Big Brothers Big Sisters has been collecting data for 120 years. When an economist finally studied it, the case for support changed completely: young people who were mentored are 20% more likely to attend college and earn 15% more.
Ginneh Baugh, Chief Impact Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, has spent two decades helping nonprofit leaders measure what actually matters. Her system is three steps — know your data, show it as a story, grow the movement around it. 🩵
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Know: Why you don't need 25 data points — you need two you know inside and out
- Show: How to turn a stat into something a human can feel (1 in 3 kids lacks a mentor → in a classroom of 30, only 10 have someone in their corner)
- Grow: What happens when you take that story to funders, volunteers, and businesses — and why 85% of young adults are asking for a mentor
You'll walk away with a repeatable way to measure what matters, no matter the size of your team. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
- (3:12) Ginneh's origin story: teachers, mentors, and one very clarifying IRS internship
- (5:52) The path to Big Brothers Big Sisters and a network hungry for data
- (7:56) Data maven meets storyteller: why the pairing cuts through
- (9:26) Step 1 — Know: two stats, inside and out
- (13:04) Step 2 — Show: falling in love with your data by getting curious first
- (16:12) The career confidence crisis and the rise of young adult mentoring
- (20:41) Step 3 — Grow: why the future of work won't be automated, it will be mentored
- (23:34) What happens when an economist studies your impact data
- (25:18) A playground in Nashville and a gift from MacKenzie Scott
- (28:44) One good thing: make it sweet
Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/732
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