Founded in 1949, BBBSNCA is the Washington region's largest volunteer-supported youth mentoring organization, matching adult volunteers with children ages 7–18 across DC, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The organization currently supports 1,200+ active matches and operates specialized programs for Latino youth, children with incarcerated parents, and children of military families.
The core program is One-to-One mentoring: a carefully screened adult volunteer (a "Big") is matched with a child from the community ("Little"), typically from a single-parent household, and the two meet regularly over at least a year. BBBSNCA's staff supports every match — not just at the pairing stage, but throughout the relationship, checking in with both the Big and the Little to make sure the relationship is working. That professional support structure is what distinguishes BBBSNCA from informal mentoring programs.
The Washington DC metro is a complicated geography for youth need. The region's wealth is extreme and visible — but child poverty concentrates in specific DC neighborhoods, Prince George's County, and parts of Northern Virginia and Montgomery County that are less connected to the federal and tech economy. Many of the children in BBBSNCA's program have parents working multiple jobs at wages that leave little time for the consistent adult presence that a Big provides.
Big and Little meet 2–4 times per month in the community. Total of 4–8 hours together monthly. Big provides transportation. One-year minimum commitment.
Big meets Little once a week at school during school hours, typically for about an hour. Structured school environment makes scheduling more predictable.
Latino outreach initiative recruiting bilingual mentors for Latino children and families in DC, Montgomery County MD, and Fairfax County VA.
Specifically matches children with one or both parents incarcerated — a group six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves. This program exists because the general waitlist doesn't prioritize urgency of need.
Law enforcement mentors matched with at-risk youth in Montgomery County MD. Builds relationships between police and the communities they serve through consistent mentoring.
Corporate workplace-based mentoring exposing middle and high school youth to professional environments and career pathways. Cohort-style program run in partnership with companies.
One-day structured mentoring program for corporate groups. Runs 3–5 hours. BBBSNCA runs the structure; companies bring volunteers. Good entry point for corporate social responsibility programs.
Supports children whose parents have been deployed, injured, or killed in active service. Given the Washington region's proximity to military installations, this is a specific and significant population.
Volunteers must be at least 21, currently employed or in school (or retired), and live or work in the BBBSNCA service area. The service area covers Washington DC; Montgomery, Prince George's, and Frederick Counties in Maryland; and Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties in Virginia.
The process: submit an application online, complete a background check, attend an orientation, and participate in a matching interview. Once you're in the system, a match coordinator works to find a compatible Little. Wait times vary — BBBSNCA is direct that acceptance into the program doesn't guarantee an immediate match, and female volunteers typically wait longer because there are fewer female Littles enrolled. This is a real constraint, not a bureaucratic delay.
The one-year commitment is firm, but it's a floor, not a ceiling. Many Bigs stay with their Littles for years. The research is clear that longer relationships produce better outcomes — a kid who has a consistent adult in their life from age 9 to 14 has a different trajectory than one who had six months of mentoring and then lost the relationship.
BBBSNCA is a 501(c)(3) — donations are tax-deductible. Financial support funds the match support staff who monitor relationships, program coordinators who recruit and vet volunteers, and the specialized programs listed above. The organization has been consistently recognized as a high-performing mentoring organization. For large gifts or corporate partnerships, contact BBBSNCA directly at 202-783-5585.
BBBSNCA also participates in workplace giving campaigns and has been a beneficiary of regional round-up programs (Giant Foods ran one in 2024). Check if your employer has a matching gift program — corporate matches are a simple way to double a donation with no additional cost to you.
Last updated May 2026. Organization data from bbbsnca.org (About, Volunteer, Programs pages). EIN from GuideStar/Benevity. 1,200+ matches figure from Benevity Causes profile. Service area from bbbsnca.org/volunteer. Six times incarceration statistic from bbbsnca.org/programs (MCOP description). We are not affiliated with BBBSNCA and receive no compensation for this listing. To report an error: [email protected]