| Type: | Nonprofit |
| Website: | http://bigbrothersbigsisters.ca |
| Volunteers: | 21,300 |
| Leader Title: | National President & CEO |
| Leader Name: | W. Matthew Chater, M.Ed. |
| Status: | Charity |
| Region: | Canada |
| Services: | Mentoring programs |
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is a non-profit federation charity offering a youth mentoring program, founded in 1913. The Big Brothers Big Sisters movement in Canada provides services to 41,700 youths.[1]
Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies offer mentoring programs for Canadians. In the one-to-one mentoring program, one youth and one adult mentor meet twice a month for at least one year. Big Brothers Big Sisters also operates group mentoring programs for teenagers and clubs.[2]
In 2013, the Boston Consulting Group conducted a research study on the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs. The study concluded that every dollar spent on Big Brothers Big Sisters results in a $18–23 social return on investment.[3]
The youth mentoring movement began in the United States in 1904,[4] when New York City court clerk Ernest Coulter saw more boys coming through his courtroom. He thought that these were the results of parenting, and he set out to find volunteers. The program began with 39 volunteers, mainly friends of Coulter. In 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the United States.[5]
In 1912, similar events took place in Canada, and the first Canadian Big Sister agency was formed in Toronto.[6] In 1913, the first Canadian Big Brother program began in Toronto. Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 2001, Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada, Big Sisters of Canada, and Big Sisters Association of Ontario merged to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.[5]