There are certain elements that are common among effective mentoring programs. This article describes MENTOR, an organization that serves as a resource and advocate for youth mentoring. MENTOR developed its first mentoring Elements of Effective Practice in 1990 by working with a national panel of mentoring experts. "They are research- and experience based guidelines for the operation of safe and effective mentoring programs," says Kristi Zappie-Ferradino, vice president of products and services for MENTOR. A revised and updated version was released in 2003 with new ideas and practices added. MENTOR divides its guidelines into four sections: (1) program design and planning; (2) program management; (3) program operations; and (4) program evaluation. To ensure program quality and effectiveness, each of the four sections are briefly described and steps for implementation are provided.