Friends of the Children

Powerful impact resulting from 12 year mentoring relationships

Friends of the Children creates generational change by engaging children who are at-risk through 12 consecutive years of professional mentoring. Each participant, or “Achiever,” is paired with a dedicated mentor who spends a minimum of 16 hours with them per month. Mentors design activities and meaningful experiences to build life skills and explore unique talents. They also visit each child’s home, school, neighborhood, and community to provide stability in often challenging environments.

As GreenLight’s first investment, GreenLight supported the scaling of Friends of the Children to Boston at a pivotal time. Boston was experiencing a rise in youth violence coupled with a lack of positive outlets and resources for youth. The community needed a bold approach to support our next generation.

Friends of the Children’s “first grade to graduation, no matter what” approach, honoring a 12-year commitment to each child, creates powerful impact for Achievers, their siblings, parents, and often, their school peers. In a 2015 randomized control trial, Achievers were more likely to perform better in school, use anger management skills, and feel a sense of belonging in their family than those not in the program.

By collaborating with public and private partners, Friends of the Children – Boston achieves its ultimate goal of each Achiever graduating from high school, thereby catalyzing generational change and breaking the cycle of adversity.