Best Places to Work 2025 Awards
#1 SMALL COMPANIES: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island
Local Employees: 38
CEO: Katje Afonseca
AS THE LARGEST youth mentoring organization in the state, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island matches young people with caring adults who together build long-term, supportive relationships.
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The Providence-based nonprofit’s work is impactful and rewarding but demanding. Therefore, it’s critical that staff are given the support and flexibility they need to achieve the organization’s goals.
CEO Katje Afonseca, who has been with Big Brothers for nearly 12 years, has implemented multiple programs and policies to address the nonprofit’s employees’ mental and physical health Big Brothers’ wellness committee helps develop activities that promote employee well-being, preventing burnout and relieving stress so that staffers can be at their best. The committee also seeks feedback and ideas from staff and modifies their offerings accordingly.
Alisa Mendez, Big Brothers’ lead customer relations and enrollment specialist, says the nonprofit offers employees multiple activities to participate in. Those include walking clubs, reading challenges, ice cream socials, lunchtime trivia contests and step challenges.
“We want our employees to be the healthiest version of themselves,” Mendez said. “It’s so important that people step away from their desk whether it’s to take a walk or to interact with their peers. We always want our team to make time for that.”
However, wellness is serious business at Big Brothers. Employees are encouraged to take time out for a walk either alone or in groups. They are also allowed time to schedule therapy sessions during the workday.
Many of the nonprofit’s employees are in the community recruiting mentors, engaging business partners and building relationships with mentees and their families. With that, utilizing Big Brothers’ wellness perks is important for everyone in the organization no matter where they spend their workday, nonprofit officials say.
“Whether you’re in the office or working from home, you are encouraged to get up and get away from your screen,” nonprofit Senior Match Specialist Sue Shaw said. “We want people to move their bodies and clear their minds.”
Big Brothers 100% covers employees’ health insurance. That speaks to how much the nonprofit values its staff, and the feeling is mutual.
“You want to work harder because you feel like you matter,” said Zahira Francis, Big Brothers’ donation center office manager and assistant to the chief financial officer. “I was able to further my education and my career thanks to the support I received. I wouldn’t have been able to do that working somewhere else.”
Mendez also feels motivated to do the work, not because she has to but because it’s “something that I want to do.”
“I feel like part of a team, not just another number,” Mendez said.
Big Brothers’ employees also appreciate having flexible schedules, which allows them to find balance between career and home life, something that eludes many full-time workers in other industries.
“I would not be employed full-time without the flexible work schedule,” Shaw said. “[Big Brothers] provides me with the work/home balance I need to be successful.”
Along with a robust health insurance plan, the nonprofit’s employees have access to an employee assistance program that offers help when needed. Mendez says she once sought advice with diabetes prevention and found the nonprofit’s health plan offers a free program.
“I started to share that with others and several people enrolled,” Mendez said. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of reminding people of the benefits that are available.”
Afonseca and Big Brothers’ leaders are exploring new ways to offer employees opportunities to grow and develop personally and professionally. In a partnership with Roger Williams University, employees can enroll in courses at a discounted rate while also utilizing the nonprofit’s tuition reimbursement program.
The nonprofit also has connected with RhodeWay Financial to offer planning and guidance to manage employees’ finances now and into their retirement, a benefit that will impact them long into the future.
