The 2025-2028 strategic plan for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County outlines our commitment to fostering positive mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
The development of this strategic plan was a collaborative and inclusive process. The Board of Directors established a strategic planning team and partnered with Spark Group Consulting, a firm with expertise in working with mentor agencies. This collaboration ensured that our planning process was grounded in best practices, included diverse perspectives, and served as a foundation for subsequent annual plans.
This plan focuses on enhancing communication, expanding programming, and improving recruitment and retention to ensure we are Defenders of Potential.
To create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Big Brothers Big Sisters empowers youth to realize their potential and build their biggest possible futures. We nurture youth and strengthen communities. Together, we defend potential.
All youth achieve their full potential.
Since 1944, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is incredible potential. As the nation’s largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through young adulthood in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.
By partnering with parents/guardians, volunteers, and others in the community, we are accountable for each child in our program achieving:
Changing Lives: We believe that we can change lives by changing perspectives. Our positive relationships and mentoring programs help youth see the possibilities in their futures and strive to achieve their dreams.
Our process began with a detailed internal and external situational analysis. This assessment helped us understand our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing a solid foundation for our strategic planning. Following this analysis, we held a planning retreat where we drafted our priorities, goals, and objectives.
To ensure that our strategic plan aligns with the needs and expectations of our Littles, we solicited their feedback. Their insights were invaluable in refining our goals and objectives and ensuring that our plan remains focused on empowering youth.
Our analysis assessments included the National Quality Mentoring System (NQMS), Principles & Practices for Nonprofit Excellence in Michigan, a Community Survey, and a Student Survey.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County developed this strategic plan to align with the 2023-2027 strategic plan of our national organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA).
The BBBSA Strategic Plan articulates its bold goal driving the 2023-2027 plan as follows: “to become the organization that empowers every young person on a path to graduate high school with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will last a lifetime.”
To achieve this goal, BBBSA’s plan focuses on four key pillars “to enable transformative change for each agency and our network as a whole.”
BBBSA Strategic Pillars: Focus Reach, Expand Relevance, Grow Revenue, Build Resources.
The three strategic priorities of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County plan fit within the BBBSA pillars.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County Stategic Priority
BBBSA PILLAR
Our strategic plan focuses on three main priorities: enhancing communication, expanding programming, and improving recruitment and retention.
Through these priorities, we aim to increase our outreach, provide more robust and inclusive programs, and build a stronger, more engaged community of Bigs and supporters.
COMMUNICATION
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will more effectively tell its story to the communities of Flint and Genesee County.
PROGRAMMING
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will innovate to offer the program opportunities necessary for addressing the needs of young people in our community.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will engage more people in and through its services.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Our strategic plan focuses on three main priorities: enhancing communication, expanding programming, and improving recruitment and retention.
Through these priorities, we aim to increase our outreach, provide more robust and inclusive programs, and build a stronger, more engaged community of Bigs and supporters.
COMMUNICATION
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will more effectively tell its story to the communities of Flint and Genesee County.
PROGRAMMING
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will innovate to offer the program opportunities necessary for addressing the needs of young people in our community.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will engage more people in and through its services.
COMMUNICATION
Big Brothers Big Sister of Flint and Genesee County will more effectively tell its story to the communities of Flint and Genesee County.
Why did you first get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County?
“I felt a connection to its mission. I strongly believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that every child has opportunities regardless of circumstance so they are able to reach their full potential.” – Survey Response
GOAL 1:
Increase outreach to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County’s target audience by creating and implementing an effective communication strategy.
INITIATIVES:
GOAL 2: Improve Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County’s brand awareness throughout the communities of Flint and Genesee County by creating and implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy.
INITIATIVES:
What would you like to see BBBS offer if there were additional resources available? Are there any services or programs currently not provided that you think should be offered?
“Speaking to high school students. I believe they are in the age where each decision they make, Good or Bad, is very impactful on their future.” – Survey Response
GOAL 1:
Expand Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County’s programmatic reach to ensure its services are available to the most vulnerable population(s), particularly young men and boys of color.
INITIATIVES:
GOAL 2:
Build up a more robust network of community partners, soliciting input from our youth in identifying these partners.
INITIATIVES:
PROGRAMMING
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will innovate to offer the program opportunities necessary for addressing the needs of young people in our community.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will engage more people in and through its services.
GOAL 1:
Increase the number of new volunteers recruited annually and retained as engaged volunteers through the creation and implementation of a robust recruitment plan.
INITIATIVES:
GOAL 2:
Attract and retain talented staff and board through the creation of an engagement and recognition program.
INITIATIVES:
What do you consider Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County’s greatest strengths / what do we do well?
“Memories and relationships that last forever.” – Survey Response
GOAL 3:
Strengthen engagement and commitment among individuals, organizations, and institutions to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County’s mission.
INITIATIVES:
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
To measure our progress and ensure accountability, we will track the following KPIs for each strategic goal:
Increase Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
Enhance Program Quality and Impact
Expand Community Partnerships and Funding
Improve Organizational Capacity and Infrastructure
ACTION PLANNING
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County developed specific objectives for each of our strategic goals for the first year. These objectives ensure that we make measurable progress toward our overarching goals for the 2025-2028 strategic plan.
We have identified actionable steps and key performance indicators for each goal to track our progress. This detailed approach allows us to focus our efforts and resources on activities that will have the most significant impact.
We will use this process to create detailed action plans for the subsequent years. By annually reviewing and updating our objectives, we can adapt to new challenges and opportunities while staying aligned with our long-term vision. This iterative process ensures that we remain agile and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.
SUSTAINABILITY & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our programs and services. We are dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation. By regularly assessing our strategies, incorporating feedback from stakeholders, and staying informed about best practices in the field, we will continually enhance our programs and adapt to the evolving needs of our communities. This commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement will enable us to create lasting, positive impacts for the youth and families we support.
RISK MANAGEMENT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County recognizes that effective planning is a generative process that will inevitably require course correction. We have established a comprehensive risk management strategy to ensure our strategic plan remains relevant and achievable.
The staff and board will regularly review progress towards our strategic goals throughout the planning period. These reviews will include:
By maintaining a flexible and adaptive approach to our strategic planning, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County will be better equipped to navigate uncertainties and achieve our long-term goals. This risk management strategy underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and our dedication to the communities we serve.