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The nonprofit world is facing one of its toughest seasons yet. Across the country, organizations are being stretched thin as the need for services grows while resources become harder to secure. At Persevere, we see this reality every single day.

We work alongside men, women, and youth who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration or while navigating other barriers to employment. They are parents, sons, daughters, and neighbors, individuals determined to rewrite their story and contribute to their families and communities. The challenge? The systems around them are complex, and the support they need to succeed doesn’t come easily.

The Growing Need

Right now, more individuals are coming to Persevere with urgent needs in training, mentorship, employment support, housing, and stability. They aren’t looking for handouts. They’re seeking opportunity, skills, and a chance to stand on their own two feet.

Yet while the demand for our programs has never been greater, the resources to deliver them are becoming harder to sustain. Staffing shortages, rising operational costs, and uncertainty in funding streams mean that nonprofits like Persevere are often forced to make difficult choices: do we expand to meet the need, or scale back because the capacity simply isn’t there?

Why It Matters

When a graduate of Persevere secures a job in technology, they don’t just change their own life, they change the trajectory of their children, their families, and entire communities. Each success story chips away at generational cycles of poverty and incarceration.

But the truth is, when resources are scarce, fewer people get access to these opportunities. And every individual we’re unable to reach is one more person left behind, one more family left vulnerable, one more community struggling without the benefits of a strong, skilled workforce.

A Collective Responsibility

Persevere cannot do this work alone. Our graduates work hard to transform their lives, but they need a community willing to stand with them. They need mentors willing to share wisdom, employers ready to open doors, volunteers who give their time, and partners who believe in second chances.

Your Role in the Solution

Here’s where you come in.

You can make a difference today by:

Volunteering your time as a mentor, mock interviewer, or career coach.

Partnering with us as an employer willing to hire talented, justice-impacted individuals.

Becoming a donor or fundraiser to ensure that no student is turned away because of limited resources.

Sharing our mission within your network to help us build stronger pathways of support.

Together, we can ensure that even in the midst of crisis, hope continues to rise and lives continue to change.