iMentor Blog

This week, we launched our annual Online Donor Drive—a “friendraising campaign” that raises awareness and funds to further iMentor’s mission. Each year, a dedicated group of mentors and supporters makes individual fundraising pages on Crowdrise and asks friends, family, and coworkers to give to this cause that means so much to them.

Our mentors are iMentor’s greatest champions, and the Donor Drive offers them an easy, fun, and competitive way to go beyond mentoring in their support. All you have to do is read the stories on their fundraising pages to see what motivates them—and their networks—to get involved.

Kate Pugh, a mentor to a high school senior, wrote on her page, “iMentor is a phenomenal program and I've seen firsthand the impact that it has on its students. The growth of iMentor is a powerful movement that is having a tremendously positive effect on our community. As such, I have sought to become involved beyond my role as a mentor.”

And Jay Cofresi, a long-time mentor who is mentoring his second student through the program, found a way to motivate his friends and family to support iMentor on his page: “I know there is never a good time to ask for money but please consider donating to iMentor. Come on...skip one meal out or a few drinks after work. That money could really make a difference for the students who participate in this great program.”

Our mentors are already having a lasting impact on the life of one student in one of New York’s low-income communities by helping them graduate high school college-ready and succeed in college. By participating in the Donor Drive, mentors are able to expand their impact to help thousands more. Funds raised through the Donor Drive—whether $10 or $1,000—will help support the more than 1,800 students iMentor will serve this year.

The Online Donor Drive really makes a difference. Last year, our Donor Drive team broke our online fundraising record and brought in more than $86,000 for iMentor’s programs. This year we aim to shatter that record, and with your help, raise over $125,000 to support mentor-mentee pairs in New York City.

You can join the team that is helping high school students in New York City build a bright future by making a page or donating to one today!

Anyone who has been through the college application process knows how daunting it can be to write college essays, fill out financial aid forms, and make the decisions that can impact the rest of their academic career. iMentor wants to make sure our mentees don’t have to make these important decisions alone. That is why we host the juniors in our New York City program at special events to work one-on-one with their mentors to plan their application process. And this year, Groupon has decided to help.

Today, we announced with G-Team, the philanthropic arm of Groupon, a campaign to raise funds to host iMentor’s Kickoff to College events for juniors. Today through Thursday, September 29, Groupon subscibers and iMentor supporters can contribute to our Kickoff to College events in increments of $10. If just 60 donors give $10 each, iMentor will be able to host 100 students and their mentors for an evening of college planning. At these events, our dedicated mentors will work with students to research colleges, explore scholarship opportunities, and plan financial aid. Additional donations will allow iMentor to support more students, ensuring that our mentees have the tools they need to make informed decisions about college.

The Kickoff to College events are just one aspect of our robust mentoring program, which is serving 2,400 New York City high school students this fall. Visit our Groupon campaign page and help us spread the word!

Continuous improvement is a big part of the iMentor culture, so it should come as no surprise that we seek out and promote professional development opportunities for our entire staff.  In addition to the professional development budget that each staff member can access to pursue his or her individual career goals, the Talent Team works hard to bring in expert speakers, facilitate workshops and hunt for learning opportunities that will give us the tools we need to become even better at what we do.  2011 is already off to a great start!

In January, the Talent team brought in consultant Laurie Krauss to lead a session on public speaking skills for the entire staff, as well as workshops for smaller groups of staff.  Engaging a room filled with mentors and mentees isn’t always easy, so Laurie’s advice was welcome!  Later in the month, Talent Manager, Dava Antoniotti, led a training session for the NYC program staff on supporting mentors, mentees, teachers and other stakeholders by listening attentively and working together to find solutions, just in time for 1,700 mid-year mentor check-ins. 

This month, we’re preparing to roll out a series of online Excel tutorials thanks to Jennifer Portland of Excel Rain Man, a niche consulting company that is devoted to helping folks maximize Microsoft Excel and use it to organize their lives and business needs.  Jennifer is ready to be matched with her first mentee through iMentor, and she has generously donated access to the tutorials to our entire staff.  This is a great opportunity for iMentor staff to fine tune their skills in a convenient, accessible format. Thanks Jen!

Also in February, Esther Widlanski, Paul Nehring and Amy Reynolds are looking forward to attending the two-day Undoing Racism workshop, anti-racism  training for human service practitioners and educators, to learn more about the causes of systemic racism and how they can become more effective relationship facilitators and organizers for social justice.  We can’t wait for them to share their experiences with the rest of the staff.

If you have expertise in a subject that would help us to be even more effective in our work, please let us know.  If you’re passionate about youth mentoring and you’d like to join a team that is committed to growth, learning and professional development, please check out our open positions.

On August 12th, The Economist published a feature of the Obama administration's new Social Innovation Fund (SIF). The article places this initiative in the context of the administration's larger agenda, gives a background of social innovation and social entrepreneurship and looks at how similar measures have played out in the UK. 

As one of the first pre-selected subgrantees of the Social Innovation Fund, iMentor is incredibly excited to see others begin to recognize the power and the promise of SIF. 

Read the full article in The Economist

Read iMentor's Press Release regarding the Social Innovation Fund

Read FAQ about iMentor and the Social Innovation Fund