Quality Based Membership

Mass Mentoring Partnership’s Quality Based Membership program, formally launched in 2009, was created to promote high-quality best practices among youth mentoring programs.  As of March 2010, there are more than 100 member programs at the Affiliate, Associate Partner or Partner member levels.

Our goal in 2010 is to continue to reach out to Massachusetts programs to become members, and longer-term, have every program we interact with become a member of MMP -- with all of our services and resources targeted to those programs.

What is Quality Based Membership?

Quality Based Membership (QBM) with MMP is a free, nationally studied process for Massachusetts youth mentoring programs to acknowledge and receive recognition for what they are doing well.

Membership:

  • Provides a meaningful “indicator of quality” for youth mentoring programs
  • Benchmarks program practices against national standards of excellence
  • Demonstrates program commitment to excellence to potential mentors, funders, parents, and community partners

Created in part because programs and funders requested an objective way to assess program quality, QBM also helps youth mentoring programs identify practice areas that could be more effective. MMP provides support throughout the process to help programs achieve the highest partner level.

Benefits of Membership

Benefits vary depending on the level of membership, and may include eligibility for MMP mini-grants, mentor referrals, discounts on registration for MMP trainings and workshops, priority for in-kind donations of admissions, tickets and match activities, a listing in MMP’s online program directory, and access to an exclusive section of the web site.

As of January 2010, some benefits previously available to most programs in our data base shifted exclusively to programs in membership, including the basic Affiliate Member level. Benefit changes for programs include:

  • Mentor referrals – Programs must be at least an Affiliate Member in order to participate in mentor recruitment campaigns and receive mentor referrals
  • Match activities – Programs must be at least an Affiliate Member in order to receive match activity tickets (such as for Mentoring Night at Fenway, Patriots “Match of the Game,” Celtics games, etc.) and special opportunities connected to match activity events.  Associate Partners or Partner Members may receive priority in some instances.
  • AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring – Programs must be at least an Affiliate Member in order to be awarded a placement of an Ambassador of Mentoring.

MMP is excited to promote high-quality standards in Quality Based Membership and identify even more resources available to programs in membership.

Levels of Membership

Mentoring programs can pursue three different levels of Quality Based Membership:

  • Partner: Partner members are formal youth mentoring programs and organizations that have completed a program self-assessment to benchmark their program practices. Partners demonstrate adherence to designated standards, have completed all other requirements for membership and MMP support is completed.
  • Associate Partner: Associate Partner members are formal youth mentoring programs and organizations that have been in operation for at least one year. In addition, they are either in the process of conducting a program self-assessment, or have completed the self-assessment and are actively working to meet designated standards. MMP provides training and customized technical assistance to support programs throughout the process.
  • Affiliate: Affiliate members represent a broad range of program models, including those that are newly established within a larger non-profit agency or school, small and/or grassroots mentoring initiatives, or more formal programs that simply need an entry point for membership with MMP.  

Membership process

 MMP has made the membership process straightforward and easy to follow. Here are the three steps for getting started:

  1. Before you submit an application, preview it here or request a copy from MMP (see contact information below).
  2. Complete and submit the application online. All programs start with the application regardless of desired membership level. (Hard copy of the application is available.)
  3. Receive email instructions from MMP on next steps, including completion of the self-assessment.

For more information, please contact Linda Peterson, manager of training, at 617-695-2436 or lpeterson@massmentors.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start the process?
All programs start by completing the online membership application or ask for a hard copy from MMP staff.

Is there a cost?
Every level of membership is free. MMP’s services to help you through membership are free.

What if I only want to be an Affiliate member?
Some programs may be eligible for Associate Partner level, but choose to remain as an Affiliate. The choice is yours and you can change your mind at any time.

What if I want to be a Partner member?
Programs must complete the “road to membership” to become a partner member.  The first step is to complete the online application with the Associate Partner box checked.  If MMP approves the application, a self-assessment will be sent to the program to complete. Once completed, MMP staff and the program staff will meet to discuss any work plan that will be required to satisfy the requirements listed in the self-assessment.

What if I only want to be an Associate member?
Programs are not allowed to stay as an Associate member – this level is considered the stepping stone to becoming a Partner member and is only used for programs that are working on the self-assessment or work plan.

What if I am turned down for membership?
If you are turned down for any level of membership, MMP staff will provide you with detailed information on what you need to do to become eligible.

What if I have questions about my program’s eligibility for any of the levels of membership?
Programs are encouraged to contact MMP staff for assistance.  Questions are welcome! Support is available at each phase of membership.


QBM partner logo

AFC Mentoring
Action Centered Tutoring Services (ACTS)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County -
Center for Human Development
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mass Bay
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston - Community Program
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston - School-Based Program
Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston
Cambridge Family and Children’s Service
Children's Friend and Family Services
East End House
Everybody Wins! Metro Boston
Generations Inc.
Girls Inc. of Holyoke
Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters
John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation
LUK Inc.
Melrose C.A.R.E.S. Community
Mentoring Program
Mentor Connection -
Newton Community Service Center
Partners for Youth with Disabilities
Press Pass TV
SMILES Mentoring, Inc.
Stand and Deliver
South Boston T.E.A.M.
Strong Women, Strong Girls
YWCA Malden


AMIGOS - Family Service, Inc.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater New Bedford - Child and Family Services, Inc.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden Co.
Big Friends Little Friends - of Lawrence
Boston Partners in Education's Math Rules!
Boston Partners in Education's Power Lunch
Boston Scholars
Diamond Educators Mentoring, Inc.
The DREAM Program, Inc.
  Girls Inc. of Lynn High School Mentoring
HOPE for Youth Mentoring Initiative -
Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation
Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative
Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center (MCAEC) Mentoring Program

   Newton's One to One Program - Newton Public Schools: The Newton Partnership
Old Colony Y - Big Sister Big Brother
Roxbury Renaissance Center
TAG PANAS Mentoring Program -
Institute for Learning and Teaching
Tutoring Plus of Cambridge, Inc.
Tutors for All
Urban Improv Mentoring Program -
Freelance Players/Urban Improv
VIPS Project Rise - K-8,
Falmouth Public Schools
VIPS Project Rise - High School, Falmouth Public Schools


QBM affiliate logo

ACCESS
After Incarceration Support Systems
Mentorship Program
America SCORES New England
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berkshire County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest
Big Friends Little Friends of Fall River
Bird Street Community Center -
Uphams Corner Community Center
Boston Children's Museum BNY Mellon CityACCESS Teen Ambassador Program
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield
Boys and Girls Club of Taunton
Career Mentor Program - Taunton Area School to Career, Inc.
Choices for Teen Girls
City Passage (HERC)
Discovery Justice
Dotwell Teen Center
Dunbar Community Center, Greater Zion Church
Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers Mentoring Program
Eliot Educational Center -
Eliot Congregational Church
Ellis Memorial
Entrepreneurship 101
Excel Academy Alumni Mentoring Program - Excel Academy Charter School
FAM (Friends and Mentors) for Change Mentoring Program
Freedom House, Inc.
Girls Mentoring Program at Wheelock
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Greater Boston Nazarene
Compassionate Center
Holyoke Boys & Girls Club
Home, Inc.
Hyde Square Task Force
Institute for Sport Coaching
Junior and Teen Achievers Program - Merrimack Valley YMCA, Lawrence branch
Keys to Degrees Mentoring Program - Endicott College
Leaders Through Action, Education & Hope
(LEAH)/BPS DELTAS
Lee B. Revels Mentoring and Scholarship Foundation: Edward W. Brooke Oratorical Scholarship Contest
Love is Rechargeable
Maafa Mentoring Program
Massachusetts Community
Outreach Initiative
Math*STARS Afterschool Program - MathPOWER
Mentoring for Success at Roxbury
Community College
MOC Yo Tengo Una Oportunidad Program - Montachussett Opportunity Council
Movement City
M.Y.H.O.O.D. - Mentoring Youth Hold Onto Obtaining Dreams, Inc.
New England Farmers Workers Council - School Based Mentoring Program

Minds Matter of Boston, Inc.
Oak Street Youth Center - Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
PAACA (Positive Action Against
Chemical Addiction) Smiles Programs
Partners Program
Pathways to Employment
Mentoring - Span, Inc.
Performance Project
Pierce Mentoring Program -
Brookline Public Schools
Positive Peer Mentor Program,
Friends of the Children - Boston
Project Adventure -
Children's Hospital, Boston
Railroad Street Youth Project
REACH - Greater Boston Vineyard
Salem YMCA - YMCA of the North Shore
Salvation Army/Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
Sibusiso
SMARTS Leadership and Mentoring Program (school-based) -
Research Institute
for Learning and Development
SMARTS Leadership and Mentoring Program (site- based) - Research Institute
for Learning and Development
South Boston Neighborhood House-
BNY Mellon CityACCESS Program
SouthCoast Compeer at UMass Dartmouth
SSV School-Based Mentoring Program - Springfield School Volunteers, Inc.
STEP Education
Student Bridges - UMass Amherst Student Government Association
Students Serving Students/WNEC at Duggan Middle School
Teacher Bound, the Upward Bound
Program - Wheelock College
The Christian Association of
Youth Mentoring
The Home for the Little Wanderers
UMASS Medical School/
MassAHEC Network
Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry
upSTART
Vietnamese American Civic Association (VACA)
Viva La Cultura! Girls Mentoring Program - Sociedad Latina
Wakefield Adult Mentors - Citizens'
Scholarship Foundation
Write Boston
Year Up
Youth Droppin' In at West End
Community Center
Youth to Health Careers (Y2HC)
Mentorship Program at Boston Area
Health Education Center (BAHEC)

Website built by Talance, Inc.