As the founder of Girls Can’t WHAT?, I am frequently asked about the best way to start a girls mentoring program.
First, I’d like to say that there can never be too many organizations that support girls. The need for positive role models and guidance is big enough for everyone to get involved. Here are some great tips for starting a mentoring program for girls of any age.
Be THAT type of girls mentoring program
Just as every girl is different, every organization is different. This is why some groups appeal to certain types girls but not others. That is perfectly ok. When starting your group, don’t try to be all things to all people. Find something that you do well and thoroughly enjoy.
Focus around a specific topic or niche so it will be clear to everyone what type of girls mentoring program you are establishing. A great example is Girls on the Run where their mission is to get girls involved in fitness. Find that one thing and do it well.
Learn your personal strength
Knowing what it is that you do best is going to be crucial to your success. If you don’t like public speaking, don’t try to sell yourself as a speaker or plan events that involve talking in front of people. Stick to your personal gifts.
You may need to try on a few hats to discover what you really like to do and what you’re good at naturally. Once you have that nailed down, work on developing that skill so you can be the best. Your super power will be what attracts your community and the better you are, the more effective your teaching will be.
Build a team
As a group leader, you won’t accomplish as much as you could with a good team. Take your time and build your team slowly and deliberately. Make sure your team members share your vision and goals.
Your team leaders should also complement your strength. They should excel at something you don’t. Look for people that can fill in the weak spots of your organization and give them an opportunity to shine in their own way. Future leaders can be developed through your program. Look for members with the skills you need to fill and train them for leadership roles.
Where to start
Starting your own mentoring group will take a lot of work up front before you even have your first meeting. The first thing you need to do is write down your vision of what you want to achieve. Do this in as much detail as you can. It will help your brain form the action steps and give you a clear mental picture of your goal.
The next step is to write a detailed description of the person you are wanting to mentor. Write about her physical description, her education, where she lives, what she likes to do, etc. The clearer you can get on building a profile of the girl you want to mentor, the easier it will be to find ways to reach her.
The next step in your research will be determining the type of group you will form and how you will connect. The member profile you just created will be a huge help here. You may want to form a social media group, organize a meet up or partner with a local school or civic group.
Also, map out your first meeting by determining how you want it to work. Think about where you want to meet and how often. Planning this step will help you manage your time and the logistics of finding a location or working with another organization. This step may be time consuming and frustrating but it will save you a lot of headaches when you’re ready to get started.
Budget your money
Nothing comes for free. Many people who start community groups end up paying for a lot of the expenses personally. It ends up draining them financially and they start to resent the very organization they started. No matter how generous you think you are, don’t try to cover all of the costs yourself.
Avoid debt by building a budget and tracking your expenses. Even though you aren’t out to make money, treat your group as a business. If you are charging a membership fee or selling additional services to help cover costs, you may want to check in with an accountant to make sure you have all the proper paperwork filed.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask your group members to help share costs. Ask for volunteers to bring refreshments or donate their time to help with meeting prep or other services. People are usually willing to help, but most need to be prompted to take action. Don’t be bashful. You can’t do everything yourself!
Budget your time
Your time is valuable resource. It has limits. When planning your girls mentoring program, make sure you leave enough time to comfortably manage your job, your family and other leisure activities. Passion, combined with volunteer work will eat up your days if you let it.
Budget your time just as you would your money. Make sure you are delegating tasks when possible and give yourself plenty of time to plan. Disorganization leads to wasted time and resources. Structured events and meetings with a clear agenda will keep you on track and keep your members engaged. Look for ways to save yourself time by outsourcing tasks and putting a stop to busy work that produces very little benefit.
Start small
No matter how big you dream, you have to start small. When starting a mentoring group, take things slowly and focus on building relationships. You will only be able to connect with a small number of people personally.
You will find that if you invest in a few people in the beginning, they will grow with you and be there to help support the group as it grows. You have to build that foundation first in order to scale up.
Have fun
Above all, make the group enjoyable for all and that includes you. If you’re not having fun, chances are it shows and that spoils it for everyone else. If you start to burn out, take a breather and give yourself time to re-focus. Make fun and happiness a priority. You will avoid burnout and naturally attract new members who share your enthusiasm.
I hope you find these ideas helpful when starting your mentoring group. If you haven’t downloaded our guide on “How to set amazing goals and achieve them”, click here to grab your copy and use it to help you with the planning stages.
If you have experience as a group leader or you have a great idea to help those looking to start a group, I’d love to hear it. Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
67 comments
Nina
Where can I find curriculums / workbooks for elementary girls mentoring programs?
Tangu Gubong Constance
I am Mrs. Tangu Gubong Constance from Caneroon. I stumbled on your website and i decided to connect with you. I am a retired teacher and i have been involved in programs that target only girls and i have been thinking deeply and asking myself whether we are nit missing something when the focus is on girls alibe to the exclusion if boys and knowing that at one point the girls will associate with boys. The girls will have different set of values and the boys will continue with their chauvinistic ideas. I am thinking of starting a mentoship program that targrts girls and boys. I am thinking of a suitable title to the program. I will like the young people i will be dealing with to know that girls and boys are equal and that they compliment each other. I want to specially ask you if you have any material that has been developed that can help me in my work. I am anxiously waiting for your respone.
Quanisha Wright
Hello, My name ias Quanisha Wright I am from Greensboro, North Carolina. I have worked with the youth for sometime now. I have been a mentor for two years, I have worked for boys and girls club, and been a tutor for two years. I always had a passion to become a motivational speaker, and start my own mentoring organization for young girls ages 10-18. I wanted to focus on overcoming and achieving great things in their lives despite their environment or circumstances. Growing up I often seen young girls miss out on their dreams and talents because there environment hinder them for doing so. I was one of the young girls who made it out of that environment, and attended college and got great awards. So I wanted to give back to my community and to help empower other girls to reach their full potential and goals. I don’t know where to start. I am researching and wrote down some things for a mission statement and vision, but I don’t want fear to get in the way.
Belinda Hargis
Hi Quanisha, I am starting out the same way you have. I would love an update on how things worked for you!
Dorcas
Hi
my name is Dorcas
i want to start a Mentorship program for girls and i will truly appreciate your support on activities and programs. i live in Kenya
Thank you
Casonja B
Hi, My name is Casonja and I’m looking to start a mentor group with young ladies..that’s been everything that I have..I’m just needing help on where to start..I have quite a few young ladies that really looks up to me..and I have a passion for being able to be there..because, I didn’t have no quite there for me..even though my parents was there, I felt alone..so please if you have any suggestions you can help me with..I’ll greatly appreciate it
Martha owano
Hi, my name is Martha owano from Kenya. I just started a girls mentorship program in a nearby primary school for girls aged 10 to 16. The program is called Soaring eaglets Christian mentorship program. My aim to see girls from the rural areas gain confidence in themselves complete their education and prosper in life. I need support in what of teachings to provide for them
Lynelle Holmes
Hi. What business structure is your program? I want to keep control of what I do. So, I don’t want to do anything requiring me to have a board.
Lucien
Hi, I am Lucien from Jamaica and I am interested in starting a mentorship program for high school girls. The idea behind the program is to empower these girls academically and socially, as well as to create opportunities to inculcate life-readiness skills within them. I am an educator by profession and hold the office of Vice Principal or assistant Head Teacher in my school. I would love to get as much help as possible in this area, for though new to me, it is still critical that these girls be given opportunities and support for the betterment of themselves. Thank you in advance.
Latoya Knighten
Hi All,
I have started a girls mentoring group within the school in which I work. Schools are great places to begin a girls mentoring group!
Confidence
Hi, my name is Confidence from Nigeria, I live in a country where girls in government owned schools are neglected and left to grow all by themselves. The parents are so busy with their lives that the children are left with the teachers to nurture. The teachers on the other hand only care about their salary at the end of the month.
It’s disheartening whenever I see the state of abandonment of these girls who have no one to look up to OR show them how to go about life.
I want to do something but I don’t know how to get a specific niche or focus that would be my foundation.
Though money is a limitation for now, the Major issue now is getting the niche and focus I can work with ..
Can you help?