Editor’s Note: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & the Inland Empire (BBBS OC/IE) is the largest youth mentoring organization in California, reporting $10.3 million in revenue for the year ended June 30, 2024. Currently it has 2,773 volunteers, serving 4,153 youth. This week, the Business Journal has a special supplement on philanthropy, including corporate donors.
While Wall Street chases financial returns, few investments deliver greater impact than mentoring—and it requires little more than showing up and listening.
That seemingly small act can send ripples far beyond what we often realize.
Mentoring Pays Clear Dividends
According to Boston Consulting Group, every $1 invested in mentoring yields at least an $18 return to society—a return few asset classes can match.
A ground-breaking 30-year Harvard-backed study of Big Brothers Big Sisters youth using IRS data showed that through mentorship, we make up two-thirds of the gap between low-income mentees and their more financially secure mentors, nearly eliminating it. Those are impressive statistics, reflecting value not only in dollars but in the growth potential of human lives.
Recognizing this impact, BBBS OC/IE was recently awarded a $1 million CalOptima Health grant to expand mentoring programs, furthering our ability to reach more local youth.
Today there are 97,600 at-risk youth in Orange County who will grow up without a positive role model. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire (BBBS OC/IE) pairs young people with volunteers who show up with kindness, consistency, and a listening ear.
That kind of presence changes lives.
Take Analiese, for example—a mentee in our Workplace Mentoring program and a computer science major at California State University, Fullerton. The daughter of two immigrant parents, Analiese is a first-generation college student. During the pandemic, she faced profound hardship, at one point sleeping in her car while juggling remote Cypress College coursework and part-time jobs. Throughout it all, she exhibited remarkable resilience and determination.
Her turning point came when she connected with Julie, her mentor at the Google BBBS OC/IE Workplace Mentoring site. With Julie’s support and encouragement, Analiese gained skills beyond the classroom—learning to speak up in meetings, build professional networks and approach challenges with a collaborative mindset. That experience helped her land competitive internships at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Automobile Club of Southern California. She was recently named a Deloitte Foundation BBSA Youth Equity and Empowerment Scholar.
Analiese’s experience is consistent with our findings. Mentoring supports building social connections, making positive choices, achieving academic success and unlocking career opportunities. Data shows that young people involved in our program are 20% more likely to attend college and earn 15% more over their lifetimes.
Volunteering is on the Wane
Mentorship doesn’t generate instant acclaim. It doesn’t trend on social media. Instead, it quietly, steadily and powerfully changes lives, one relationship at a time. As with many volunteer activities, it can bring a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.
However, volunteer participation dropped significantly during the pandemic and has been slow to recover. We see this trend nationally, as well as right here in Orange County.
California ranks among the lowest states in volunteer participation and time.
Among 25- to 29-year-olds, participation as a mentor is at just 3%, despite 44% indicating interest. That gap is an open invitation that’s waiting to be answered.
Overcoming Obstacles Makes a Difference
In a recent survey of 300 Orange County professionals, the top perceived barrier to mentoring was time. But mentorship doesn’t require 10 hours a week or an advanced degree. Often, it means just a couple of hours a month—and a willingness to be present. That’s less time than many of us spend scrolling or streaming.
That’s why we say: “It takes little to be BIG.”
Being a mentor isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, without expecting anything in return. Like a supportive text before a big test, a high five after a tough day or simply being available when it matters most.
Those small moments build trust. That trust builds confidence, and confidence can open doors to a different future.
So yes, it takes little to be BIG. But the impact? Anything but small.
Companies Play Pivotal Role
Interest in mentorship is strong, especially when opportunities are offered through workplaces. Nearly half of respondents said they’d be eager to participate if volunteerism was offered through their employer.
Embedding mentorship into your company’s culture isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s a strategic move.
It boosts employee engagement, fosters purpose-driven leadership and strengthens community ties, all while delivering measurable societal impact.
If you’re in a position to bring mentorship into your company culture, you could unlock a powerful source of goodwill and community connection.
Let’s revisit the numbers for a moment. Mentoring returns three times the value in government tax revenue. And it’s 35% more effective at boosting college attendance for low-income youth than intensive prep programs while costing only a quarter as much.
Here in Orange County, where opportunity and disparity often exist side by side, mentorship is a highly meaningful and effective way to help bridge that gap. The return on time and commitment, both corporate and individual, is more than worth it.
The Opportunity is Now
Consider this your friendly reminder: Our youth are filled with promise. Sometimes, all it takes is someone willing to spend a Saturday morning listening, laughing or helping to make sense of something as simple or as confusing as a bank statement or a college application.
Mentoring delivers real results, long-term gains and lasting meaning. It’s one of those rare opportunities where both heart and numbers align. Helping someone else achieve their true potential becomes a quiet but powerful way of shaping the world around us for the better.
The community spirit of the volunteer and the proven impact of mentoring are a powerful combination for igniting the power and promise of the next generation. In a time when so much feels uncertain, mentorship remains a steady, human act that continues to matter. It’s a chance to change a life—and in doing so, to change your own.
To learn how to get involved or bring mentorship into your company culture, visit www.ocbigs.org.
