Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa Our mission is to create and support one to one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Visit BigCR.org for more information!

Big Brothers Big Sisters offers two types of mentoring opportunities. Community-Based: 1:1 Match, Couples Match, & Family Match and Site-Based: Lunch Buddies. Community-based matches meet 1+ time a month. This match can travel together and visit parks, libraries, attend community events, sporting events, and hang out at events hosted by BBBS! Our Family Match is best for busy families and offers extra flexibility. Bring the whole family to spend time with your Little, or bring your Little along for the things your family already does together! Lunch Buddies meet at the child’s school during lunch 2+ times a month. Bigs enjoy eating lunch with the child, playing together at recess, working on homework, reading and sharing conversation. We are committed to ensuring our programs are inclusive to all youth and volunteers. Equality, diversity and inclusiveness are critical components of our mission. We encourage volunteers of all sexual orientations, races, colors, religions, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, ages, national origins, disabilities, marital status or military status to get involved and become a defender of potential in our community.

There are so many ways to make a BIG impact. 🔥💚Make a one-time gift, become a monthly donor, give in honor or memory, fu...
10/12/2026

There are so many ways to make a BIG impact. 🔥💚

Make a one-time gift, become a monthly donor, give in honor or memory, fundraise, or support one of our programs or events.

However you give, you’re helping create life-changing mentoring relationships for local youth.

👉 Find your way to give: https://bigcr.org/give

Please join us in welcoming Chris Kalkman to the Big Brothers Big Sisters team! 💚🔥Chris has been part of the BBBS family...
10/09/2026

Please join us in welcoming Chris Kalkman to the Big Brothers Big Sisters team! 💚🔥

Chris has been part of the BBBS family since 2012, when he was first matched as a Big alongside his wife, Beth. Since then, he has continued to pour his time, energy, and passion into mentoring Littles through multiple matches.

Chris doesn’t just support our mission — he lives it. His firsthand experience as a Big gives him a unique perspective on the power of a strong mentoring relationship, and we’re so excited for him to bring that passion and experience to our team!

Welcome to the team, Chris! We’re so lucky to have you. 👏

Join us at St. Marks UMC with David Maier and Rachel Manders for Ministry moments this Sunday, October 11th!David and Ra...
10/08/2026

Join us at St. Marks UMC with David Maier and Rachel Manders for Ministry moments this Sunday, October 11th!

David and Rachel will be sharing their experiences with Big Brothers Big Sisters and what it means to show up, make a difference, and be a positive influence in a child’s life.

Come hear how being a Big has impacted their lives, and learn more about how you can get involved in this important ministry in our community.

📅 Sunday, October 11th
📍 St. Mark's UMC - Cedar Rapids
4700 Johnson Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, United States, 52405

We’d love to see you there! 💚

💚 WE ARE HIRING!Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa is looking for our next Vice President of D...
09/28/2026

💚 WE ARE HIRING!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa is looking for our next Vice President of Development!

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, relationship-driven fundraising leader to help shape the future of our organization and ensure we have the resources needed to create meaningful connections between youth and mentors throughout our community.

As our lead fundraising executive, the Vice President of Development will provide strategic leadership across major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, planned giving, endowment development, special events, and grant funding—while building strong relationships with donors and community partners.

We’re looking for someone who is:

✨ A strategic and passionate fundraising leader
✨ A strong relationship builder and communicator
✨ Results-oriented and comfortable using data to drive decisions
✨ Excited to build partnerships and inspire philanthropic investment
✨ Committed to our mission and the power of mentorship

This is more than a fundraising position. It’s an opportunity to help build the financial and community foundation that will allow Big Brothers Big Sisters to reach even more young people and create lasting impact.

📍 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
💼 Vice President of Development

👉 TO APPLY:

Email your resume to Stephanie Hartson, President & CEO, at [email protected]

Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post!

🎲🧩 Lunch Buddy activities are stocked and ready for the school year! ✏️🎨A HUGE thank you to Variety – the Children’s Cha...
09/21/2026

🎲🧩 Lunch Buddy activities are stocked and ready for the school year! ✏️🎨

A HUGE thank you to Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa for supporting our Lunch Buddies program and helping us provide activities for our matches throughout the year! 💚

Thanks to their generosity, our Lunch Buddy Activity Totes are packed with board games, card games, puzzles, art supplies, LEGO®, conversation activities, and plenty of other ways for Bigs and Littles to have fun and build their friendship during their time together. Each school also has a binder full of self-guided activities, so there’s always something new for matches to do!

And the best part? These activity totes will be available at every one of our Lunch Buddy partner schools throughout the school year. 🙌

Lunch Buddies meet just twice a month during the school day, making it a simple way to make a BIG difference in a child’s life. We currently have 35 Littles waiting for a Lunch Buddy Big this school year.

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a Big, this is a great time to get involved. You bring yourself — we’ll help provide the fun! 💚

Thank you again, Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa, for investing in our matches and helping us create more opportunities for connection, laughter, and belonging! ❤️

We’re excited to shine a spotlight on Ben Frazier, a valued member of our Board of Directors! 🎉Ben brings his profession...
09/18/2026

We’re excited to shine a spotlight on Ben Frazier, a valued member of our Board of Directors! 🎉

Ben brings his professional experience from Northwestern Mutual and, perhaps most importantly, years of firsthand experience as a Big. His Little recently aged out of the program, marking the end of their official match—but the impact of that friendship will last a lifetime.

Having experienced the power of mentoring firsthand, Ben brings a unique perspective and a deep connection to our mission. We’re incredibly grateful for his continued leadership, passion, and commitment to helping more kids find their own life-changing friendships.

Thank you, Ben, for continuing to show up for our mission and our community! 🔥💚

We need 3 Bigs to mentor our new Big Circles program! 💚🔥Starting next month, a small group of  waiting Littles will be g...
09/16/2026

We need 3 Bigs to mentor our new Big Circles program! 💚🔥

Starting next month, a small group of waiting Littles will be getting together at the YMCA—and we need caring adults to show up, hang out, and be in their corner.

We’re looking for 3 Bigs, with a particular need for a male mentor, to join the group just twice a month.

You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to show up, have fun, listen, and be someone our Littles can count on.

📍 YMCA
📅 Starts next month
⏰ 2 times a month
💚 3 Bigs needed

A little time can make a BIG difference. Become a Big!
🌐BigCR.org

There’s something special about finding the right match. 💚🔥We’re so grateful for the Bigs who show up, the Littles who l...
09/16/2026

There’s something special about finding the right match. 💚🔥
We’re so grateful for the Bigs who show up, the Littles who let them in, and the relationships that grow from there.

The weather cleared just in time for Annual Party at Bloomsbury Farm this past weekend, and we had a great time! Special...
09/15/2026

The weather cleared just in time for Annual Party at Bloomsbury Farm this past weekend, and we had a great time! Special shout out and a BIG thank you to our friends at BAE Systems Aerospace & Mission Systems who volunteered their time and talent to help Annual Party run smoothly! We were so glad to have you!

Something NEW is coming to BBBS! 💚Introducing Big Circles — a new small-group mentoring opportunity created especially f...
09/11/2026

Something NEW is coming to BBBS! 💚

Introducing Big Circles — a new small-group mentoring opportunity created especially for Littles who are waiting to be matched with their one-to-one Big.

Because waiting for a Big shouldn’t mean waiting for connection. 💫

Through Big Circles, Littles will have the opportunity to:
✨ Build meaningful relationships with caring adult mentors and other young people
✨ Grow confidence, communication, teamwork, and other social-emotional skills
✨ Participate in fun, hands-on activities
✨ Feel connected and supported while they continue waiting for their future Big

📅 Our first Big Circles gathering is Sunday, October 18!

After that, Big Circles will meet twice each month at the Downtown YMCA:
💚 First Friday | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
💚 Third Sunday | Noon–2:00 p.m.

We’re so excited to create another way for Littles to connect, grow, and know they belong.

More connections. Brighter futures. 💚

Email [email protected] with questions!

Address

3150 E Avenue NW, Ste 103
Cedar Rapids, IA
52405

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13193778993

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa:

Shortcuts

Share