Big Sisters Annual Report 2024: Igniting Potential, Inspiring Change
Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland’s 2024 Annual Report highlights a year of transformative impact, community engagement, and future focused growth. Through the lens of Big Sisters mission to ignite, inspire, and unleash the potential of youth, the report showcases how Big Sisters has been working to empower girls and gender-diverse youth to reach their full potential.
IGNITE – Building a foundation for the future
Big Sisters strives to enable life-changing mentoring relationships that help youth realize their power and potential. In the first section of our Annual Report we share highlights from the year messages from Big Sisters 2024 Board Chair Carol Robinson and CEO Chantelle Krish Here and key figures from the last twelve months, including the following:
- Youth Matched: 494*
- Volunteers Engaged: 315, contributing over 36,000 hours
- Bright Futures Education Fund (BFEF) recipients: 7 new recipients with 43 youth now supported through this program since its inception.
INSPIRE – Empowering youth through Mentorship
Big Sisters delivers transformative programs that foster confidence, academic success, and inspire positive outcomes. Mentorship has the power to transform lives, offering youth the support and guidance they need to overcome barriers and reach their full potential. At Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, we offer both 1:1 mentorship and group mentorship programs.
1:1 Mentorship: The Big Sisters and Study Buddy programs directly supported 276 youth across the Lower Mainland over the last year.
- Big Sisters: 140 youth served
- Study Buddy: 136 youth served
In this section of the report we also share the stories of Jacqueline, Aria, and Ayva. These three Little Sisters were supported through Big Sisters Study Buddy program.
Group Mentorship: Until this year, Go Girls! Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds has been our sole group mentorship program, promoting friendship, active-living and a healthy lifestyle in schools across the region. Here are Go Girls! figures for the last 12 months
- Go Girls! Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: 210 youth served through 21 school programs
This year, we expanded our group mentorship offering by launching My Voice, My Power! to help tackle key issues like online safety and boundary setting. Find out more.
UNLEASH – Community Support and Financial Stewardship
Big Sisters continues to ensure that every contribution directly supports its mission. Here’s how donations made a difference:
- Building Connections: 40% of funds supported the mentor-mentee matching process.
- Mentor Support: 25% funded mentor training and resources.
- Community Engagement: 13% was dedicated to mobilizing volunteers and supporters.
- Operational Sustainability: The remaining funds kept the organization running efficiently.
Event Highlights and Donor Contributions
Signature events like the Soirée presented by Scotiabank and partner event GrapeJuice raised vital funds for our community and brought key figures together in support of Big Sisters. Partnerships with organizations like Scotiabank and third-party fundraisers like Move and Mingle further supported Big Sisters ability to grow.
Looking Ahead
Big Sisters is committed to creating a more inclusive, supportive community for girls and gender-diverse youth. With your continued support—whether as a mentor, donor, or partner—the organization can continue to transform lives and foster a brighter future.
Read our full Annual Report to learn more about our impact and how you can support our efforts. Every contribution, big or small, makes a lasting impact.
Together, we can ignite the power and potential of every young person.
*Includes 3 youth re-matched in our mentorship programs