Learn about four nonprofits connecting people with mentorship opportunities

January is National Mentoring Month, a time when Americans unite to ignite passions and help turn dreams into reality.
Mentorship opportunities make a difference for young people:
- Youth with a mentor are shown to be 92% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
- 74% of those who had a meaningful mentor say that person contributed significantly to their success later in life.
- 85% of young people with a mentor say their mentor helped them overcome obstacles related to their education.
- 60% of those under 40 still draw advice from their childhood mentors.
Give Lively member and National Mentoring Month organizer MENTOR has seen first-hand how supportive relationships for young people can change a young person’s life. It advocates for mentoring as a legislative priority and raising awareness about mentorship.
The nonprofits

MENTOR
This nonprofit believes that potential is equally distributed; opportunity is not. MENTOR was created more than 30 years ago to expand opportunity for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement, and serving as the expert and go-to resource on quality mentoring. The result is a more than ten-fold increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships, from hundreds of thousands to millions.
MENTOR uses a Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget to collect donations on its website and set up a dedicated Campaign Page for Giving Tuesday 2024.

PENCIL
This nonprofit was founded in 1995 with the goal of connecting students to success by raising awareness about public education and inviting civic and business leaders into New York City public schools. PENCIL makes it easy for business professionals, educators and students to work together – in schools and the workplace. Its programs, including in-school partnerships, mentoring, internships and immersive experiences like Principal For A Day, create targeted opportunities to make a real difference in the classroom and beyond.
PENCIL uses a Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget to collect donations on its website.

Girls Who Invest
This nonprofit is dedicated to transforming the investment management industry by attracting and advancing women investors, change-makers and leaders. Girls Who Invest (GWI) believes a lack of diversity on investment teams has challenged the investment management industry. For decades now, roles have been filled from one small corner of the talent pool. The industry is missing out on women's and gender nonbinary people’s intelligence, creativity and values when it comes to managing money. GWI’s goal is to ensure that 30% of the world’s investable capital is managed by women and gender nonbinary individuals by 2030. Since 2016, more than 2,500 students from U.S. colleges and universities have participated in GWI’s Summer Intensive Program and Online Intensive Program.
Girls Who Invest uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget to collect donations on its website.

“I Have a Dream” Foundation Boulder Country
This organization’s mission is to partner with youth and their families as they successfully navigate school, college and career. It aims to provide a holistic academic, social and emotional program from elementary school through college, along with postsecondary scholarship assistance. Since 1990, “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County’s (IHDF) has served more than 1,000 local youths. The model, with its one-on-one attention and daily programming, has proven to narrow the opportunity gap. Dreamer Scholars graduate from high school, enroll in and complete post-secondary programming at much higher rates than their low-income peers. IHDF’s unique, long-term achievement program follows the national “I Have A Dream” model initiated by philanthropist Eugene Lang in New York City in 1981.
“I Have A Dream” Foundation Boulder County uses a Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget to collect donations on its website.
More nonprofits
Learn about six nonprofits working to ensure economic growth and productive employment.