Turning Purchasing Into Possibility for the Formerly Incarcerated
By Carla I. Javits, REDF President

Change is in the air, and we will need plenty of it to move the needle on poverty in the U.S. It has remained stuck at around 12-13 percent of the population for decades, officially reaching 37 million in 2007. At REDF, we are developing a new partnership that gets directly to the heart of this issue. We know that the most predictable route out of poverty is getting a job, and staying in the workforce. For most Americans, spells of poverty are actually relatively short. But for a smaller subset – people with histories of homelessness, incarceration, limited education, health conditions and other high barriers – poverty is chronic and exacts huge personal and societal costs.

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Top MBAs Sign Up for Service at Local Nonprofits

While REDF grapples with the challenges of creating work for those in greatest need in the context of the current economy, we have benefited from the tremendous enthusiasm and skills of MBA students who are contributing more than ever to our work. Their participation at REDF where they intern with the social enterprises we work with, and with REDF itself, was inspired by the creativity of REDF Board member Stuart Davidson – a Bay Area venture capitalist who used his resources to create a way for MBAs to serve the social sector.

President Obama’s national call to service this year has garnered significant excitement. REDF has seen the fruit of the President’s emphasis...

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REDF Announcements

• 1,000 by 2010: Find out how REDF is accomplishing our goal of employing 1,000 people by 2010 through two new initiatives.

• Carla Javits is a featured speaker at two upcoming conferences:

Building High-Performing Communities, Social Solutions' ETOlution 2009 Conference in Baltimore, MD, November 16-17, 2009, where foundation and nonprofit executives will join government officials to learn how to increase the performance of human services delivered across the community and within an individual program.

SoCap 2009, At the Intersection of Money and Meaning, September 1-3, 2009 in San Francisco – bringing together a unique mix of the world’s top social innovators to make sense of these challenging times.

• Does your company need custom screen printed t-shirts or promotional products? What about janitorial, landscaping or recycling services for those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area? Do you own properties that need maintenance? Are you having trouble disposing of your firm’s old computers, printers and other electronic waste?  If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, visit www.redf.org/bizsolutions to get a quote from a vendor who can offer a quality product and service at a competitive price. Find your business solution today and turn purchasing into possibility for people overcoming life’s toughest challenges.

• A report we think you should know about: Supportive Housing Property Management Business Practices and Resident Employment. REDF and several partner organizations set out to assess employment options for residents of supportive housing in property management.

• Help CHP win the Markham Mark of Distinction award! Vote for Community Housing Partnership (CHP), an organization in REDF's portfolio, to win the 2009 Markham Mark of Distinction! This award comes with a $25,000 prize. You can vote once each day from now until August 24, 2009.

• Save the Dates! Champion Charities’ Fall Events to Benefit REDF:

Salute to the Titans

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
San Francisco, CA

“Night at the Theater” featuring Wicked

Thursday, December 10, 2009
San Francisco, CA

For more information, visit www.championcharities.org/events.aspx.