Friends of the Children

Non-profit OrganizationsOregon, United States201-500 Employees

Friends of the Children was founded in 1993 in Portland, OR with just three Friends—salaried, professional mentors—and 24 children. Today, we are a national network with 37 locations across the country. 

Friends of the Children was founded by Duncan Campbell, a successful business entrepreneur whose own troubled childhood inspired him to found the organization. Our innovative model pairs children who are in foster care or in high-poverty schools with a Friend. Each child selected for the program has a Friend by their side from kindergarten through high school graduation—12+ years, no matter what.

Research has shown that to break the cycle of generational poverty, children need long-term, relationship-based support to graduate from high school, remain free from involvement in the criminal justice system, wait to parent until after their teen years, and pursue opportunities through post-secondary education, serving our country or finding living-wage employment.

Third-party evaluation of program graduates shows that:

• 83% of our youth graduate with a high school diploma or a GED;
• 93% remain free from juvenile justice system involvement;
• 98% wait until after their teen years to become parents; and
• 92% go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country, or enter the workforce.

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