• Mission: The mission of Jeremiah’s Promise is to love, challenge and equip transition-age foster youth for a life they can be proud of. The nonprofit organization promotes academic resilience, personal and social skills building, leadership development and career-path competency.
• 2019 update: Jeremiah’s Promise began with the plan to love, challenge and equip transition-age foster youth for a better future.
Over the years, founder and CEO Kim Golter and her volunteers came to feel that trust issues – the emotional baggage that inevitably accrues through the experience of a childhood in the system – are among the most formidable challenges young people face as they graduate from the system. Jeremiah’s Promise uses a behavioral training platform, The Next Step, to work on self-knowledge and goal attainment with youth.
Golter said The Next Step allows efficiency but also generates a “deeper level of engagement and sustained impact.”
Daily online activities are monitored by trained volunteers who provide responses and encouragement as the former foster kids navigate the program’s goals.
“The bulk of our service is now scalable, measurable and mobile. It takes less effort to gain far more benefit,” Golter said. “We really want to help more youth as foundations and nonprofits are relieved of their key stressors in the same way.”
• Why the Holiday Fund is needed: Donations enable Jeremiah’s Promise to continue serving local youth in person, online and through workshops. Contributions also allow the organization to continue The Next Step coaching program, preparing teens and young adults for the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood. Golter said she hopes to expand the ability of Jeremiah’s Promise to train mentors and nonprofit leaders to help foster and at-risk youth nationwide.
Jeremiah’s Promise
Location: PO Box 1393, Palo Alto 94302
Founded: 2000, with program launched in 2003
Annual budget: $150,000
Staff: 1 full-time employee; 10 volunteers
Information: jeremiahspromise.org
