How
can we help you?
We support every aspect of design and
development in successful mentoring programs:
ARC can show you how to
make the most of traditional sources of volunteers and tap into special
populations (e.g., elders, couples, etc.). We can also help you increase the
number of youth you serve by showing you how to nurture partnerships with schools and other
organizations. We strongly encourage and support rigorous screening of volunteers
through interviews, background checks, and use of psychological profiles
where necessary.
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Youth benefit most from long-term matches and
may even be harmed by matches that end prematurely1. ARC provides
proven guidelines and protocols that can help you create the type of compatible
matches that are most likely to succeed. We also provide guidance for
the type of training that can prepare youth and adults to thrive together.
Our survey measures of match relationship
quality can help you ensure that matches receive appropriate supervision and
support. Hailed by Dr. David DuBois (co-editor, Handbook of Youth
Mentoring) as "a truly groundbreaking contribution to the field of youth
mentoring," these instruments help experienced staff test their impressions
of a match and uncover potential problems that may not be readily apparent.
They can also help structure and standardize supervision for less experienced
staff.
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Hiring and retaining capable staff is a major
challenge to any mentoring program. ARC understands how to identify and
attract strong candidates, how to make the most of administrative
volunteers, and how to structure an office to enhance efficiency. We can
provide tools and insight to help you mitigate staff turnover, keep
operating costs low, and boost morale. We can also develop match
tracking software to streamline and automate administrative tasks.
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To make quality mentoring
widely accessible, programs must create convenient and practical ways for youth and volunteers to
engage. ARC can help you engage youth and adults with alternatives such as
site-based programming when traditional community-based mentoring is not a viable
option. Pathways into manageable commitments such as these can engage
participants who might not otherwise get involved. We can also help
you assess your resources and design mentoring models to make the most of
them (e.g., high
school, couples, or elders mentoring).
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Mentoring programs can benefit immeasurably
from the goodwill of the community, and ARC can help you develop the
outreach to tap it. We can show you how to recruit local businesses to
help matches share fun and affordable
experiences. We can help you develop relationships with local media that not
only advertise your program but give potential business partners further reason to
become involved. And we can help you organize the type of special
events that will raise your program's public profile while offering matches a
structured way to get to know each other.
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Fundraising is both the bane and the lifeblood
of your mentoring program, a difficult and ongoing task that must be done well for
the program to thrive. ARC can help you do it more efficiently, allowing
you to reduce the burden on your staff and focus resources where they should
be--on the matches. We will help you conduct effective fundraising events,
attract individual donors, and apply for large and small grants. We
will help you finance and focus on making strong matches that last.
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