covers everything from creating effective media messages to building a strong program "brand" in the community.

Building a Sustainable Mentoring Program: A Framework for Resource Development Planning

This planning guide, developed specifically for school-based mentoring programs, features strategies for securing funding and nonfinancial support from a variety of sources, such as government grants, foundations, individual giving campaigns, and special events. It also provides tips for organizing a planning team and mapping available resources, as well as a number of worksheets and planning tools that can help programs manage the often-complicated logistics of pursuing multiple funding streams. The appendices also provide advice on how to effectively involve a Board of Directors or Advisory Committee in resource development and references to additional reading and resources on program sustainability.

Play Well With Others: Leveraging Local Partnerships for Program Success (Case Study)

This case study examines how the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance program in California leverages partnerships to provide financial and other support for their services. Tips on forming and maintaining partnerships are included.

Why Don’t We Like To Change? Helping Organizations Chart a New Course for Future Success (Case Study)

This case study examines how a local mentoring program overcame leadership challenges and other barriers to success, illustrating why organizations can be resistant to change and how local mentoring programs can ensure that they do not become stagnant and ineffective in a constantly shifting landscape.

Making a Difference on a Shoestring Budget: Evergreen School Lunch Buddies Program (Case Study)

This case study explores the creative ways that one program in Washington state is diversifying their funding and building on program success.

Specialized Mentoring Models

The Mosaic of Faith-Based Mentoring (Bulletin)

This resources explores ways that faith institutions can set up their own mentoring programs, as well as tips for community organizations on how to work with faith-based partners on mentoring projects.

Delivering Culturally Competent Mentoring Services to Low-Income Latino Youth (Case Study)

This case study examines the successful strategies of the Padrinos Barrio Mentoring Project in Tuscon, AZ. This program provides a culturally-focused mentoring model that connects mentored youth to their community and their shared history and traditions in an effort to address a number of delinquent behaviors.

Delivering Quality Mentoring Services in Rural and Tribal Settings (Case Study)

This case study provides best practices for developing mentoring services in rural and tribal settings, addressing the unique needs faced in remote, high poverty areas.

Gender-Specific Approaches in Mentoring (Fact Sheet)

The fact sheet explores how programs can create specialized mentoring services for either girls or boys.

Bullying Prevention and Intervention: The TeamMates Mentoring Program, Lincoln Public Schools (Case Study)

Bullying remains, unfortunately, a persistent issue for American schools. This case study of the TeamMates program in Lincoln, NE highlights their mentoring-based approach to bullying prevention, with additional advice for any program wanting to impact this issue via mentoring.

One-on-One and Group Mentoring: An Integrated Approach (Case Study)

This case study of the Young Women Leaders Program in Virginia provides insight into their successful group mentoring strategy involving college-age women working with young girls on a variety of issues.