Mission Statement

The Bill Russell Legacy Project was established to commemorate Bill Russell's achievements as the greatest champion in the history of professional sports, as a national leader in human rights as well as his contributions and impact as a mentor to youth in our community.

Mr. Russell’s legacy on and off the court will be celebrated with a statue in a location of historical significance in the city of Boston in conjunction with the Bill Russell Mentoring Grant program – a program created to ensure Russell's passion for youth development is carried on by expanding the reach and resources for quality mentoring programs in Boston.

Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program: Investing in Boston's Youth

The Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program will award grants to local non-profits whose focus is to expand the reach and resources for quality youth mentoring in the city of Boston.

Why Mentoring? “There is no such thing as someone else’s child”

Bill is a long time, passionate supporter of mentoring programs and an active board member of MENTOR / The National Mentoring Partnership. Russell strongly believes it is as gratifying and rewarding to be a mentor as it is to be mentored.

The Bill Russell Legacy Grant Program is proud to partner with the Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP), the state affiliate of MENTOR, to ensure reputable mentoring programs in Boston receive the support they deserve to create a lasting impact in our community. MMP is fueling the movement to expand quality mentoring for youth to meet the needs of communities across Massachusetts and serves more than 200 mentoring programs statewide supporting 30,000 youth in mentoring relationships.

The Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program focuses on investing in Boston-based mentoring programs. For the grant period between May 2013 and May 2014, the Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program will award a minimum of $50,000 in total funding to youth mentoring programs that match caring adult mentors with Boston youth between the ages of 6 and 18-years-old.

Proposals are due to Mass Mentoring by Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, in honor of Bill Russell's birthday.

 

To download the application, visit http://www.massmentors.org/bill-russell-mentoring-grant

To donate to the program, click here.

To sign up to be a mentor and improve a child’s quality of life with just a few hours a month, click here

Timing

• February 12, 2013 (Bill Russell’s Birthday) – Application Deadline
• April 2013 – Grants Recipients announced

Grant Application and Recipient Criteria

 

• Must be a registered 501(c)3 organization
• Must be focused on mentoring programs targeted to youth ages 6-18
• Must serve kids within the city of Boston
• If not already affiliated with Mass Mentoring Partnership, the organization must provide additional certification
• Must not be connected with religious or political entities
• Must be able to provide final report or data that demonstrates the impact of funding or increase in reach of program
  
  
  More: http://www.massmentors.org/bill-russell-mentoring-grant
  
  
  

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