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The 2024 Bigs and Littles of the Year
Applications are NOW OPEN UNTIL JANUARY 12TH
Is there a Big and Little at your agency that has a standout story? Now is the time to let us know as we search for the 2024 Bigs and Littles of the Year! The selected Bigs and Littles of the Year will be introduced at the 2024 National Conference this summer in Dallas, Tx! We are looking forward to reading all of these amazing stories your agencies will submit. Packets are due on Friday, January 12th. You can view the packet on our BBBS Connect page! Questions? Contact [email protected].
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BBBS Capitol Hill Day 2024
We are excited to announce that BBBSA will host Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C., on February 28th, 2024, designed in partnership with the NLC Advocacy Committee. As our first policy conference, this will allow our external stakeholders to learn more about our organization’s federal policy priorities, strengthen relationships with members of Congress, and build the advocacy capacity of our network. To learn more about Capitol Hill Day, including how to get involved and register to attend the conference, visit the BBBS Action Center or BBBS Connect Advocacy page.
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Kick Off the Holiday Season with Nordstrom Rack
The start of November means the holiday season is officially upon us, and this year's annual holiday campaign with Nordstrom Rack kicked off a month earlier. Now through the end of the year, shoppers in-store and online can donate to BBBS, and proceeds raised will benefit agencies aligned with Nordstrom Rack stores across the country. Assets are available in Brandfolder, and we encourage you to promote the campaign across your social media channels. To make the campaign an even bigger success, you can stop by your local Rack stores, thank them for the partnership, and offer to meet with the store teams to share more about the BBBS mission. Locate your closest store and store manager.
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VoX Webinar: Building an Experience-Centric Culture
Join us on November 16th for the 2nd webinar in the VoX series, focusing on examining the concept of fostering an experience-centric culture throughout BBBS. We will dig into the nuances of how this organizational cultural transformation can profoundly influence the overarching Big Brothers Big Sisters brand and hear from an agency that is investing in this transformation. We'll also explore actionable strategies and insights aimed at initiating this transformative journey to enhance our ability to deliver exceptional experiences to our volunteers as customers.
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New Toolkit Available for Native American Heritage Month
As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November, let's honor and acknowledge the Indigenous peoples on whose ancestral lands we live, work, and thrive. By exploring our new toolkit, you'll discover that acknowledging the land is a transformative act that works to undo the intentional erasure of Indigenous Peoples. It is the first step in decolonizing land relations and an active step towards practicing awareness, justice, and allyship. Together, let's foster respect, understanding, and gratitude in preserving the diverse traditions and histories of our nation's original stewards.
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Discover the J.E.D.I. Way During Native American Heritage Month
Discover the J.E.D.I. way today and learn about important topics related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Content is curated into three formats so you can watch, read, and listen - whatever suits your learning style best. This month, we're focused on Native American Heritage Month!
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Now Available: Comprehensive Planned Giving Webinar Recording
Watch as Arnaud Buttin, Senior Director of Advancement for the University of Missouri, shares 25 years of higher-ed fundraising and legacy gift experience to the BBBS network in this recorded comprehensive Planned Giving webinar. Arnaud's expertise gives an overview of current philanthropic trends, strategies, Planned Giving vehicles, and key talking points to help you engage Planned Giving prospects within your donor base. A BIG thanks goes to Denise Barkhurst, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, for bringing Arnaud's expertise to the BBBS Network.
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Get Ready for National Mentoring Month
January is National Mentoring Month! We’re excited to share the National Mentoring Month toolkit and invite you to join us for a webinar on November 15th at 1 PM EST to learn more about the activation tools and assets created to make this month a BIG success in your local area!
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T-Mobile Project 10Million Hot Spot Activation
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has a renewed partnership with T-Mobile for their "Project 10Million" campaign to offer a FREE 4G LTE hotspot and 100GB data annually for five years to eligible families. Join us in the month of November to activate with your local agency! From November 1st to November 30th, the agency to sign the most Littles up for T-Mobile hot spots AND record in Matchforce will win an unrestricted T-Mobile grant for $5,000!
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Recognizing the 2023 Macy’s x Big Brothers Big Sisters Partnership in Your Community
Macy’s and BBBS recently launched our annual point-of-sale campaign running in-store and online this holiday season (November 1 - December 24) via our Nationwide Press Release! Share this exciting news in your communities by accessing the customizable Press Release template in Brandfolder, which includes guidance on how you can share the good news. Click learn more to visit Macy's BBBS Connect page for all the latest resources to execute the campaign in your community! Questions? Contact: [email protected].
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Merrell x BBBS Kids Shoe Design Contest: Submissions DUE TOMORROW, November 3rd!
We are still looking for our next designer for a shoe collaboration with our friends at Merrell and THERE'S ONLY ONE DAY LEFT. The winner will have their shoe produced in Merrell's Fall '24 line of products and will receive a scholarship of up to $3,000 towards furthering their education. The agency where the winner is from will also receive a $5,000 stipend!
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2023 Macy’s Best Mentor Initiative: Nominate a BBBS Colleague Today!
Celebrate workplace mentorship with Macy’s and Big Brothers Big Sisters by nominating a BBBS staff member who has made a meaningful impact through mentoring in the workplace. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 conference scholarship, free registration for the 2024 National Conference, and more! Nominations are due by November 10th.
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2023 EXPRESS + BBBS "Holiday Celebration of Confidence"
Shopping Event - Applications Due November 3rd
Nominations are open for the 2023 EXPRESS + BBBS "Holiday Celebration of Confidence" Shopping Event until tomorrow, November 3rd! Complete your nomination HERE.
All nominations must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST.
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Introducing the "Building Relationships Through Sports"
Network Webinar
Join us on Tuesday, November 7th, at 3 PM EDT for a webinar designed to help BBBS agency staff learn how to integrate a series of mobile-friendly resources into their mentoring program including sports-based discussion guides, video training, and match activities.
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Advocacy 101 Training
Join our Government Relations team for an Advocacy 101 webinar, to learn the importance of BBBS engagement in advocacy, how our team supports the network, and how agencies can effectively participate in federal advocacy to benefit the youth we serve.
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2024 BBBSA National Conference Call for Presentations is Now Open
We are excited to announce that the National Conference planning team is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2024 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Conference in Dallas, Texas on June 10th – 13th, 2024!
The deadline to submit a workshop proposal is January 19th, 2024.
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NLC Committee Recruitment
The Organizational Excellence, Partnership Development, and Engagement & Governance committees currently have vacancies and are welcoming applications. Click for more information about each opportunity and how to apply!
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EOY Postcard & Holiday Card Assets Now Available
End-of-year postcard and holiday card assets are now available in the "2023 Print Assets" section within the Giving Season Brandfolder! Click below to explore!
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Share Your Match Stories! | |
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A Bond That Keeps Growing Stronger
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we would like to highlight one of our Native American match stories. In February of 2018, Purple Haze Iron Eyes was matched with her Big Elizabeth “Liz” Lightner. Fast forward two years later, the dynamic duo won Match of the Year in 2020. Due to COVID-19 precautions, BBBS of Wyoming was unable to host a celebration party for them. However, their match is still going strong and they continue to make new memories together!
Growing up, Liz’s family relocated often and she attended 16 schools before entering high school. When Liz was in first grade, she lived in Pittsburgh, PA. This was when she was introduced to BBBS and enrolled as a Little. She was eventually matched with a Big and this experience had a lasting impact on Liz. A true humanitarian, Liz cares deeply for both children and seniors. She was a Peace Corps volunteer and hospice volunteer, and she founded Dementia Friendly Lander.
Beyond her weekly meetings with Purple, Liz is a true advocate for BBBS. She assists with BBBS community fundraisers, helps spread the word through newspaper interviews, and has helped direct the program to grant funding opportunities. “I think Big Brothers Big Sisters is the start of something ‘Bigger’ for our community, especially for the surrounding Wind River Reservation, where many children are being raised by their aunts, uncles, and grandparents,” stated Liz.
Purple Haze lives with her grandparents Veronica and Dominic Addison. Her grandparents have custody of Purple and her five siblings. Purple’s grandmother wanted Purple to have a Big Sister to help her gain self-confidence and learn about the world outside of her life on the Wind River Reservation. Purple’s grandmother feels BBBS is a great way for her grandchildren to have positive mentors in their lives.
Purple is a part of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Her family moves around pretty frequently so having a Big helps Purple have a level of consistency and stability that she may not otherwise have at home. Her mother is out of the picture and her father passed away a few years ago in a car accident at age 27. When BBBS first met Purple, she was shy and just starting to express herself. Her grandmother wanted her to become more independent and confident. Fast forward five years later, Purple loves trying new things and just playing outside with other kids. She now loves other children and interacts very well with them.
Liz and Purple have been matched for over five years and have developed a strong bond. Although it took time, Purple knows she can trust Liz. Liz told the match support specialist: “Purple can talk to me when she chooses to talk. I ask about school, and how her sisters are doing, but then leave it at that. I don't ask a lot of questions about her younger years. I let her talk about what's going on, or what's happened in the past, if and when she wants to.”
Have a match story you want to share? Email [email protected] to show how Bigs and Littles are creating lasting memories in your community!
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National Job Opportunities | | |
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Join Our Team!
The following job opportunities are available at the National Office:
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Network News Whenever You Need It!
Locate previously shared announcements and useful information without digging through your inbox. Prior issues of the newsletter are now available on BBBS Connect.
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© 2023 Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
2502 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 100, Tampa, FL 33607
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