Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan
Final Grant Report for
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Tax ID Number:
23-7043163
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Kris
Hoxie
900 E Front St
Address:
2313130887
Phone Number:
Project Name:
Empowering Female Youth Through Mentorship
Project start and end dates:
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Monday, June 15, 2026
Amount Granted From Hestia:
$
3000
Project results and Impact
How many girls/women have been served by the project during this project year?
During the project year, a total of 39 girls and women were served through the mentoring program in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties. This includes 39 female youth matched one-to-one with 39 female mentors, representing about 65% of the total 60 mentoring matches supported during the grant period. These mentoring relationships provided consistent guidance, encouragement, and positive role modeling, helping girls build confidence, resilience, and a stronger sense of belonging within their communities.
Goal of the Project
Did you meet your program goals for the grant period?
If yes, how do you know? Please describe any program evaluation you use:
If no, please describe current barriers and how you are working to overcome them:
Yes, the project successfully met its goal of serving 60 youth in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties during the grant period, including 39 female youth, which aligned with our projected outcomes.
Program progress and outcomes were tracked through our Matchforce database, a national case management and evaluation system used by Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies. This system monitors enrollment, match activity, and ongoing engagement between mentors and mentees. In addition, Mentoring Specialists conducted regular check-ins with both Bigs and Littles to assess match quality, relationship strength, and youth development outcomes.
Through these evaluation methods, we confirmed that all 60 youth were successfully matched and actively engaged in mentoring relationships, achieving the intended reach and impact of the project.
Do you have a story of how your program positively changed participant's situation, behavior, or knowledge?
If so, please share it:
One powerful example of the program’s impact comes from an 8-year-old girl in our mentoring program who was matched with a caring Big Sister earlier this year. When she first enrolled, she shared that her biggest wish was to learn how to make friends. She often felt shy and unsure of how to start conversations or join in with other children at school.
Her Big Sister took time to listen, encourage, and gently guide her through real-life situations—practicing introductions, role-playing how to ask someone to play, and celebrating small successes along the way. They spent time together doing activities that built her confidence, such as visiting the park, baking, and attending community events where she could meet new people in a comfortable setting.
Over time, her teachers and family noticed a remarkable change. She began initiating conversations, joining group activities, and even inviting classmates to play. She now proudly shares that she has “lots of friends” and feels happy and confident at school.
This story reflects the heart of our mission—how one consistent, caring relationship can help a child build the social and emotional skills needed to thrive.
Sustainability
Will this project continue?
If so, how will it be funded?
If not, why not?
Yes, this project will absolutely continue. Mentoring is a core, ongoing initiative of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and sustaining and expanding this work remains a top organizational priority.
We are continually seeking to diversify funding sources, strengthen community relationships, and grow program capacity to ensure long-term impact. In 2025, we served 520 children—the most in our agency’s history and the highest number of any Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in Michigan, nearly double that of the state’s largest urban agency in Detroit/Ann Arbor.
Looking ahead, we are on track to serve 600 children in 2026, reflecting both the growing need and the community’s strong support for mentoring. To further strengthen our reach in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties, we are establishing a localized Advisory Board and plan to hire an Executive Director dedicated to those counties.
These strategic steps will help ensure that the program continues to thrive, expand, and provide life-changing mentoring relationships for children across northwestern Michigan for years to come.
Public Relations
How did you publicize this grant?
Please list any examples.
The grant was recognized and publicized through several targeted communication efforts to ensure visibility among key stakeholders and the broader community. We announced the grant to our Board of Directors and Major Gift donors, highlighting its importance in supporting youth mentoring in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties. A media release was distributed to local outlets to share the news publicly and celebrate the community impact made possible through this funding.
Additionally, the announcement was featured across our social media platforms and included in an e-blast to our constituents, reaching volunteers, donors, and community partners. These combined efforts helped express our gratitude, strengthen community awareness, and demonstrate the ongoing value of the grant in advancing our mission.
Summary Comments
We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Hestia Women’s Giving Circle for you generous support in 2025. Your investment was instrumental in helping us meet our project goals, particularly in empowering female youth and volunteers through meaningful mentoring relationships. With Hestia’s partnership, we proudly served the most children in our agency’s history, creating lasting impact and brighter futures across Charlevoix and Emmet Counties.
Grant Final Budget Form
REVENUES
Proposed Revenue
Revenue Item
Grants
$
$
$
$
$
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
TOTAL REVENUES
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Actual
Revenue
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
EXPENSES
Expense Item
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
TOTAL EXPENSES
Proposed Expense
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Actual Expense
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$