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All across America, high-impact nonprofits are breaking cycles and changing lives.

From coast to coast, dynamic social entrepreneurs are leading transformative nonprofit organizations with a shared mission to break the cycle of poverty and build stronger, safer communities where all people can discover their full potential.

A Second U Foundation

HQ New York, NY All Locations

A Second U Foundation supports formerly incarcerated men and women as they transition home and work to overcome employment barriers and avoid recidivism through rewarding, self-sustainable careers in the fitness industry. Its rigorous coursework prepares participants to pass the personal trainer national certification exam, while emphasizing professional skills like business development and client rapport. Second U credentials graduates’ abilities, which helps them to secure jobs. Participants achieve gainful employment and a sense of accomplishment through their positive contributions to society.

Key Issue Area

Criminal Justice

Organizational Leadership

Hector Guadalupe

In a time when 40% of Americans see immigrants as a threat to American values, Abara partners with support networks on both sides of the Rio Grande to connect global neighbors and respond to immigrants’ most pressing needs. In collaboration with local peace-builders, Abara aims to uphold the dignity of all while providing support and resources for a binational migrant shelter network. The organization provides immersive learning opportunities, fosters mutual understanding, and inspires meaningful action in pursuit of narrative, systemic, and individual transformation.

Key Issue Area

Immigration

Organizational Leadership

Sami Di'Pasquale

ACE Scholarships

HQ Denver, CO All Locations

ACE Scholarships offers children in low-income families the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. ACE provides scholarships for students in grades K-12, where both the child’s family and the school contribute. Through this approach, all parties involved in a child’s education have “skin in the game,” a vested interest in the child’s success. Nine-in-ten ACE scholars graduate high school, and 74% enroll in college. ACE has awarded more than 42,000 scholarships since its launch in 2000, and since partnering with Stand Together Foundation, has doubled its reach.

Key Issue Area

Youth

Organizational Leadership

Norton Rainey

Acts Housing

HQ Milwaukee, WI All Locations

Acts Housing makes the dream of homeownership a reality for those with economic and other barriers. Acts Housing gives low-income families the opportunity to build equity, reduce overall housing costs, and get on a path to long-term financial stability providing financial counseling, real estate services, and access to capital that enables families to transition from renting to buying. Many families purchase distressed homes and Acts assists them in transforming the house into a home, improving blocks and neighborhoods in the process.

Key Issue Area

Economic Mobility

Organizational Leadership

Michael Gosman

Adaptive Performance Center

HQ Billings, MT All Locations

Adaptive Performance Center serves veterans seeking care and community through physical fitness and peer assistance. More than a gym, Adaptive Performance Center provides workout classes, massages, and acupuncture sessions exclusive to military personnel, healing mental and physical trauma through movement and community support.

Key Issue Area

Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma

Organizational Leadership

Karen Pearson

Adaptive Training Foundation

HQ Carrollton, TX All Locations

Adaptive Training Foundation provides athletic training and holistic recovery services to help citizens of various abilities and veterans overcome physical, mental, and external barriers to their self-sufficiency. Unlike most programs for people with disabilities which lean heavily on medication and focus on physical deficits, ATF emphasizes whole-person recovery to build up physical abilities while providing space for emotional healing—and elevating the potential of all individuals.

Key Issue Area

Addiction, Mental Health, and Trauma

Organizational Leadership

David Vobora

Advance Peace

HQ Richmond, CA All Locations

Advance Peace reduces urban gun violence by employing Neighborhood Change Agents to support high-risk individuals with mentoring, conflict resolution, anger management, and other services. Through its groundbreaking Peacemaker Fellowship, which supports young men involved in lethal firearm offenses, Advance Peace is proving that the cycle of gun violence can be broken by community-driven strategies that provide real alternatives, rather than the threat of incarceration.

Key Issue Area

Criminal Justice

Organizational Leadership

DeVone Boggan

Advocates for Community Transformation

HQ Dallas, TX All Locations

Act - Advocates for Community Transformation empowers men and women in underserved communities to fight crime on their street using the civil justice system — existing laws — to make neighborhood safety a normal reality for all. Act equips those closest to the problem — residents — with tools and support to protect their neighborhoods, pairs them with attorneys, and helps them complement the work of police and the city to create tangible, long-lasting change. Through Act’s work, community social cohesion grows, hope is restored, and residents establish collective efficacy, a willingness to intervene, and informal social control for safer, flourishing communities.

Key Issue Area

Criminal Justice

Organizational Leadership

Reid Porter

Akola Project

HQ Dallas, TX All Locations

Akola Project unites women on two continents to create beautiful jewelry through its “full impact” supply chain. Women in Dallas and Uganda create raw materials, assemble jewelry, distribute finished goods, and sell jewelry, all at a living wage.

Key Issue Area

Economic Mobility

Organizational Leadership

Brittany Merrill Underwood

Ambition Angels

HQ Palo Alto, CA All Locations

Ambition Angels uses technology to equip teens with skills to thrive in college, careers, and beyond. Many young people miss out on opportunities to develop social-emotional and life skills they’ll need as adults. To meet this gap, Ambition Angels delivers free online courses through an app, rewarding participants as they go, and helping them develop a habit of investing in themselves.

Key Issue Area

Youth

Organizational Leadership

Remi Sobomehin

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