Our Strategic Plan: A Journey in Motion
In 2023, after engaging more than 700 youth, families, volunteers, community partners, staff, and board members, we launched a bold three-year journey to transform mentorship in the Twin Cities.
Grounded in community voice and guided by our values, our 2023–2026 Strategic Plan set out to expand access to diverse mentors, meaningful experiences, and opportunities that help young people realize their full potential.
Today, that journey is well underway.
What began as a moment of reflection and vision has evolved into action, learning, and measurable progress. As we move through our final year, we remain focused on strengthening what works, deepening our impact, and continuing to reimagine mentorship with and for our community.
Year 2 Update: From Plan to Action
Year 2 marked our shift from planning to action.
Over the past year, we made meaningful progress in strengthening mentoring relationships, expanding opportunities for young people, and improving how we support volunteers and families.
We focused on what matters most: building stronger, longer-lasting matches and increasing a sense of belonging for youth. We expanded opportunities for older youth through Big Futures and group-based programs, enhanced how we recruit and prepare volunteers to better align with the needs of youth waiting for mentors, and established clearer expectations so participants begin their mentoring journey with confidence.
We also made key investments in our systems—especially our Salesforce platform—to better track outcomes, improve efficiency, and use data to guide decision-making. Alongside this, we defined a clearer framework for how our work leads to impact, grounded in research and strengthened through our partnership with Search Institute.
This year pushed us to learn, adapt, and stay focused. It sharpened our approach and deepened our commitment to delivering high-quality relationships and consistent support for young people.
Year 3 Focus: Strengthening What Works
As we enter the final year of our strategic plan, our focus is clear: do what works—consistently and well.
We are prioritizing strong, lasting matches by continuing to enhance match support, coaching, and retention. We are expanding pathways for youth through Big Futures, group mentoring, and experiential opportunities that help young people explore their interests and build confidence in their futures.
At the same time, we are strengthening how we work—reinforcing shared expectations across staff, volunteers, and board members, and continuing to invest in systems that help us measure impact, learn from our data, and improve over time.
This year is about clarity, consistency, and impact—ensuring more young people experience the benefits of strong, supportive mentoring relationships.
We are proud of the progress we’ve made and deeply grateful to the youth, families, volunteers, partners, and supporters who make this work possible. As we complete this plan, we remain committed to listening, learning, and growing—so we can continue to meet the needs of our community and expand what’s possible for young people across the Twin Cities.
