Beyond the mentor-youth dyad: the role of parents and mentoring program staff in predicting volunteer mentor persistence

Volunteer mentors’ reasons for match termination were examined, focusing on challenges with mentees’ parents and program staff. Understanding mentors’ reasons for ending the match will allow programs to provide targeted support. Participants (N = 120) were former mentors who served in a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program. Quantitative and qualitative responses to survey items were examined to explore associations between mentors’ satisfaction with supportive relationships and the length of the relationship. Mentors cited three challenges to match persistence: external, match-related, and parent/staff-related. Although external reasons were cited most frequently for reasons for termination, match length was positively associated with mentors’ perceptions of stronger relationships with their mentees’ parents. Results highlight the critical role of mentors’ perceptions of their relationships with parents and program staff on their decision to continue working with their mentees. Recommendations for programmatic support for mentors are discussed.