Gala Fundraising Launch Party
Tax deductible
Who are we?
Established in July 2013, Freedom House Reentry Education and Employment Corporation (FREE) is a not-for-profit organization that provides wraparound services to formerly incarcerated adults, veterans, and their children. FREE is a registered Illinois 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation in good standing.
Our Mission is to reduce recidivism through reentry programming and by creating social enterprise opportunities that empower the formerly incarcerated, their families and communities.
Our story is simple. In 2007, FREE’s founder, Dylan Hood, experienced an event that led to the following epiphany: people make mistakes in life and most deserve a second chance. Researching the manifestation of second chances, Dylan became acutely aware of the millions of people who have made mistakes that resulted in incarceration. Many of these men and women were not given a second chance but instead found themselves defined by their mistakes and trapped in a criminal justice system.
FREE programming includes the following:
1. Children with Incarcerated Parents Program (CWIP) serves ages 5 to 17. Our CWIP program endeavors to provide services tailored to the needs of children of parents affected by incarceration.
Children with Incarcerated Parents are a subset of American children at risk. They are overlooked both in the criminal justice system and in social service circles, even as their numbers spike upward along with the numbers of adults who are being imprisoned. We assert that children of inmates are more at risk than many others. Research has shown that children of incarcerated parents are at higher risk for delinquency and other antisocial behaviors. Within the subset, it is likely that risk varies among children of inmates.
Today, close to 2.7 million American children or 1 in 28 children have an incarcerated parent.[1] Just 25 years ago, this was 1 in 125. Among black children, the rate is 1 in 9, Hispanics 1 in 28 and white 1 in 57.[2]
Our programs for children include:
· Going on trips and outing to movies, museums, nature hikes, cultural excursions and amusement themed parks. All trips are supervised by our staff and trained volunteers. And in some instances, a guardian or parent can be invited.
· Providing referrals to our social services partners that can best serve the needs of the children and their families. Many families do not seek services because they are scared or intimidated by the paperwork that must be filled out. We help guide them through this often confusing process.
· Support groups and leadership training. Our partners have a range of social and support activities that we make available to our children. In many cases, we provide transportation to ensure that our children can take advantage of the opportunity to socialize and learn with their peers.
Drop-In Centers
Our drop-in centers are the staging grounds for the community children that participate in FREE’s Children with Incarcerated Parents Program. They will be a unique space where a child can come after school hours and during the summer to take part in events, play video games, get help with homework, bond with a mentor, grab a snack, speak with a counselor, hang out in a safe environment and meet for weekly bonding visits with the parents or family member.
Our Drop-in Centers are more than just a place to hang out….
Coding:
We will also operate as a coding center. Computer science opens more doors for students than any other discipline in today’s world. Learning even the basics will help students in virtually any career—from architecture to zoology. Just as we teach students how to dissect a frog, or how electricity works, it’s important for every 21st-century student to have a chance to “dissect an app,” or learn how the Internet works.
Music, Dance, and Expression:
Music is so important to how children develop cognitively that it must occupy a large piece of our programming. Here are just a few of the items that we will incorporate into our drop-in centers:
· Recording studio rooms with microphones, computers, recording programs, protocols, logic, and waves
· Engineering courses
· Vocal technique classes
· Performance fear coaching
· Acting classes/rooms
· Rehearsal/Dance room w/mirrors & wood floors & bar for ballet
· Live rehearsal room for band or live recording of instruments
· Instrument lessons
· Music Mentorship program
· Mini movie theater for screenings
· Film editing room
· Film classes
Arts and Crafts:
We will also offer an Art Education program to enrich the daily lives of children and access their inner thoughts and feelings through the use of art mediums. Art is known to assist in integration and identifying a sense of self, and allows students to define experiences and increase self-esteem while building a strong capacity to focus in other areas of their lives. Art-based curriculum and content can teach students about contemporary artists and their processes, as well as the stories around their own self-expressions. The master artists will also be introduced and the students are taught about the history of art and its role in society. Art content will include lessons about the elements of art, Line, Color, Texture, Shape, Space, and Value. Viewing life through an artist’s perspective will enhance and broaden each student’s perspective for years to come!
Bonding Visits:
Many children of inmates are unable to visit their incarcerated parents because of transportation and financial limitations. In response, FREE provides free quarterly Bonding Visits for children and their caregivers from the Chicago and Los Angeles areas… We also offer videoconference visitations for our families and their loved ones in jail or correctional institution where permissible.
At each three to four-hour Bonding Visit, children and their incarcerated parents sit around tables in secure rooms and read books, put together puzzles, do arts and crafts projects, and play board games activities structured to encourage conversations, laughter, and hugs. Play mats have been introduced to allow little children to crawl, roll and giggle with their parents. The families also enjoy a family meal and take part in a civics educational activity to, again, facilitate bonding and learning.
Following each visit, our children find stuffed animals awaiting them on the bus. And rather than going straight home, they detour to either a bowling alley or skating rink as a way to ease anxieties from separating again from their incarcerated parents as well as to build community ties with other children in their situations. Trained counselors accompany the children and are available throughout the trips for guidance and support.
More than 60 percent of parents in state prison and more than 80 percent of parents in federal prison are incarcerated more than 100 miles from their last place of residence (Sentencing Project, 2009). And so, for many families, it’s often not financially impossible to make the long trips to visit their loved ones in prison.
We calculated that for Cook County (Chicago) alone, grandparents who are raising two children, the cost for a trip to Menard Correctional Facility is about $350 (overnight motel, food, tolls, and gas). Without our program, these families would not be able to visit the institutions, thus preventing their children from being able to bond – and receive the attention and love – of their father or mother.
Besides distance, other communication barriers also exist. Phone calls between inmates and their families may only be made if a special account is in place to pay for the call. For many families, these are calls are expensive and can’t be made frequently.
2. Get Help App Phone Program (GHAPP) supports the successful and safe transition of adults and juveniles from secure confinement back to their families and communities.
Our program puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every individual exiting the criminal justice system that meets the criteria established by the Department of Corrections of each particular state. Each cellular device is installed with our patented Get Help App©. Program participants will each receive a free cell phone and six months of free (restricted) service.
Established in July 2013, Freedom House Reentry Education and Employment Corporation (FREE) is a not-for-profit organization that provides wraparound services to formerly incarcerated adults, veterans, and their children. FREE is a registered Illinois 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation in good standing.
Our Mission is to reduce recidivism through reentry programming and by creating social enterprise opportunities that empower the formerly incarcerated, their families and communities.
Our story is simple. In 2007, FREE’s founder, Dylan Hood, experienced an event that led to the following epiphany: people make mistakes in life and most deserve a second chance. Researching the manifestation of second chances, Dylan became acutely aware of the millions of people who have made mistakes that resulted in incarceration. Many of these men and women were not given a second chance but instead found themselves defined by their mistakes and trapped in a criminal justice system.
FREE programming includes the following:
1. Children with Incarcerated Parents Program (CWIP) serves ages 5 to 17. Our CWIP program endeavors to provide services tailored to the needs of children of parents affected by incarceration.
Children with Incarcerated Parents are a subset of American children at risk. They are overlooked both in the criminal justice system and in social service circles, even as their numbers spike upward along with the numbers of adults who are being imprisoned. We assert that children of inmates are more at risk than many others. Research has shown that children of incarcerated parents are at higher risk for delinquency and other antisocial behaviors. Within the subset, it is likely that risk varies among children of inmates.
Today, close to 2.7 million American children or 1 in 28 children have an incarcerated parent.[1] Just 25 years ago, this was 1 in 125. Among black children, the rate is 1 in 9, Hispanics 1 in 28 and white 1 in 57.[2]
Our programs for children include:
· Going on trips and outing to movies, museums, nature hikes, cultural excursions and amusement themed parks. All trips are supervised by our staff and trained volunteers. And in some instances, a guardian or parent can be invited.
· Providing referrals to our social services partners that can best serve the needs of the children and their families. Many families do not seek services because they are scared or intimidated by the paperwork that must be filled out. We help guide them through this often confusing process.
· Support groups and leadership training. Our partners have a range of social and support activities that we make available to our children. In many cases, we provide transportation to ensure that our children can take advantage of the opportunity to socialize and learn with their peers.
Drop-In Centers
Our drop-in centers are the staging grounds for the community children that participate in FREE’s Children with Incarcerated Parents Program. They will be a unique space where a child can come after school hours and during the summer to take part in events, play video games, get help with homework, bond with a mentor, grab a snack, speak with a counselor, hang out in a safe environment and meet for weekly bonding visits with the parents or family member.
Our Drop-in Centers are more than just a place to hang out….
Coding:
We will also operate as a coding center. Computer science opens more doors for students than any other discipline in today’s world. Learning even the basics will help students in virtually any career—from architecture to zoology. Just as we teach students how to dissect a frog, or how electricity works, it’s important for every 21st-century student to have a chance to “dissect an app,” or learn how the Internet works.
Music, Dance, and Expression:
Music is so important to how children develop cognitively that it must occupy a large piece of our programming. Here are just a few of the items that we will incorporate into our drop-in centers:
· Recording studio rooms with microphones, computers, recording programs, protocols, logic, and waves
· Engineering courses
· Vocal technique classes
· Performance fear coaching
· Acting classes/rooms
· Rehearsal/Dance room w/mirrors & wood floors & bar for ballet
· Live rehearsal room for band or live recording of instruments
· Instrument lessons
· Music Mentorship program
· Mini movie theater for screenings
· Film editing room
· Film classes
Arts and Crafts:
We will also offer an Art Education program to enrich the daily lives of children and access their inner thoughts and feelings through the use of art mediums. Art is known to assist in integration and identifying a sense of self, and allows students to define experiences and increase self-esteem while building a strong capacity to focus in other areas of their lives. Art-based curriculum and content can teach students about contemporary artists and their processes, as well as the stories around their own self-expressions. The master artists will also be introduced and the students are taught about the history of art and its role in society. Art content will include lessons about the elements of art, Line, Color, Texture, Shape, Space, and Value. Viewing life through an artist’s perspective will enhance and broaden each student’s perspective for years to come!
Bonding Visits:
Many children of inmates are unable to visit their incarcerated parents because of transportation and financial limitations. In response, FREE provides free quarterly Bonding Visits for children and their caregivers from the Chicago and Los Angeles areas… We also offer videoconference visitations for our families and their loved ones in jail or correctional institution where permissible.
At each three to four-hour Bonding Visit, children and their incarcerated parents sit around tables in secure rooms and read books, put together puzzles, do arts and crafts projects, and play board games activities structured to encourage conversations, laughter, and hugs. Play mats have been introduced to allow little children to crawl, roll and giggle with their parents. The families also enjoy a family meal and take part in a civics educational activity to, again, facilitate bonding and learning.
Following each visit, our children find stuffed animals awaiting them on the bus. And rather than going straight home, they detour to either a bowling alley or skating rink as a way to ease anxieties from separating again from their incarcerated parents as well as to build community ties with other children in their situations. Trained counselors accompany the children and are available throughout the trips for guidance and support.
More than 60 percent of parents in state prison and more than 80 percent of parents in federal prison are incarcerated more than 100 miles from their last place of residence (Sentencing Project, 2009). And so, for many families, it’s often not financially impossible to make the long trips to visit their loved ones in prison.
We calculated that for Cook County (Chicago) alone, grandparents who are raising two children, the cost for a trip to Menard Correctional Facility is about $350 (overnight motel, food, tolls, and gas). Without our program, these families would not be able to visit the institutions, thus preventing their children from being able to bond – and receive the attention and love – of their father or mother.
Besides distance, other communication barriers also exist. Phone calls between inmates and their families may only be made if a special account is in place to pay for the call. For many families, these are calls are expensive and can’t be made frequently.
2. Get Help App Phone Program (GHAPP) supports the successful and safe transition of adults and juveniles from secure confinement back to their families and communities.
Our program puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every individual exiting the criminal justice system that meets the criteria established by the Department of Corrections of each particular state. Each cellular device is installed with our patented Get Help App©. Program participants will each receive a free cell phone and six months of free (restricted) service.
The Get Help App Phone Program (GHAPP) in its initial pilot with the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and four other Illinois agencies, we will provide up to 1500 newly released individuals (250 per month) with a free cell phones, six months of free service through our partnership with Verizon Wireless and access to the Get Help Application.
The Get Help App © provides a 24/7 source of support to formerly incarcerated individuals. With the simple push of a button, they are connected to a live trained volunteer mentor for communication via phone call or text messaging or to our 24 hour live resource referral hotline or to an actually licensed clinician and licensed nurse practitioner.
MaaS 360, an IBM company will provide our mobile device management to make sure all of our phones are properly monitored and conform to IDOC guidelines of security and safety.
Our volunteer mentors will be trained by a university partner, yet to be determined. In this pilot test phase with the IDOC, we will perform a randomized control trial which will be monitored, evaluated and reported by Beta.gov.
FREE believes its GHAPP will help to reduce recidivism by 27% or more and help to decrease states' correctional expenditures by millions of dollars. The application will also be a tool that will provide job listings, videos related to decision making and behavior, notification of important dates, and notification of events such as job fairs.
Our CRM is being designed by Salesforce, and will operate under their Desk.com platform. We will achieve integration with Talkdesk.com. Because our phones are outfitted with the GPS, we have the ability provide referral services close at hand. Our budget provides for the initial pilot program launching in Illinois in July 2017 as well as our sustainability to carry this program nationwide and into 2018.
3. Vet Help App Phone Program (VHAPP), is a veteran-specific version of the Get Help App Phone Program (GHAPP), provides supports that aid in the successful and safe transition of adults from secure confinement back to their families and communities.
Because this transition, whether it be from active-duty service or confinement to living in the community, can be difficult, the Vet Help App Phone Program (VHAPP) provides supports that aid in the successful and safe transition of adults from secure confinement back to their families and communities. VHAPP puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every veteran exiting the criminal justice system or going through treatment courts that meet the criteria as established by the Veteran’s Treatment Court jurisdiction. Each cellular device we deliver will have our patented Vet Help App© installed.
VHAPP puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every veteran exiting the criminal justice system or going through treatment courts that meet the criteria as established by the Veteran’s Treatment Court jurisdiction. Each cellular device we deliver will have our patented Vet Help App© installed.
The Vet Help App© is a vital link which allows formerly incarcerated veterans, veterans in the treatment courts, and homeless veterans, especially those in crisis mode, connect with counseling, mentors, and community resources. Recovering addicts and alcoholics often can feel despondent over difficulties in transitioning to citizenship, such as finding employment, housing or other barriers. Upon pressing the Vet Help App© button, they will have immediate access to a volunteer pool of on-call mentors that have been matched to meet the needs of the individual calling. All of our mentors have undergone a rigorous mentor-training course developed in conjunction with established veteran mentorship modules and long-serving veteran mentors as consultants and are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year. Mentors are available to assist that individual either via a person-to-person voice call or via text messaging, the person initiating the call will make the decision as to the type of interaction they prefer. Additionally, Vet Help App© users will have the ability to contact our 24-hour Vet Help referral resource hotline.
How do we make all of this happen?
We make all of this possible through your support.
As FREE begins to prepare to meet its budgetary requirements for 2017 to service
programming in the areas of Children with Incarcerated Parents and our Get Help App and Vet Help App Phone Programs, we are hosting a Gala Fundraising Launch Party for California, Illinois and
New York.
Our goal for the evening is to raise $3.5 million, which we believe we can accomplish through the sale of our sponsorship packages alone. At the end of the evening we ask our attendees to take part in a live-auction, where they can make personal pledges. All the funds raised in excess of our $3.5 million goals will go into a general pot to be split evenly amongst
the event’s not-for-profit partners as designated by the event honorees and speakers.
The first annual “Inspire to Aspire” fundraising gala will take place on September 28th, 2017 at
the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. A red carpet and cocktail reception will kick off
the evening, with a seated dinner, a live “paddle” auction, and an after-hours party following. Live
entertainment from special guest celebrities and noted honorees will be ongoing throughout the
gala. All proceeds from the evening will support FREE’s core mission, including the building of
drop-in centers for Children with Incarcerated Parents in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Learn more about FREE: www.freereentry.org
The evening’s highlights include:
● A red carpet entrance, followed by a cocktail reception
● A seated dinner prepared by the award-winning chefs at the Four Seasons
● Live entertainment, including musical performances and inspirational speeches
● Awarding ceremony for honorees, including a surprise student scholarship
● Live auction
● An after-party with a surprise celebrity DJ and local food trucks
● Special preview of luxury automobiles, presented by our sponsors at BMW, Porsche, and Tesla
● A live "paddle-call" auction
This is where your contribution will go:
Our annual program cost for our Drop-in centers are $1,050,000,00 each for Chicago and Los Angeles.
The cost of hosting an event the magnitude of our Gala Fundraising Event will cost $363,000.00 but has the potential impact of raising over $3.5 million.
Your initial support of this event will help us reach the level of selling our various sponsorship packages.
Included is this budget are:
Video production
$15,000.00
Printed materials: programs, invitations, packets
$4,500.00
Food and drinks deposit (Beverly Wilshire Hotel)
$32,500.00
Talent consulting fee
$5,000.00
Corporate Sponsor consulting fee
$5,000.00
PR consulting fee
$5,000.00
Event Planning fee
$7,500.00
Donation management software fee
$500.00
Graphic design and website development
$9,000.00
Advertising
$12,000.00
TOTAL
$96,000.00
Final word:
As we strive to move the needle on recidivism, we want the world to know the challenges and successes facing the individuals with criminal justice involvement so that our communities can be better prepared to welcome them home and to end the cycle of recidivism for them and their children. Your support of our efforts makes all of this possible.
Our advocacy efforts include:
· Creating a dialogue with the public, stressing that we need their assistance to identify this reclusive population.
· Updating our website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) with information about critical issues and discussions impacting children with incarcerated parents as well as news of successes, new policies and emerging programs positively impacting our population.
· Offering extensive training to people who are potential first contacts for children of inmates and their caregivers. These include service providers, school counselors, physicians, and clinicians, law enforcement and correctional officers.
· Operating community-based Drop-in Centers through Cook County and elsewhere. These centers serve as hubs for intake, case management, prevention, intervention, and outreach efforts.
· Reaching out to local and national media to cover our Bonding Visits to correctional facilities and explain the issues that our children live with daily.
· Disseminating brochures, posters, referral contact cards, and arrest follow-up communication cards.
· Meeting regularly with stakeholders, decision makers, and policy officials throughout California and Illinois counties but especially in the large urban areas of each of those states where incarceration rates are high. We also carry our message throughout the halls of the Legislatures, Department of Corrections, Department of Children and Families and other departments and agencies.
· Providing letters of invitation that explain our program and how to enroll qualified children. These are used by team members when they contact potential clients from a data list or referral.
Thank you for your generous support.
Sources:
[1] Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010
[2] Pew Research Center’s Economic Mobility Project
[3] La Vigne, Davies & Brazzell,2008
[4] La Vigne et al., 2008
[5]General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2011
[6] U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2011
[7] La Vigne et al., 2008
[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013; Phillips&Gleeson, 2007
[9] Ibid
[10] Sentencing Project, 2009
[11] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[12] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007
[13] Bureau of Justice Statistics
[14] Sentencing Project, 2009
[15] Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, 2000
[16] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[17] Sentencing Project, 2009
[18] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007
[19] Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 2005
The Get Help App © provides a 24/7 source of support to formerly incarcerated individuals. With the simple push of a button, they are connected to a live trained volunteer mentor for communication via phone call or text messaging or to our 24 hour live resource referral hotline or to an actually licensed clinician and licensed nurse practitioner.
MaaS 360, an IBM company will provide our mobile device management to make sure all of our phones are properly monitored and conform to IDOC guidelines of security and safety.
Our volunteer mentors will be trained by a university partner, yet to be determined. In this pilot test phase with the IDOC, we will perform a randomized control trial which will be monitored, evaluated and reported by Beta.gov.
FREE believes its GHAPP will help to reduce recidivism by 27% or more and help to decrease states' correctional expenditures by millions of dollars. The application will also be a tool that will provide job listings, videos related to decision making and behavior, notification of important dates, and notification of events such as job fairs.
Our CRM is being designed by Salesforce, and will operate under their Desk.com platform. We will achieve integration with Talkdesk.com. Because our phones are outfitted with the GPS, we have the ability provide referral services close at hand. Our budget provides for the initial pilot program launching in Illinois in July 2017 as well as our sustainability to carry this program nationwide and into 2018.
3. Vet Help App Phone Program (VHAPP), is a veteran-specific version of the Get Help App Phone Program (GHAPP), provides supports that aid in the successful and safe transition of adults from secure confinement back to their families and communities.
Because this transition, whether it be from active-duty service or confinement to living in the community, can be difficult, the Vet Help App Phone Program (VHAPP) provides supports that aid in the successful and safe transition of adults from secure confinement back to their families and communities. VHAPP puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every veteran exiting the criminal justice system or going through treatment courts that meet the criteria as established by the Veteran’s Treatment Court jurisdiction. Each cellular device we deliver will have our patented Vet Help App© installed.
VHAPP puts a cellular phone device into the hands of every veteran exiting the criminal justice system or going through treatment courts that meet the criteria as established by the Veteran’s Treatment Court jurisdiction. Each cellular device we deliver will have our patented Vet Help App© installed.
The Vet Help App© is a vital link which allows formerly incarcerated veterans, veterans in the treatment courts, and homeless veterans, especially those in crisis mode, connect with counseling, mentors, and community resources. Recovering addicts and alcoholics often can feel despondent over difficulties in transitioning to citizenship, such as finding employment, housing or other barriers. Upon pressing the Vet Help App© button, they will have immediate access to a volunteer pool of on-call mentors that have been matched to meet the needs of the individual calling. All of our mentors have undergone a rigorous mentor-training course developed in conjunction with established veteran mentorship modules and long-serving veteran mentors as consultants and are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year. Mentors are available to assist that individual either via a person-to-person voice call or via text messaging, the person initiating the call will make the decision as to the type of interaction they prefer. Additionally, Vet Help App© users will have the ability to contact our 24-hour Vet Help referral resource hotline.
How do we make all of this happen?
We make all of this possible through your support.
As FREE begins to prepare to meet its budgetary requirements for 2017 to service
programming in the areas of Children with Incarcerated Parents and our Get Help App and Vet Help App Phone Programs, we are hosting a Gala Fundraising Launch Party for California, Illinois and
New York.
Our goal for the evening is to raise $3.5 million, which we believe we can accomplish through the sale of our sponsorship packages alone. At the end of the evening we ask our attendees to take part in a live-auction, where they can make personal pledges. All the funds raised in excess of our $3.5 million goals will go into a general pot to be split evenly amongst
the event’s not-for-profit partners as designated by the event honorees and speakers.
The first annual “Inspire to Aspire” fundraising gala will take place on September 28th, 2017 at
the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. A red carpet and cocktail reception will kick off
the evening, with a seated dinner, a live “paddle” auction, and an after-hours party following. Live
entertainment from special guest celebrities and noted honorees will be ongoing throughout the
gala. All proceeds from the evening will support FREE’s core mission, including the building of
drop-in centers for Children with Incarcerated Parents in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Learn more about FREE: www.freereentry.org
The evening’s highlights include:
● A red carpet entrance, followed by a cocktail reception
● A seated dinner prepared by the award-winning chefs at the Four Seasons
● Live entertainment, including musical performances and inspirational speeches
● Awarding ceremony for honorees, including a surprise student scholarship
● Live auction
● An after-party with a surprise celebrity DJ and local food trucks
● Special preview of luxury automobiles, presented by our sponsors at BMW, Porsche, and Tesla
● A live "paddle-call" auction
This is where your contribution will go:
Our annual program cost for our Drop-in centers are $1,050,000,00 each for Chicago and Los Angeles.
The cost of hosting an event the magnitude of our Gala Fundraising Event will cost $363,000.00 but has the potential impact of raising over $3.5 million.
Your initial support of this event will help us reach the level of selling our various sponsorship packages.
Included is this budget are:
Video production
$15,000.00
Printed materials: programs, invitations, packets
$4,500.00
Food and drinks deposit (Beverly Wilshire Hotel)
$32,500.00
Talent consulting fee
$5,000.00
Corporate Sponsor consulting fee
$5,000.00
PR consulting fee
$5,000.00
Event Planning fee
$7,500.00
Donation management software fee
$500.00
Graphic design and website development
$9,000.00
Advertising
$12,000.00
TOTAL
$96,000.00
Final word:
As we strive to move the needle on recidivism, we want the world to know the challenges and successes facing the individuals with criminal justice involvement so that our communities can be better prepared to welcome them home and to end the cycle of recidivism for them and their children. Your support of our efforts makes all of this possible.
Our advocacy efforts include:
· Creating a dialogue with the public, stressing that we need their assistance to identify this reclusive population.
· Updating our website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) with information about critical issues and discussions impacting children with incarcerated parents as well as news of successes, new policies and emerging programs positively impacting our population.
· Offering extensive training to people who are potential first contacts for children of inmates and their caregivers. These include service providers, school counselors, physicians, and clinicians, law enforcement and correctional officers.
· Operating community-based Drop-in Centers through Cook County and elsewhere. These centers serve as hubs for intake, case management, prevention, intervention, and outreach efforts.
· Reaching out to local and national media to cover our Bonding Visits to correctional facilities and explain the issues that our children live with daily.
· Disseminating brochures, posters, referral contact cards, and arrest follow-up communication cards.
· Meeting regularly with stakeholders, decision makers, and policy officials throughout California and Illinois counties but especially in the large urban areas of each of those states where incarceration rates are high. We also carry our message throughout the halls of the Legislatures, Department of Corrections, Department of Children and Families and other departments and agencies.
· Providing letters of invitation that explain our program and how to enroll qualified children. These are used by team members when they contact potential clients from a data list or referral.
Thank you for your generous support.
Sources:
[1] Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010
[2] Pew Research Center’s Economic Mobility Project
[3] La Vigne, Davies & Brazzell,2008
[4] La Vigne et al., 2008
[5]General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2011
[6] U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2011
[7] La Vigne et al., 2008
[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013; Phillips&Gleeson, 2007
[9] Ibid
[10] Sentencing Project, 2009
[11] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[12] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007
[13] Bureau of Justice Statistics
[14] Sentencing Project, 2009
[15] Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, 2000
[16] Sentencing Project/Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2009
[17] Sentencing Project, 2009
[18] Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2007
[19] Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 2005
Organizer
Dylan Hood
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Freedom House Reentry Education and Employment Corporation
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
