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Ready To Succeed Selected for $80,000 Grant from The SAM Initiative

Innovative nonprofit career accelerator, Ready to Succeed (RTS), was recently awarded an $80,000 funding grant from the renowned philanthropic giving circle, The SAM Initiative. Ready to Succeed empowers college-going foster youth and first-generation college students to graduate, launch successful careers, and reach their full potential. This grant will fund a new career advisor position - a key ingredient in their recipe for success.

After a competitive process with 200 nonprofits, The SAM Initiative selected Ready to Succeed along with East Los Angeles Women's Center, Alexandria House, and Village for Vets. A testament to their own growth, The SAM Initiative has donated millions of dollars since founder Mindy Freedman began bringing together volunteers to support a rotating roster of nonprofits through private philanthropy. They hope these grants cause a ripple effect where others are inspired to donate in any way they can, especially during this season of giving.

"The SAM Initiative is honored to grant Ready to Succeed $80,000. The way RTS supports its foster youth and first-generation college students is beyond impressive. They are providing these students with invaluable services that help them not only excel in college but in the workplace after graduation. The care and support they provide are clear both in their approach and success rates. Our giving circle is excited to see the impact our collaborative giving will make as RTS continues to serve this important demographic."

-Laurie James, SAM Initiative Member

This generous funding during the holiday season helps Ready to Succeed continue to meet the unique needs of under resourced students who would otherwise go without. RTS career advisors are specially trained to support RTS Scholars, all of whom have faced and continue to face a distinct set of challenges. Most don't have access to family support systems that help guide them during their studies, facilitate networking, and prepare them for careers. Unfortunately, time with school career advisors is far too insufficient.

"In my school of 40,000 people, I only have a ten-minute time slot with my career advisor. At RTS I have hours and hours of time with my career coach that I can schedule whenever I feel like. I feel much more confident in reaching for my dreams."

-RTS Scholar Kim G.

Preparing students for successful career-track jobs starts when they are in school. Ready to Succeed has solidified a holistic approach designed to run concurrently with their academic studies, covering five core pillars: coaching, mental health and wellness, internships, networking, and targeted financial support. 92% of RTS Scholars have secured strong entry-level jobs within six months of graduation, results that are otherwise cut by more than half. RTS career advisors are the driving force behind statistics like these, and after seven years of supporting almost 400 scholars, The Sam Initiative grant will ensure RTS can continue growing its impact.

About Ready to Succeed
Ready to Succeed (RTS) is a career and personal development nonprofit that empowers foster and first-generation college students to graduate college, launch successful careers and reach their full potential. Pat McCabe and Romi Lassally founded Ready to Succeed in 2016 after they observed that foster youth faced some of the worst outcomes among their peers with extremely low college graduation rates and high rates of unemployment, housing insecurity, and criminal convictions. Propelled by the belief that young people can thrive with the right resources, relationships, and opportunities, RTS has grown to serve nearly 400 Scholars and alumni. To date, RTS participants have achieved record-breaking outcomes with more than 90% graduating college in 4.5 years and securing strong entry-level jobs within six months of graduation.

About The SAM Initiative
Founded in 2013 by social entrepreneur and philanthropist Mindy Freedman, SAM is a group of individuals who use collaborative giving to promote social change and support organizations that are improving the lives of women, children and families in Los Angeles.SAM members share a passion to learn about needs in the community, vet different organizations and choose how their funding can make the most meaningful difference.

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