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Person

Artis Stevens

Nationality:

American
Location:

Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation:

President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

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Artis Stevens is a nonprofit administrator who became the first Black president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in January 2021. Since then, he developed a strong Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) strategy for the organization, increased donations, and decreased the waitlist of youth seeking mentors. 1

Background and Education

Artis Stevens was the youngest child in a large family of eight children in Brunswick, Georgia. His father and grandfather were preachers. 2 Stevens earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia (UGA) and a master’s in public administration from Valdosta State University. 3 He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. 4  3 He was president of the Black Affairs Council when he was a UGA student. 5

He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. 3 He is a board director of the Friends School of Atlanta. 6

Career

Stevens began his career as a marketing and community relations director at the Atlanta Public Housing Agency. 3

In 2001, he joined the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), first as a director of education and program planning, then as a national vice president for marketing strategy and operations. He was at the BGCA for over 13 years. 3 BGCA is a nonprofit organization focused on young people by offering a variety of after-school programs in academics, sports, the arts, leadership, and workforce readiness. 7 Major donors to BGCA include the Lilly Endowment, the Wallace Foundation, and the Bezos Family Foundation. 8

In 2014, Stevens joined the National 4-H Council as its senior vice president and chief marketing officer. 3

In January 2021, Stevens became the first Black president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). During an interview with Perception Magazine, Stevens indicated that becoming CEO of  BBBSA “was only a precursor to our network-wide Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) commitment […] for all kids.” 2 At BBBSA, he founded the JEDI council to establish new justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices in the organization. 4

BBBSA is the nation’s largest mentoring network supported by donors and volunteers. It matches adult volunteers and children to build one-to-one mentoring relationships to benefit the youth. The children range from five-years-old to young adults. 9 BBBSA was founded in 1904 as an alternative to the juvenile justice system. 10

As of 2025, Stevens was responsible for the strategic vision of the organization and for securing funding. To this end, he partners with corporations, donors, and government agencies. 5 In its 2024 tax filing, BBBSA claimed $54.7 million in contributions and grants, 11 including $14.3 million in government grants. 12

Stevens drove an increase in partner organizations to support the BBBSA programs. Since 2020, BBBSA it has been a grant partner of the National Football League Social Justice Initiative “Inspire Change.” 13 Donors to BBBSA include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the KPMG Foundation U.S., and several donor-advised funds including the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund, the American Endowment Foundation, and the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. 14

In his speaker biography, Stevens claims that he was instrumental in securing a $122.6 million donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. 15  16

Recognition

In 2025, Stevens was named by TIME magazine as a Leader in the TIME100 Philanthropy 2025, representing the 100 most influential people in philanthropy. Others recognized as Leaders included Darren Walker, Mark Suzman, and Alexander Soros. 17

References

  1. “Artis Stevens.” Time – TIME100 Philanthropy 2025. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286030/artis-stevens/
  2. Michael Cox. “Meet Artis Stevens, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s First Black CEO.” Perception Magazine. June 20, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://perceptionmag.com/meet-artis-stevens-big-brothers-big-sisters-of-americas-first-black-ceo/
  3. LinkedIn – Artis Stevens. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/artisstevens/
  4. Samantha Mercado. “Artis Stevens, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Creating greater equity for youth.” Candid Philanthropy News Digest. March 6, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/newsmakers/artis-stevens-president-and-ceo-big-brothers-big-sisters-of-america-creating-greater-equity-for-youth
  5. Aje Njie. “Franklin alumnus Artis Stevens shares wisdom on the importance of membership.” Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at University of Georgia. March 4, 2025. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2025/franklin-alumnus-artis-stevens-shares-wisdom-importance-mentorship
  6. “Artis Stevens.” DSG Global. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.dsgco.com/placed_leaders/artis-stevens/
  7. “Programs.” Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.bgca.org/programs/all-programs/
  8. “Our Partners.” Boys & Girls Club of America. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.bgca.org/about-us/our-partners/
  9. “About Us.” Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.” Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.bbbs.org/about-us/
  10. “Our Purpose.” Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.” Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.bbbs.org/history/
  11. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part I). 2024.
  12. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part VII). 2024.
  13. “Social Justice Grant Partners – Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.” NFL. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.nfl.com/causes/inspire-change/resources/grant-partners/bbbs
  14. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer Search. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?form%5B%5D=IRS990ScheduleI&page=2&q=23-1365190&sort=best&submit=Apply&year%5B%5D=2023&year%5B%5D=2024
  15. “Artis Stevens.” AAE Speakers. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Artis+Stevens/465828
  16. Yield Giving homepage. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://yieldgiving.com/
  17. “TIME100 Philanthropy 2025.” Time. Accessed September 18, 2025. https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/
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