The scars born from growing up in our community perpetuate the issues that caused them. Left unaddressed, these scars grow with us and spread as our communities continue to suffer.
Having been born from the community, we know there is a solution - our traumas will not go unaddressed, we will heal.
Help Us Usher in The Era of Healing
Become a First Fifty Friend
Support the Healing
Donations of all sizes make an impact and your support of our mission is appreciated
From our Founder
I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. As the Founder of The 1937 Foundation, I am writing to share the deeply personal mission that drives us and to humbly request your support in addressing the profound issues perpetuated by trauma in our communities.
Our organization was born out of a personal journey that changed the course of my life. Growing up in a neighborhood plagued by crime and economic disinvestment, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact it can have on individuals, families, and entire communities. Unfortunately, I did not merely observe this pain from a distance; I experienced it firsthand having been a victim of gang violence and shot in the back twice.
The physical wounds were only part of the ordeal; the emotional and psychological scars that followed were just as crippling. It was during this process of healing and introspection that the seeds of The 1937 Foundation were sown. I realized that my experiences were not isolated incidents; countless others within our communities were grappling with their own traumas, whether from violence, abuse, loss, or other forms of adversity.
This is why I am so excited to be launching our First Fifty Friends Campaign! Be among the first to join us in our journey to address trauma head-on and empower individuals to reclaim their lives and attain economic sustainability. We’re currently at a critical juncture as our opportunity to be of service to the underserved has outpaced our full readiness, and we respect that select friends like you can keep us from having to pause. Through this exclusive First Fifty Friends Campaign, our goal is to secure a modest amount of unencumbered funds - this small, but important, raise will enable us to remain on the accelerated path we’re on.
I invite you to take the first look at The 1937 Foundation, its mission and service pillars. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our work, please do not hesitate to contact us. I genuinely appreciate your time and consideration.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Ambrose Jackson
Founder, The 1937 Foundation
The 1937 Foundation First Fifty Friends is an exclusive class of The Foundation’s closest friends and respected allies. A select group of 50 individuals and companies, choosing to aid us at the onset, bridge our need and fuel our forward motion.
Our First Fifty Friends
The 1937 Foundation became a 501 (c)(3) non-profit three years ago; its mission is to build resilient communities and self-sufficient individuals who are healthy, safe and economically secure, by providing equitable access to the resources and opportunities necessary for individuals and communities to recover from trauma.
While we’ve been building, we’ve also begun being of service, already providing select well-being support, on-the-job training and dispensary license application assistance. In fact, two of the recently chosen Illinois dispensary social equity lottery winners began their journey by participating in The 1937 Foundation’s Incubator Program launched in January, 2023!
Thus the work has begun, but the need outpaces our start-up grant’s disbursement schedule. The 1937 Foundation has been awarded $2.3 million to address decades of disinvestment and harm caused by the war on drugs. The 3-year, merit-based grant is managed by the State of Illinois through its Restore, Reinvest & Renew (R3) grant program, and funded by state tax dollars. Soon the State’s disbursement cadence will keep pace with the devastated communities’ demand for help.
We could pause, but do not want to. With your help, we won’t have to.
Become a First Fifty Friend
Donate $1937 to The 1937 Foundation Help Us Usher in The Era of Healing
Your gift to our tax-exempt organization is deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
Donors will receive a receipt for their 2023 tax records
Campaign Deadline: “Friends” will be recognized in order of donation receipt
The First Fifty to donate $1937 will be memorialized as our First Fifty Friends
Not able to donate $1937? All donations are welcome and your support of our mission is appreciated