United Way of Central Ohio

Background information
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio began advocating a district wide mentoring plan for Columbus
City Schools (CCS) in 2006. At the time Big Brothers Big Sisters had more than ten years experience
operating School-based Mentoring programs, with programs in 37 schools, including nine programs in
Columbus City Schools. At Principal for a Day in November 2006, Nationwide CEO Jerry Jurgensen
announced he wanted to explore a district wide mentoring program for Columbus City Schools, and that
Big Brothers Big Sisters would serve as advisors. We finalized a plan which calls for more than 10,000
mentors in Columbus City Schools (100 to 150 per building in high schools and middle schools, and 50
per building in elementary schools). Dr. Gene Harris, Superintendent of Columbus City Schools, gave her
full support to this plan, and in July of 2007 Project Mentor was formally launched.
Project Mentor is an initiative of Columbus City Schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio to
offer one-to-one School-based Mentoring in every school in the Columbus City Schools district.
Nationwide Foundation is the lead sponsor of Project Mentor. Project Mentor is one key component of
Project 2012, which is Columbus City Schools’ goal to attain a graduation rate of 90 percent (the state’s
standard) beginning with the graduating class of 2012. As recently as the 2000-2001 school year, the
graduation rate for CCS was only 55 percent. By 2005-2006 the graduation rate had increased to 73
percent, although this still fell well short of the 86 percent graduation rate for Ohio as a whole (Ohio
Department of Education, 2006). Moreover, subsequent incremental gains in the graduation rate will be
more difficult to achieve than the initial gains; hence the need for programs such as Project Mentor to
bring the graduation rate up to 90 percent.
Project 2012 hopes to renew the faith of the community that the Columbus City Schools is committed to
educating all students to their full potential. Project 2012 consists of multiple initiatives, including
Project Mentor, to reach the widest possible audience.
Research
Public/Private Ventures has conducted a large-scale, national, random assignment evaluation of Big
Brothers Big Sisters School-based Mentoring. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio was one of ten
agencies to participate in this study. The study, released in August 2007, found that Little Brothers and
Little Sisters in the School-based Mentoring program showed improvements relative to their non-
mentored peers in eight academic outcomes:
• overall academic performance
• performance in science
• performance in written and oral language
• quality and number of assignments turned in
• fewer serious school infractions
• scholastic efficacy
• reduced skipping of school (Herrera, et al., 2007).
Craig Jerald, in a 2006 study entitled Identifying Potential Dropouts, lists academic performance and
educational engagement as two major contributing factors to high school dropout rates, and, in addition to
low academic performance, he specifically cites low grades in English and high rates of absenteeism or
truancy as strong predictors of dropout rates. The 2007 Public/Private Ventures study demonstrates that
Big Brothers Big Sisters School-based Mentoring program improves students’ overall academic
performance, performance in written and oral language, and reduces skipping of school, all of which lead
to higher graduation rates.

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Project Design and Current Year (2007-2008)

We launched Project Mentor in 2007-2008 with the expansion of our mentoring program to every CCS
middle school. We focused our efforts on eighth grade students, who will be the graduating class of 2012.
We now offer School-based Mentoring in a total of 34 CCS schools, including all 27 middle schools. We
have already recruited and trained nearly 1,100 volunteer mentors and are providing mentoring
relationships to nearly 1,100 at-risk children in 2007-2008 alone!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio offered School-based Mentoring programs at nine Columbus
City Schools prior to the launch of Project Mentor:

Clinton Elementary School South Mifflin Elementary School

Como Elementary School Weinland Park Elementary School
Hubbard Elementary School Westmoor Middle School
Indianola Middle School Windsor Academy Elementary School
Medina Middle School
Big Brothers Big Sisters expanded its School-based Mentoring program in 2007-2008 to 25 Columbus
City Schools:
Africentric Early College High School (8th grade) Hilltonia Middle School
Arts Impact Middle School Johnson Park Middle School
Beery Middle School Mifflin Alternative Middle School
Buckeye Middle School Monroe Alternative Middle School
Champion Middle School Ridgeview Middle School
Clearbrook Middle School Sherwood Middle School
Clinton Middle School Southmoor Middle School
Dominion Middle School Spanish Immersion Elementary School
Eastmoor Middle School Starling Middle School
Ecole Kenwood Elementary School Wedgewood Middle School
Franklin Alternative Middle School Welcome Center at Mifflin Middle School
Georgian Heights Elementary School Woodward Park Middle School

Target Population – Students are referred to the program by their teachers and counselors as at risk of
school failure or needing adult guidance and supervision, based upon criteria to determine students in
need that can benefit from having a mentor. Students most likely to benefit from the program are the
middle 25 percent of students that need extra help to achieve graduation, but not necessarily the five
percent of highest need students who need more intensive services and support. This is in alignment with
a 2005 KidsOhio.org study which showed that seven percent of students commit more than half of the
discipline offenses and 57 percent of students had no discipline offenses.
The “triangle stratification diagram” on the following page reflects the students in the yellow zone as
those targeted for the mentoring program, with a small amount of overlap into the red and green zones.
Every student at each participating school is assessed prior to beginning the program to determine which
students would be most likely to benefit from a mentoring relationship. We examine attendance, tardy
and disciplinary records for each student, as well as whether each student has an Individualized Education
Plan, and if so, why. This assessment reveals which students fall in the yellow zone as being at-risk for
dropout and delinquency and are most likely to benefit from a mentoring relationship.

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Triangle Stratification Diagram of Students in School

From CPS Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support system

Red: Kids with more severe issues.

5% Usually need special services;
may include need for in home
counseling. 5%

Yellow: Kids with some issues,

25% not performing to potential.
25%
Likely to respond to mentoring.

Green: Kids performing well.

70% Some would benefit 70%
from mentoring.

We believe there is a “tipping point” in schools, whereby if we mentor enough children, the entire school
environment will change for the better. Big Brothers Big Sisters has the years of experience, as well as
clinical data, which demonstrate that mentors make a difference in the lives of youth. And we believe
other youth make a difference as well. Children learn from and emulate their peers. When too many
youth are making negative choices at school, it becomes harder for all youth to make positive choices.
But when making positive choices is the norm, it becomes easier for everyone to do the right thing.
Children who have a mentor, and are developing the assets they need to succeed, will impact other
children at the school, steering them in the right direction. Our goal is to mentor enough students in every
school to reach the “tipping point” and improve the environment in the entire school. We believe an
entire school building will benefit if we mentor 20 to 25 percent of the children in school, and target those
children who could benefit the most.
Program Design: Making the Match – As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, our
agency has adopted national standards that govern the screening and acceptance of both youth and adults;
the training and orientation volunteers must undergo; the matching process; required meeting frequency;
and the ongoing supervision of matches, which involves regular contact between the agency and the adult
volunteer, the youth and the teacher.
After potential volunteers make an initial inquiry into Big Brothers Big Sisters, they complete an
application and undergo a comprehensive screening. The purpose of the screening is to protect youth by
identifying and screening out applicants who pose a safety risk, are unlikely to honor their time
commitment or are unlikely to form positive relationships with youth. The screening procedures are time-
consuming and stringent, and include gathering and verifying information on volunteer applications;
checking references; processing criminal background checks (including the Ohio Sex Offender database)
as well as child and domestic abuse record checks; and conducting in-person interviews. In addition, a
Big Brothers Big Sisters School-based Program Coordinator interviews the volunteer about his/her
personal history, experiences, hobbies, interests and preferences.
As part of the enrollment process, the volunteer receives orientation and training materials. The
orientation and training explains the program requirements and rules, and includes information on the
developmental stages of youth, communication and limit-setting skills, methods of relationship-building,
definitions of what a Big Brother or Big Sister is and is not, recommendations on the best way to interact
with a Little Brother or Little Sister, information on helping with school work, and suggested activities.
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This information is designed to assist volunteers as they interact with their assigned youth, who are often
from different racial or socio-economic backgrounds. Training on how to recognize and report incidences
of sexual abuse is included. Additional training is available as needed or requested by the mentor
throughout the life of the match.
In addition, volunteers mentoring eighth or ninth grade students receive training from Big Brothers Big
Sisters and the Mentoring Center of Central Ohio on mentoring adolescents. The ninety-minute training
covers adolescent development and behavior, helpful skills for relating to adolescents, active listening,
defusing anger in adolescents, the asset-building model, and positive aspects of working with adolescents.
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a carefully structured approach to mentoring. Connecting the best
volunteer with a child is a critical juncture in the mentoring process. Careful consideration is given to
each match.
The School-based Program Coordinator interviews both the mentor and student before the program
begins. The interviews are a primary means of determining which student would be a good match with
each mentor. The Program Coordinator identifies potential students and mentors for matches based on
common interests and compatible personalities. The Program Coordinator also seeks input from the
teacher and/or guidance counselor at the school to gain insight into each student’s needs and personality
and to identify a good match for the student.
At the first mentoring session, students have a chance to meet with several potential mentors (and vice
versa). Students and mentors get to know each other through icebreaker activities or games. Based on the
interviews with students and mentors, as well as this initial mentoring session, the Program Coordinator
makes matches, considering all factors of the needs, interests and preferences of the mentor and student.
Program Design: The Mentoring Relationship – The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) School-Based
Mentoring Program is based upon forming a relationship between the child and the mentor focusing on
both the academic needs and social/emotional development of the child. Research from the National
School-based Mentoring Impact Study shows that children matched to a Big Brother or Big Sister in a
school-based mentoring program such as ours that encourages activities with a social/emotional focus are
more likely to have matches with greater academic impact, higher quality and longer duration compared
to programs that focus on tutoring alone (Hansen, 2005).
When the child and mentor form a relationship, the child can “download” bothersome issues that allow
the child to focus more on schoolwork. In addition, as the relationship develops, the child begins to feel
more accountable to the mentor about schoolwork and grades. When the child knows a special friend is
coming each week, there is a desire to do well in order to talk about his or her accomplishments – like
great test scores!
Big Brothers Big Sisters School-based mentors meet weekly with their child for 45 minutes to an hour
during or immediately after school during the school year. Each program includes core mentoring
standards and principles, and then operates based on the needs of the school and the volunteer group, the
age and grade level of the students, and the guidelines established by the school. The first few mentoring
sessions focus on getting to know one another through icebreaker and/or small group activities. As the
relationship develops, our School-based Coordinators provide activities that allow for more individualized
conversation around topics recommended by the middle school principals, although matches may choose
to set their own agenda at any time. Topics of conversation may include:

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• Education/Academics • Leadership/Personal Development

• Getting Along with Peers • Goal Setting
• Decision Making • Situationally Appropriate Behavior
• Conflict Resolution • Plans for the Future
School-based Mentoring allows mentors and students to form relationships that focus on areas of
development including academic performance, self-esteem, caring attitudes and social competencies. Big
Brothers Big Sisters focuses on recruiting and training mentors to role model positive pro-social norms
and behaviors at every one-on-one mentoring session with the students. Training for mentors
emphasizes that mentors are role models and youth pay attention to and learn from what their mentor
does.
Mentors also help strengthen school bonding by serving as advocates for the students among school
staff; encouraging students to talk with their teachers; providing students with strategies to build
relationships with teachers and staff; and encouraging students to join school clubs and school sports
activities. When students get involved at school, they are less likely to cut classes, skip school, start fights
or get into trouble. Mentoring increases students’ engagement with school, which leads to higher
graduation rates.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Program Coordinators are on-site for each mentoring session to provide case
management, support, and supervision for all matches. The Program Coordinators monitor all activities
and provide mentor coaching throughout the mentoring session. Frequently the mentor and Program
Coordinator will speak after the mentoring session about what went well and what did not, and the
Program Coordinator will offer advice and guidance for the next mentoring session. Program
Coordinators also regularly send out updates and announcements about the program to mentors by e-mail,
asking mentors to contact them if they have any questions. This gives mentors another means for
feedback and support.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has worked very closely with Columbus City Schools to develop Project Mentor.
At each individual school where the mentoring program is offered, teachers, counselors and school
administrators work hand-in-hand with Big Brothers Big Sisters to ensure that the program runs smoothly
and successfully. At the behest of CCS Superintendent Dr. Gene Harris, each school is responsible for:
• identifying and recruiting children for the program;
• distributing and collecting referral forms, applications and permission slips for student
participation;
• providing space for mentoring activities;
• providing assistance in obtaining information to evaluate the program;
• serving as a liaison between students, program coordinators and mentors;
• helping match the students to mentors;
• and participating in program orientation.
The School-based Program Coordinator stays in contact with teachers and counselors throughout the
school year to discuss each student’s progress and suggest areas for improvement.
Experiences of Year 1

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The overall experience of Project Mentor in 2007-2008 has been very positive. We exceeded our goal by
recruiting and training nearly 1,100 mentors and providing mentoring relationships to nearly 1,100
students. Feedback from the schools has been extremely positive. A recent survey of principals of Project
Mentor middle schools demonstrated:
• 81 percent feel Project Mentor has added value to their school
• 94 percent feel Project Mentor has been well received by the students
• 81 percent feel Project Mentor is having a positive impact on their students
• 69 percent feel Project Mentor is having a positive impact on the school environment!
Another positive experience from the first year of Project Mentor has been our increased engagement with
the African American community. Much of this success can be credited to our African American
Advisory Council, which was formed in the summer of 2007. The Council is comprised of 16 members,
and includes leaders from the corporate, government and non-profit sectors, as well as representatives
from the Columbus City Schools district. The primary function of the Council is to improve services to
African American youth by providing leadership, cultural guidance and outreach to the African American
community in order to recruit African American volunteers.
Traditionally, about ten percent of our volunteer mentors have been African American. In the first year of
Project Mentor, 25 percent of our Project Mentor volunteers were African American. Not only is this a
huge increase compared to our traditional results, but the percentage of African American Project Mentor
volunteers exceeds the percentage of African Americans in Franklin County. The CCS school district is
62 percent African American, so the more positive African American mentors we can recruit to be positive
role models for these youth, the better. We made major strides in this area in year one.
Over the course of year one, the three questions we heard most consistently from Project Mentor
volunteers were:
• Are we making a difference?
• Can you give us access to grades and test scores on our mentees?
• Why are we not allowed to see our students outside of the mentoring hour?
In response to the first question, there are layers of answers. First of all, most of the youth participants
this year are in the eighth grade. They do not do many things they do not want to do if they do not have
to, and participation in the mentoring program is optional. The fact that nearly 1,100 youth are showing
up every week to be with their mentor suggests that the program is meaningful for these youth. Our staff
have story after story of students who have formed strong relationships with their mentors, students who
for the first time believe they can go to college. While the plural of anecdotal stories does not make data,
hundreds of stories of success are significant.
In regards to the grades and test scores, confidentiality is a sensitive issue when it comes to individual
students’ academic performance. However, we are working with the district to be able to provide our
mentors with directional information about their mentee, such as generally if attendance is acceptable, are
there generally disciplinary issues, is doing homework a problem, or is a specific subject an issue.
Finally, in regards to giving mentors and mentees more opportunities to spend time with each other, this
spring we began to provide opportunities for mentors to see their mentee outside of the mentoring hour by
identifying events at the school where we will have our School-based Coordinators in attendance so the
mentors can attend. Moving forward, we are working with the schools to have these options available
throughout the 2008-2009 school year. We are also providing for summer contact via email and letters
that flow through our Coordinators, and we are piloting a program this summer on a small scale with
Columbus Metropolitan Libraries where mentors and mentees will be meeting in the libraries.
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The fact that nearly 1,110 mentors are showing up each week suggests that the mentors are gaining
something positive from their experience as well. Almost 700 mentors attended a luncheon for Project
Mentor volunteers held on May 21, to learn more about the first year results, the transition/expansion in
year two, and the long term plan for Project Mentor; further demonstrating volunteer interest and
commitment. Archie Griffin, Jerry Jurgensen, Dr. Gene Harris and Mayor Michael Coleman spoke about
the importance of Project Mentor. The feedback we have received from the mentors has been very
positive.
Evaluation Plan
Our program evaluation assesses students before they begin the mentoring program, during the school
year and at the completion of each year of mentoring. We track on a quarterly basis each student’s
attendance, tardy and disciplinary records. At the end of the school year, we compare each student’s
attendance, tardy and disciplinary records since they began the mentoring program with their baseline
records prior to beginning the mentoring program.
Our agency is also piloting a new outcomes measure developed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The new outcomes measure is administered to youth within a month before they begin their mentoring
relationship and then at the end of the school year for School-based matches.
Each youth completes a survey containing 30 questions that examine six dimensions of the mentoring
relationship: scholastic efficacy (“I feel that I am just as smart as other kids my age”); social acceptance
(“I find it hard to make friends”); educational expectations; grades; misconduct and skipping; and parental
trust (“My parents/guardians respect my feelings”). These measures have been found to be reliable and
valid, and have been used in previous youth development research. Besides having strong support from
mentoring research, this new outcomes measure will give us baseline data that can be used for later
comparison.
Data is gathered by our School-based Program Coordinators and assessed by our Assistant Vice President
of Evaluation. We submit regular reports to our funders on the evaluation of our program and the
progress made by our students. We are currently analyzing data from the 2007-2008 school year and
should have some preliminary findings by the end of June. Our goal is that 60 percent of program
participants will demonstrate an improvement in at least 50 percent of 30 outcome indicators.
In addition, Dr. David Andrews, Professor and past dean of the College of Education and Human Ecology
at Ohio State University, has received funding to initiate a rigorous, independent study of Project Mentor.
This study would expand the assessment battery, recruit and track a control group of students who are not
receiving mentoring, and institute a longitudinal design to assess the longer-term impact of the program.
The goal of the evaluation study would be to provide evidence of the long-term effectiveness of Project
Mentor and to attribute gains in academic performance and asset growth to participation in the mentoring
program.
The study will begin this fall, with a two year stabilization period. This will provide us results over the
next couple of years that we can use to identify best and most effective practices, and will provide impact
results over time in a disciplined fashion.
Plans for Year 2
In the 2008-2009 school year, we will expand Project Mentor to serve ninth grade students at 20
additional high schools. We will also sustain our 27 middle school programs, and our seven elementary
school programs. Our goal is for the eighth grade students who were mentored in the program this year to

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continue with the same mentor next year. Our School-based Coordinators have surveyed the mentors and
youth about whether they would like to continue in the program, and they have also asked the youth what
school they think they will be attending in 2008-2009. This information is helping us plan for next year.
We also want to step up our programming – the activities mentors and youth do during the mentoring
sessions – next year. We are working on collaborations with other agencies that have interesting
activities, and a speaker’s bureau of noteworthy people to speak for ten or fifteen minutes and initiate
more of the types of conversations we want our mentors and mentees to have. We are also exploring and
planning to add a financial literacy component to the program.
Project Mentor has the following objectives for the 2008-2009 school year:
1. To begin new School-based Mentoring programs in 20 Columbus City High Schools.
2. To operate School-based Mentoring programs in a total of 54 Columbus City Schools.
3. To support 2,000 mentoring relationships in Columbus City Schools.
Big Brothers Big Sisters will expand its School-based Mentoring program in 2008-2009 to the 20
Columbus City Schools listed below:

Africentric Early College High School (9th grade) Independence High School
Alum Crest High School Linden-McKinley High School
Beechcroft High School Marion-Franklin High School
Briggs High School McGuffey Welcome Center
Brookhaven High School Mifflin High School
Centennial High School Northland High School
Columbus Alternative High School South High School
East High School Walnut Ridge High School
Eastmoor Academy High School West High School
Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School Whetstone High School
Volunteer Recruitment – Mentors are recruited from all areas of the community. Volunteer sources
include employees from businesses, government agencies, service organizations, non-profit organizations,
college students, high school students and individuals from the community at large. To date, we have
developed partnerships with 48 organizations, including 29 corporations, with employees and members at
partner organizations volunteering at Project Mentor schools. Volunteer recruitment is taking a high
profile in the community and includes a broad marketing campaign as well as a targeted campaign.
Current Project Mentor volunteer partner organizations include:

Abbott Nutrition Columbus Young Professionals Club

AKZO Nobel Continental Office Environments
American Electric Power COWIC
Anderson Concrete Corporation Crane Group
Ashland University Crane Group – Able Roofing
Battelle Crane Group – Signature Control
Big Brothers Big Sisters Crane Group – Suburban Steel Supply
Cardinal Health Expesite
City of Columbus Fahlgren
Clear Channel Radio Hamilton Parker Company
Columbus Chamber of Commerce Hilti

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Huntington Bank OSU Bell Resource Center

JPMorgan Chase & Co. OSU Law School
Justice Revival OSU Medical Center
KidsOhio.org Otterbein College
Malcolm Pirnie The Pizzuti Companies
Mentoring Center of Central Ohio Robert Weiler Company
Mt. Olivet Baptist Church RockBridge Capital
Nationwide Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Smoot
Ohio Association for the Deaf Time Warner Cable
Ohio Department of Taxation United Way of Central Ohio
Ohio Health UnitedHealthcare
OSU Alumni Association WBNS 10-TV
Marketing tools include brochures, posters and flyers, as well as a video featuring influential community
leaders and celebrities. Archie Griffin is the face and voice of the media campaign. Broad marketing
channels include newspaper, public service announcements on TV and radio, billboards, and other non-
traditional marketing channels, while targeted marketing execution is via Big Brothers Big Sisters staff
and “calling ambassadors,” much like the system used by the United Way.
Volunteer diversity is an important aspect of volunteer recruitment. A special effort is placed on recruiting
bilingual volunteers to match with bilingual students. Leaders from the African-American and Hispanic
communities are an integral part of recruitment leadership and volunteer participation.
Longer Term Plans

The long-term plan for Project Mentor is to continue to add 1,000 to 1,500 new volunteers per year for a
seven year rollout in every Columbus City school. During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years,
we plan to add an additional 1,000 volunteers each year. Project Mentor will not expand to any new
schools during these years. Rather, the number of mentors and youth served at each school will increase
in order to saturate the school with mentors and reach the tipping point where the school environment
begins to improve.
Over the course of the next three school years, we plan to add an additional 1,500 volunteers each year,
with the program expanding to all 82 CCS elementary schools. The ultimate goal, which we plan to
achieve by the 2014-2015 school year, is to offer mentoring programs in every CCS school, while
supporting and maintaining mentoring relationships for more than 10,000 children in grades three
through ten (approximately one-fifth of the district’s students) annually.
Nationwide Foundation is the lead sponsor of Project Mentor. As Project Mentor progresses, Big
Brothers Big Sisters will continue to pursue public, private and corporate grant opportunities to fund the
continued rollout of the program. To date, we have developed 29 corporate partnerships for Project
Mentor. We believe that many of the corporations who are becoming volunteer partners for Project
Mentor now will become financial supporters of Project Mentor as well. Please see the attached long-
term funding plan for Project Mentor.
Request to United Way of Central Ohio
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio respectfully requests $150,000 from the United Way of Central
Ohio for Project Mentor for the 2008-2009 school year.

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In addition, we plan to add a financial literacy component to Project Mentor for the 2008-2009 school
year. We are still in the planning stages with the financial literacy component, and we request that the
United Way contribute to the financial literacy component of the program.
We anticipate requesting funding from the United Way for Project Mentor in subsequent years. As the
attached long-term funding plan for Project Mentor indicates, we intend to request $169,000 from the
United Way for Project Mentor for the 2009-2010 school year, and $201,000 for the 2010-2011 school
year and in subsequent years.
The following budget reflects the total request to the United Way of Central Ohio for 2008-2009:
Budget Item United Way of Central Ohio
(this request)
Personnel $98,345
Payroll Taxes/Benefits $27,220
Travel $3,580
Supplies $3,000
Marketing Materials $1,950
Background Checks $3,000
Volunteer Training $3,195
Occupancy $9,710
Capital Expenses $0
Total $150,000
Project Mentor – United Way Request Budget Detail:
Personnel/Benefits
• 2.25 FTE School-based Program Coordinator: to provide coordination of School-based programs,
plan and supervise activities, and provide enrollment and match support to mentors and youth

• 0.30 FTE African American Mentoring Manager: to implement a recruitment plan for African-
American volunteers, and develop partnerships with African-American community organizations
• 0.45 FTE Evaluation and Information Coordinator: to coordinate data collection and ensure
compliance with funders’ reporting requirements
Travel
• $0.505/mile x 350 miles/month x 9 months x 2.25 FTE School-based Program Coordinators
Supplies
• Program Supplies: $10.70/mentoring relationship x 175 mentoring relationships; for papers,
pens/pencils, educational activities and snacks for mentoring sessions

• Office Supplies: $375/yr/person x 3.0 FTE; to conduct daily business

Marketing Materials
• Brochures and printed materials; advertising, including internet advertising, magazine advertising,
radio advertising and public billboard advertising space; for promotional campaign for volunteer
recruitment
Background Checks

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• 100 background checks for new mentors x $30/check

Volunteer Training
• 6 training sessions x 5 hours/training (includes designing curriculum/preparation time) x
$106.50/hour; to provide training sessions for mentors and School-based Program Coordinators

Occupancy
• Office space: $16.05/square foot x 150 square feet/person x 3.0 FTE staff dedicated to this project;
to conduct daily business

• Telephone/Internet: $69.55/month x 12 months x 3.0 FTE staff dedicated to this project; to

conduct daily business
Project Mentor Total Budget for 2007-2008
Project Mentor 2007-08 Revenue Budget Amount
Nationwide Foundation $653,000
BBBS Fundraising and In-kind Contributions $401,473
Total Revenue $1,054,473
Project Mentor 2007-08 Expenses Budget Amount
Personnel $640,562
Payroll Taxes/Benefits $164,481
Travel $15,565
Supplies $18,349
Marketing Materials $87,000
Background Checks $18,974
Volunteer Training $28,726
Occupancy $54,616
Capital Expenses $26,200
Total Expenses $1,054,473
Our actual Project Mentor revenue and expenses for 2007-2008 are in line with our budget. We do not
expect to show a deficit or a surplus in the Project Mentor program for 2007-2008.
Project Mentor Total Budget for 2008-2009
To expand Project Mentor to 20 high schools and serve 2,000 students in 2008-2009, we will hire seven
new School-based Program Coordinators, each of whom will handle about three schools. The School-
based Coordinators are responsible for the day-to-day management of the School-based Mentoring
programs. This includes:
• Enrolling volunteers and youth in the program
• Matching individual volunteers and youth together in one-to-one mentoring relationships
• Planning activities for mentors and mentees to work on together at their mentoring sessions
• Keeping in contact with school teachers and counselors to get feedback on mentees
• Providing case management, supervision and support to each mentor and mentee
• Being on-site for every mentoring session
• Coordinating additional meeting times for mentors and mentees at school outside of the regular
mentoring session, and coordinating contact between mentors and mentees over the summer

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• Administering program evaluation surveys

Project Mentor is a methodical district wide program and the Program Coordinators are an integral part of
its success and sustainability.
We will also hire an African American Mentoring Manager to build upon our outreach efforts to the
African American community and recruit more volunteers, an Evaluation and Information Coordinator to
help in our program development and evaluation efforts, and a Program Assistant to support the program
staff. The new hires, along with the increased expenses for program supplies, background checks and
volunteer training for the new students and mentors, account for the increase in the Project Mentor 2008-
2009 budget.
Project Mentor 2008-09 Revenue Budget Amount
Nationwide Foundation (committed) $750,000
Battelle (committed) $75,000
United Way of Central Ohio (this request) $150,000
The Columbus Foundation (pending) $150,000
Limitedbrands Foundation (pending) $75,000
AEP (pending) $50,000
Wolfe Associates (pending) $50,000
BBBS Fundraising and In-kind Contributions $388,772
Total Revenue $1,688,772
Project Mentor 2008-09 Expenses Budget Amount
Personnel $1,014,710
Payroll Taxes/Benefits $272,804
Travel $28,047
Supplies $32,059
Marketing Materials $64,200
Background Checks $37,985
Volunteer Training $34,605
Occupancy $149,197
Capital Expenses $55,165
Total Expenses $1,688,772
A gift of $150,000 from the United Way of Central Ohio will help us leverage additional support from
corporate and community partners for Project Mentor.
Conclusion
We believe that Project Mentor can have a transformational effect on the Columbus City Schools
district. While recruiting and maintaining thousands of volunteers is quite a hurdle, it is also exciting to
think about a plan with that much of the community participating; it truly becomes a plan owned by the
community taking responsibility for its success. Project Mentor creates an opportunity to mobilize in
a way never yet accomplished to achieve a goal that will determine the future of our children and
our community.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio 12