Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh mission is to create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
- Income
- $2.8 million
- Spending
- $2.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 4.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 56%
- Employees
- 49
- Volunteers
- 900
- Highest pay
- $153,740, coo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.9 million spent. Our agencys primary programs include Community-Based, Site-Based, and Group Mentoring. In all of our programs we maintain a commitment to program quality. Each match is supported by a staff member helping matches to set and maintain goals as well as track outcomes and provide encouragement and general support when necessary. A. The Community-Based Program is the traditional mentoring model, in which bigs and littles meet for at least four hours each month in community settings. These one-to-one matches often visit restaurants and attend sporting events together and spend time at local libraries, parks, zoos, museums, and other recreational locations.B. The Site-Based Program includes programs that thake place in the schools or in workplaces. School-Based Programs generally occur at the Little's school during lunch time or after school. Bigs and Littles in School-Based Programs engage in structured activities together for one hour at a specified time and place throughout the school year. During the summer, our agency organized events and presents other opportunities for these matches to stay connected. Workplace mentoring is a program where secondary students travel to a specific corporate environment to meet with mentors bi-weekly for traditional mentoring as well as awareness of opportunities in an active work environment. The program is designed to give exposure to the workplace and provide opportunities for career and educational goal setting. In our high school prgram, the mentees and mentors continue to work together, in person and online, through high school graduation. After graduation mentees and mentors have the opportunity to continue receiving professional support through our post-secondary program (PSP). In the PSP, staff and mentors assist mentees as they pursue education in college/university or trade school, enlistment in the military and/or living wage employment.C. The Group Mentoring Program is led by BBBS staff in a school based setting. In this program groups of students will meet during the school day to receive mentoring and ongoing support from a trained BBBS staff mentor. In addition to leading group mentoring sessions staff will also engage in one-to-one mentoring with additional students in the program. B. THE SITE-BASED PROGRAM INCLUDES PROGRAMS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE SCHOOLS OR IN WORKPLACES. SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS GENERALLY OCCUR AT THE LITTLES SCHOOL DURING LUNCH TIME OR AFTER SCHOOL. BIGS AND LITTLES IN SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS ENGAGE IN STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES TOGETHER FOR ONE HOUR AT A SPECIFIED TIME AND PLACE EACH WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. DURING THE SUMMER, OUR AGENCY ORGANIZES EVENTS AND PRESENTS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE MATCHES TO STAY CONNECTED. WORKPLACE MENTORING IS A PROGRAM WHERE SECONDARY STUDENTS TRAVEL TO A SPECIFIC COPORATE ENVIRONMENT TO MEET WITH MENTORS BI-WEEKLY FOR TRADITIONAL MENTORING AS WELL AS AWARENESS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ACTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO GIVE EXPOSURE TO THE WORKPLACE AND PROVIDE OPPROTUNITIES FOR CAREER AND EDUCATIONAL GOAL SETTING.C. BIG FUTURES STUDENTS ARE INTENTIONALLY PAIRED IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS WITH VOLUNTEERS. THE PARTNERING SCHOOL ALLOCATES ONE CLASS PERIOD PER WEEK FOR MENTEES TO LEARN AND ENGAGE WITH THE RESEARCH-BASED PROGRAM CURRICULUM. THE SESSION IS FACILITATED BY A STAFF MEMBER. WITH THE HELP OF CURRICULUM-BASED WRITING PROMPTS, THE MENTEES AND MENTORS COMMUNICATE ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THESE EXCHANGES OCCUR OVER THE SECURE IMENTOR INTERACTIVE ONLINE PLATFORM. ONCE PER MONTH, THE MENTEES AND MENTORS MEET AT THE SCHOOL FOR AN IN-PERSON "PAIR-EVENT" FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PAIRS TO INTERACT, DEVELOP THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, AND APPLY THE CURRICULUM TO REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS. THE MENTEES AND MENTORS CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, IN-PERSON AND ONLINE, THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. After graduation mentees and mentors have the opportunity to continue receiving professional support through our Post-Secondary Program (PS). In the PSP program, staff and mentors assist mentees as they pursue education in college/university or trade school, enlistment in the military and/or living wage employment.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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