Strategies for Recruiting Male Mentors

Evidence Rating for this Practice

Insufficient Research
The one study reviewed was designated Insufficient Evidence because the methodology used for assessing effects of the practice did not meet criteria for rigor. The practice as a whole thus is designated as Insufficient Research. This rating is based on currently available research and may change as new research becomes available.

Description of Practice

This practice involves intentional efforts within mentoring programs for youth to increase the number or proportion of males who are available to serve as mentors. These efforts can take several forms. Possibilities include staff training to enhance skills for communicating with potential male mentors, designing recruitment material to be appealing to male mentors, holding recruitment activities at traditional male gathering “places” (e.g., sporting events), and using current or former male mentors as recruitment ambassadors (Mentor Michigan, 2016; National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, 2009; Williams, 2015). This practice can also take the form of gearing recruitment messaging to the potential interests and motivations of prospective male mentors, such as by highlighting activities that may be attractive to them or resources and support that are available to support them in their roles as mentors. Strategies for recruiting male mentors may be tailored to specific populations of males as well, such as members of a particular age or racial or ethnic group. This practice is distinguished from mentor training, support, and retention strategies by its focus on recruitment of new mentors. It is also distinct from recruitment strategies that do not focus exclusively on male mentors. This practice and the strategies outlined above are germane to recommended benchmarks for Recruitment in the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring,^TM (Garringer, Kupersmidt, Rhodes, Stelter, & Tai, 2015), including the aim of targeting efforts to recruit mentors “whose skills, motivations, and backgrounds best match the goals and structure of the program.”

Goals

The primary goal of the practice is to recruit more male mentors.

Target Population/Eligibility of Target Sites

This practice is potentially applicable to all forms of mentoring as well as the full range of youth who may be served by programs, although most likely to be especially relevant to mentoring of male youth.

Theory and Background Research

Factors contributing to interest in male mentor recruitment. A variety of theoretical perspectives, such as relational-cultural theory, attachment theory, similarity and attraction theory, as well as those pertaining to relationship development and help-seeking, suggest that boys and girls may approach or respond to mentoring in differing ways (Liang, Bogat, & Duffy, 2014). One implication of such differences is that youth could tend to benefit more from same-gender mentors who mirror their relationship styles and preferences. Social learning theory, furthermore, suggests that same-gender mentors could be particularly salient role models for youth. Research evidence provides only limited support for the differential benefits of same-sex mentoring relationships (Liang et al., 2014). For example, Bryant & Zimmerman (2003) found that having a male familial role model was linked to fewer problem behaviors for African American boys but not girls. On the other hand, Kanchewa and colleagues (2014) found no significant differences between boys in same-gender and cross-gender mentoring relationships within U.S. Department of Education-funded and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) school-based mentoring programs on a number of school related outcomes. Separate from issues of effectiveness, however, same-gender matches may also be favored based on other considerations, such as youth, parent, or mentor preferences and perceptions of reduced risk. Perhaps for these reasons, the practice of matching youth to same-sex mentors is common among mentoring programs. This reality, in tandem with evidence that ensuring an adequate supply of same-gender mentors for boys often proves especially challenging for programs (DeWit, et al., 2016; DuBois, Felner, & O’Neal, 2014; Garringer, McQuillin, & McDaniel, 2017; MENTOR, 2005; Raposa, Dietz, & Rhodes, 2017; Tierney, Grossman, & Resch, 1995; The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, n.d.), motivates interest in identifying strategies that may be effective specifically for recruiting males as mentors.

Research with potential to inform strategies for male mentor recruitment. In a qualitative study of motivations and barriers for volunteering among 14 current male BBBS mentors, participants indicated that factors that played a significant role in their decision to become mentors were “hearing the real experiences Bigs have, knowing that organization provides the opportunity and structure to support a one-on-one relationship with a youth, and understanding the direct impact of time spent volunteering” (Williams, 2015). Another study of perceived barriers of non-volunteers to volunteering in formal organizations, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (n=71,312), found that whereas men were less likely than women to report time, health, child care, and transportation as barriers to volunteering, they were more likely than women to believe that a greater match between skills and activity would encourage them to volunteer (Sundeen et al., 2007). A survey among a representative national sample of 4,216 adult Americans 21 years of age or older found evidence that being asked to volunteer may be a motivator for volunteering; specifically, volunteers were significantly more likely than non-volunteers to have been asked to volunteer, 70 percent versus 30 percent, respectively (Independent Sector, 2001). In line with this finding, most participants in the Williams (2015) study indicated their willingness to assist in recruiting other male mentors.

In other research, a qualitative study of volunteer coordinators and male volunteers in social service agencies found evidence that social expectations (e.g., that men should put more energy into earning income or the lack of positive reinforcement for men who volunteer) were noteworthy barriers to volunteering (Blackman, 1999). Also of note is research on other types of interventions in which recruitment activities conducted at traditional male gathering “places” have proven effective. Alexander (2003), for example, concluded based on ethnographic (observational) research that barbershops were significant venues for information exchange in African American communities. In another investigation, focus groups were conducted with African American men who either were a current mentor with BBBS (a “Big”), were contemplating becoming a Big and had contact with a BBBS affiliate, or had no contact with an affiliate (Keenan & O’Brien, 2007). Findings suggested that the biggest obstacles to successfully engaging African American men as mentors in this program was a lack of information regarding the amount of time and financial commitment involved, program rules and regulations, the nature of the relationship between a Big and a Little, the type of youth they would be matched with, and support available to mentors. Williams (2015) similarly found that current male mentors who identified as having disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., from a single family home) expressed a desire to help youth from similar backgrounds.

Corresponding Elements of Effective Practice

This practice is most relevant to the area of Recruitment within the Elements of Effective Practice.

Key Personnel

Factors contributing to interest in male mentor recruitment. A variety of theoretical perspectives, such as relational-cultural theory, attachment theory, similarity and attraction theory, as well as those pertaining to relationship development and help-seeking, suggest that boys and girls may approach or respond to mentoring in differing ways (Liang, Bogat, & Duffy, 2014). One implication of such differences is that youth could tend to benefit more from same-gender mentors who mirror their relationship styles and preferences. Social learning theory, furthermore, suggests that same-gender mentors could be particularly salient role models for youth. Research evidence provides only limited support for the differential benefits of same-sex mentoring relationships (Liang et al., 2014). For example, Bryant & Zimmerman (2003) found that having a male familial role model was linked to fewer problem behaviors for African American boys but not girls. On the other hand, Kanchewa and colleagues (2014) found no significant differences between boys in same-gender and cross-gender mentoring relationships within U.S. Department of Education-funded and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) school-based mentoring programs on a number of school related outcomes. Separate from issues of effectiveness, however, same-gender matches may also be favored based on other considerations, such as youth, parent, or mentor preferences and perceptions of reduced risk. Perhaps for these reasons, the practice of matching youth to same-sex mentors is common among mentoring programs. This reality, in tandem with evidence that ensuring an adequate supply of same-gender mentors for boys often proves especially challenging for programs (DeWit, et al., 2016; DuBois, Felner, & O’Neal, 2014; Garringer, McQuillin, & McDaniel, 2017; MENTOR, 2005; Raposa, Dietz, & Rhodes, 2017; Tierney, Grossman, & Resch, 1995; The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, n.d.), motivates interest in identifying strategies that may be effective specifically for recruiting males as mentors. Research with potential to inform strategies for male mentor recruitment. In a qualitative study of motivations and barriers for volunteering among 14 current male BBBS mentors, participants indicated that factors that played a significant role in their decision to become mentors were “hearing the real experiences Bigs have, knowing that organization provides the opportunity and structure to support a one-on-one relationship with a youth, and understanding the direct impact of time spent volunteering” (Williams, 2015). Another study of perceived barriers of non-volunteers to volunteering in formal organizations, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (n=71,312), found that whereas men were less likely than women to report time, health, child care, and transportation as barriers to volunteering, they were more likely than women to believe that a greater match between skills and activity would encourage them to volunteer (Sundeen et al., 2007). A survey among a representative national sample of 4,216 adult Americans 21 years of age or older found evidence that being asked to volunteer may be a motivator for volunteering; specifically, volunteers were significantly more likely than non-volunteers to have been asked to volunteer, 70 percent versus 30 percent, respectively (Independent Sector, 2001). In line with this finding, most participants in the Williams (2015) study indicated their willingness to assist in recruiting other male mentors. In other research, a qualitative study of volunteer coordinators and male volunteers in social service agencies found evidence that social expectations (e.g., that men should put more energy into earning income or the lack of positive reinforcement for men who volunteer) were noteworthy barriers to volunteering (Blackman, 1999). Also of note is research on other types of interventions in which recruitment activities conducted at traditional male gathering “places” have proven effective. Alexander (2003), for example, concluded based on ethnographic (observational) research that barbershops were significant venues for information exchange in African American communities. In another investigation, focus groups were conducted with African American men who either were a current mentor with BBBS (a “Big”), were contemplating becoming a Big and had contact with a BBBS affiliate, or had no contact with an affiliate (Keenan & O’Brien, 2007). Findings suggested that the biggest obstacles to successfully engaging African American men as mentors in this program was a lack of information regarding the amount of time and financial commitment involved, program rules and regulations, the nature of the relationship between a Big and a Little, the type of youth they would be matched with, and support available to mentors. Williams (2015) similarly found that current male mentors who identified as having disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., from a single family home) expressed a desire to help youth from similar backgrounds.

Additional Information

None.

External Validity Evidence

Variations in the Practice
There was only one study reviewed for this practice and it considered only one form of potential strategy for recruiting male mentors (i.e., use of stipends). Information is thus lacking on either the overall or relative effectiveness of other strategies for male mentor recruitment.

Youth
Data on youth was not collected in the single available study. Therefore, available findings do not provide an understanding of the implications of this practice based on characteristics of the youth being mentored.

Mentors
In the single available study, mentors were from the general population. A significant proportion of these mentors in the sample were between 36 and 64 years old, non-Hispanic White, had completed high school or higher, had an income of $50,000 or more per year, and were married. The study, however, did not test for possible differences in outcome in relation to mentor characteristics.

Program Settings/Structures
The single available study was not conducted within a defined program setting or structure nor was information about program setting or structure collected from study respondents. Therefore, an understanding of the implications of this practice across varying program settings and structures is lacking.

Outcomes
The single available study focused on whether receiving a stipend was predictive of have had more mentees in one’s lifetime. This study does not report outcomes related to youth or the mentoring relationships involved. Therefore, available findings do not provide a basis for understanding potential effects of this practice on the range of outcomes of potential interest.

Resources Available to Support Implementation

Resources to support recruitment of male mentors can be found under the Resources section of this website. These resources include:

Men in Mentoring Toolkit – The Men in Mentoring Toolkit offers a collection of talking points, targeted messages, and strategies for getting men interested in serving as mentors. The materials are organized around several key themes and messages men may benefit from hearing.

Effective Mentor Recruitment: Getting Organized, Getting Results – This resource combines strategies for identifying and recruiting potential mentors with planning worksheets that can help organize and manage a full recruitment campaign.

Evidence Base

Hawkins, S., Trudeau, J., Williams, J., and Hendrix, J. (2015). Insights into recruiting male mentors: Motivations, concerns, and the role of payment. Research Triangle, N.C.: RTI International. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/251465.pdf

Additional References

Alexander, B. K. (2003). Fading, twisting, and weaving: An interpretive ethnography of the Black barbershop as cultural space. Qualitative Inquiry, 9, 105–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800402239343

Blackman, S. (1999). Recruiting male volunteers: A guide based on exploratory research. Washington, DC: Corporation for National and Community Service. Retrieved from https://www.energizeinc.com/sites/default/files/blackman.pdf

Bryant, A. L., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2003). Role models and psychosocial outcomes among African American adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18, 36–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558402238276

DeWit, D. J., Lipman, E. L., da Costa, J., Graham, K., Larose, S., Pepler, D., . . . Ferro, A. (2016). Predictors of early versus late match relationship beginnings in Big Brothers Big Sisters community programs. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 281–287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.01.004

DuBois, D. L., Felner, J., & O’Neal, B. (2014). State of mentoring in Illinois. Chicago, IL: Illinois Mentoring Partnership.

Garringer, M. (2004). Putting the “men” back in mentoring. National Mentoring Center Bulletin, 2, 1–16. Retrieved from http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/bulletin_male_recruitment.pdf

Garringer, M., Kupersmidt, J., Rhodes, J., Stelter, R., & Tai, T. (2015). Elements of effective practice for mentoring (4th ed.). Boston, MA: MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. Retrieved from https://www.mentoring.org/resource/elements-of-effective-practice-for-mentoring/

Garringer, M., McQuillin, S., & McDaniel, H. (2017). Examining youth mentoring services across America: Findings from the 2016 National Mentoring Program Survey. Boston, MA: MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

Independent Sector. (2001). Giving and volunteering in the United States: Findings from a national survey. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.cpanda.org/pdfs/gv/GV01Report.pdf

Jekielek, S., Moore, K., and Hair, E. (2002). Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED465457.pdf

Kanchewa, S. S., Rhodes, J. E., Schwartz, S. E. O., & Olsho, L. E. W. (20114). An investigation of same- versus cross-gender matching for boys in formal school-based mentoring programs. Applied Developmental Science, 18, 31–45. http://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2014.876251

Keenan, K., & O’Brien, J. (2007). Big Brothers Big Sisters Increasing African American Male Mentoring Project: Focus group report. Philadelphia, PA: MEE Productions, Inc.

Liang, B., Bogat, A., & Duffy, N. (2014). Gender in mentoring relationships. In D. L. DuBois & M. J. Karcher (Eds.), Handbook of youth mentoring (2nd ed., pp. 159–173). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

Mentor Michigan (2016). Messaging for male mentor recruitment: A brief introduction. Lansing, MI: Author. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan/0,4618,7-193-27047-211411–,00.html

MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (2005). Mentoring in America 2005: A snapshot of the current state of mentoring. Boston, MA: Author.

National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention (2009). Recruiting and retaining mentors. National Center Brief. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2x2lp59

Raposa, E. B., Dietz, N., & Rhodes, J. E. (2017) Trends in volunteer mentoring in the United States: Analysis of a decade of census survey data. American Journal of Community Psychology, 0, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12117

Sundeen, R. A., Raskoff, S. A., & Garcia, M. C. (2007). Differences in perceived barriers to volunteering to formal organizations: Lack of time versus lack of interest. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 17, 279–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.150

Tierney, J. P., Grossman, J. B., & Resch, N. L. (1995). Making a difference. An impact study of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures. Retrieved from http://ppv.issuelab.org/resource/making-a-difference-an-impact-study-of-big-brothers-big-sisters-re-issue-of-1995-study.html

The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (n.d.), State of mentoring in Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN: Author.

Williams, K. R. (2015). Males as mentors: A qualitative assessment of volunteer recruitment. Masters Thesis. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved from http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/25018/

As noted in the review of this practice, there is little direct research on the strategies that mentoring programs can use to draw in increasing numbers of male volunteers to serve as mentors. While this has been a subject of intense interest in the mentoring field for quite some time, unfortunately we are left with little beyond practitioner-sourced advice for what is effective in brining men from a community into mentoring relationships. Many of the tips below are hinted at in the review of this practice and all have been utilized in the field over the past several years in programs across the country. And there is some evidence that this emphasis on focused recruitment of men to the mentoring role has been effective: Between 2006 and 2015, the percentage of all reported mentors who were men rose by around 3%, a notable albeit not statistically significant shift. While both men and women increased their rates of mentoring over that decade, men’s involvement rose more quickly, showing a statistically significant increase from 0.7% of the adult population in 2006 to 0.9% in 2016.ⁱ

So what do practitioners and technical assistance providers recommend for recruiting male mentors?

1. Developing and testing a clear framework for approaching male volunteers.

For the most part, recruiting men involves many of the same steps that go into recruiting any particular type of mentor, but examined through the lens of how men might perceive the opportunity and wish to participate. The Men in Mentoring Toolkit developed by MENTOR Michigan offers one simple framework for thinking through how to court male mentors:

• Awareness: Making the Case – As a starting point, focus on making men aware of the need for mentoring. Statistics about the needs of boys and young men in the community might be powerful, as are statistics about the impact of mentoring on young people.
• Understanding: The Role of Stories – Men may be particularly motivated by stories that personalize what mentoring looks like in action. Having young men who have been mentored speak to prospective mentors may be powerful in making the abstract act of mentoring seem more real.
• Comfort: You Can Do It – Men may have particular fears about volunteering for such a personal form of support. They may worry that they lack the skills to form a new relationship with a youth or may have fears about what the experience will be like. Programs should brainstorm these fears and develop messages that can put men more at ease with the role.
• Commitment: Let’s Be Clear About Things – Men will appreciate clarity about the “nuts and bolts” of the mentoring role: expectations about meeting times and frequencies, the role of program staff, the ways that the program wants them to support mentees, the length of the commitment, and so forth. Make it clear what they are signing up for and how the program requires accountability.
• Success: The Ability to Win – Programs may want to paint a clear picture of what success looks like when mentoring a boy or young man. Male mentors may feel like they have to completely turn a life around or “hit a home run” in terms of the impact of their work. Make sure that they know that the point of mentoring is the journey and that even small growth in the child they are mentoring points to being successful not only in the present, but perhaps into the future for that youth as well.
• Closing/Making the Ask – Programs will want to make sure that their recruitment of men closes with a firm ask. Ideally, this ask may be delivered by another man, especially one who has served in the role and can express confidence in the prospective mentor’s abilities to be successful. Prominent women in the lives of men (wives, sisters, co-workers, etc.) may also be persuasive allies in making that ask.
• Overcoming Objections/Concerns – Even if men do not say “yes” right away, you may still be able to work on their concerns about what the experience will be like. If candidates seem to be “on the fence” about the opportunity, keep them on your program’s radar, invite them to participate in program-wide events or to support the program in another way while they think more about directly mentoring a young person. Engagement over the decision-making process may help eventually get more men on board.

Obviously, many of these steps are applicable to other groups a program may be courting. Test out the messaging your program develops with men you already know. See if the messages resonate, if there are objections you haven’t thought of, or if there are specific aspects of the program itself that seem to be sticking points for men. The aforementioned Toolkit offers a wealth of talking points and messages for overcoming male-specific fears about the mentoring experience.

2. Dig deeper on motivations for men.

As part of developing a framework to approach men to mentor, you may want to spend some time thinking about what exactly will best motivate them to participate. Chances are that there are specific motivations that will resonate with men (or subgroups of men) more than with women or other groups. The concept of “volunteer functions” may be helpful here. Clary and colleagues have developed a set of motivations for volunteering that attempts to unpack the many different reasons why individuals would do the same activity. This document does a good job of explaining the broad motivations and even offers a scale that can help you measure their presence in the mentors you already have. It may be worthwhile to have all the mentors in your program answer these questions and see if there are differences between the men and women who are already mentoring youth. Focus groups asking men about how they align with the broad categories of these functions is also a good starting point.

Programs may find more success in crafting diverse messages for men depending on which functions speak to them, rather than assuming that all men will be motivated by the same things. The Guide to Recruiting Black Men as Mentors for Black Boys is one resource that can help segment messages for men from the black community, but many of the principles can be used to recruit men more generally who may have different motivations or messaging preferences.

3. If possible, consider varying your programming (and how you talk about it) to make it more male-friendly.

MENTOR’s Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Brian Sales, offers these strategies based on his experience in the field for making mentoring a better fit for men:

• Men may respond better to mentoring opportunities that are group-based, as this may eliminate some of the concerns around being up to the challenge individually, provide a space where intimate or deep conversations can be held collectively, and even alleviate fears about accusations of misbehavior that often worry men about mentoring. Programs may find success starting men with group mentoring experiences that then transition into one-to-one matches over time.
• Men may also be more interested in mentoring programming that emphasizes activities (sports, recreation, hands-on building things, skills teaching) over purely conversational approaches or that features outings to places and events that interest men more generally.
• Programs may even find more interest by calling mentors something different: coach, buddy, guide, friend, teacher, etc. These roles may help clarify what they will be doing and reduce concerns they may have about how they think of a traditional mentor role.

4. Find men where they are at.

Brian Sales also recommends reaching out to men in male-centered spaces, such as those noted in the review: barbershops, fraternal organizations, recreational leagues, and sporting events. One MENTOR affiliate hosts a regular Monday Night Football viewing party at local restaurants and taverns designed to educate men about mentoring in a relaxed and social environment.

If it’s important to a program to recruit men of color specifically, Brian recommends leveraging cultural and historical holidays and related events that may resonate with men of particular communities (e.g., History Month, Hispanic/Latino Heritage month). He also suggests doing outreach at culturally-specific spaces, such as African-American and Latino fraternities, Black and Latino churches, African-American and Latino social clubs. Men at these events might respond well to images and messages that draw on national and local leaders that exemplified a spirit of giving back and a willingness to show up for those less fortunate, connecting the work of mentoring to larger movements in service of a people or culture.

For more information on research-informed program practices and tools for implementation, be sure to consult the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™ and the “Resources for Mentoring Programs” section of the National Mentoring Resource Center site.

ⁱ Raposa, E. B., Dietz, N., & Rhodes, J. E. (2017). Trends in volunteer mentoring in the United States: Analysis of a decade of census survey data. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1, 1-12.