Dear Jennifer and Chuck,
Thank you for your willingness to learn more about this bold vision and the life-changing work that lies ahead. There is simply too much at stake for the kids in our community who are looking to BBBS for help for us to take our eye off how we can be there for them moving forward.
Our goal in the next few minutes is to clarify for you what Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is trying to accomplish through the Drive for 5 Campaign. You’ll see how, together, we can help change the future for kids in our communities by empowering them to realize their full potential.
David shared with me that you are focusing your philanthropy on supporting communities of color and, while BBBSChi is not the only organization driving change, our proven model and strategic focus on serving the highest need neighborhoods in the Greater Chicago area are absolutely a part of the solution to transforming those communities. I hope that, after you learn more about our work and vision, you will agree.
In the meantime, please know how much your time and consideration is appreciated.
Warmly,
Jeremy
Having to choose which kid deserves our help…that doesn’t need to be an option
There are literally thousands of kids in our communities waiting for the life-changing opportunity that having a Big Brother or Big Sister offers. Every day, children experience too many negative influences and roadblocks to reaching their potential. That’s where you and the Drive for 5 (D45) come in to play. The goal of the D45 is to take the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ proven one-to-one mentoring model to scale and move from serving 1,700 kids to 5,000 annually.
|
![]() |
first…watch the mission in action
The Road Ahead: How We Get To The $8.975M Goal
Making Matches
Enhancing Experiences
Transforming Communities
Making Matches
Making and sustaining one-to-one mentoring relationships is at the core of D45
• Invest in talented people who recruit, screen, train and match volunteers with children on the waitlist
• Provide ongoing match support and guidance to sustain life-changing relationships
• Invest in the latest technology to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in match making and match support
Enhancing Experiences
BBBS enriches each match through unique opportunities
• Invest in future-focused opportunities for Littles: reading and writing workshops, coding classes, campus visits and scholarships
• Invest in keeping matches together by providing shared experiences such as tickets to arts, cultural, and sporting events
transforming communities
Gain presence, relevance and trust in underserved neighborhoods and communities
• Establish six strategically located regional offices
• Employ individuals from targeted neighborhoods who are representative of the families we serve
• Build awareness and engagement through strategic community partnerships and outreach
Regional Growth Strategy
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago (BBBSChi) will advance a three-year plan focused on each of the identified regional service areas. This area-specific growth strategy is designed to provide 500 kids with a 1:1 mentoring relationship, addressing a set of risk factors that repeat across communities which make youth in these areas more vulnerable to victimization and perpetration.
Establishing a regional community office and a commitment to hiring locally will allow for greater collaboration with other organizations which, in turn, will increase overall impact and volunteer recruitment, build community relationships and establish meaningful referral networks.
Littles' Lives Are Changed
graduated high school
avoided arrest or incarceration
maintained or improved family/parental connectedness
Campaign Giving Chart
The following funding matrix represents the breakdown of gifts that will be needed to reach $8.975 million Campaign goal.
This goal represents gifts above and beyond annual
contributions and will likely be reached with pledges made
over a two to three-year time frame.
Jennifer and Chuck,
As you can see, the Drive for 5 is an investment in what’s needed to make meaningful and lasting change for children across Chicagoland. It allows us to create and support life-changing mentoring relationships so that we don’t have to tell kids or parents that “we can’t be there for you” when they need us. Together we can bring the power of one-to-one mentoring to more kids and families, defending each child’s potential along the way.
Thanks again for taking the time to look into the Drive for 5 (and the additional materials David sent you) and for considering how you can help make this vision a reality for kids in your community. I hope you are inspired by what you see and that you will ultimately be motivated to embrace this opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of kids. If you are open to it, I would welcome a chance for us all to connect and to answering any questions you might have.
Take good care and Bigger Together,
Jeremy Foster
Chief Executive Officer
312.207.5610 or foster@bbbschgo.org
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
MAKING MATCHES: $5,975,000
ENHANCING EXPERIENCES: $500,000
TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES: $2,500,000
Annual Fund provides "money to live on"
D45 Campaign provides "money to grow with"
The Annual Fund is integral to the operating budget. The Annual Fund and other event-related income are immediately put to our most pressing needs and operational costs. The Annual Fund represents an ongoing, continuing effort.
The D45 Campaign is an intensive, multi-year fundraising effort to secure gifts and pledges that will provide the resources needed to grow mission impact. The Campaign has a defined lifespan with a beginning and an end.