What benefits do mentors get from New York State?

I don't think mentors here are looking for any financial benifits in general. As for me there are two benefits - (1) Satisfaction of sharing my knowledge, (2) Learning from others' reallife experience.

Professional Street Cred  ;>)

There is no financial benefit. For those who already have strong, well-rounded backgrounds / professional experience, it's not adding anything to their resumes. It's volunteering. It's about giving, not taking.

See above...it is to give back to others.

Mentoring is something that anyone who values community does naturally. It is the glue that holds society together. It enables people to move forward in their life and then to share the knowledge they have gained with other people. Mentoring can be informal or formal. Both are as powerful as each other in the right circumstances. At NYS Business Mentor, it can be a valuable source for business people to gain knowledge from others who have 'been there before'.