July 17, 2012
Dear JLJC Friends, Supporters and the Charlotte Community:
For nearly 14 years, Jacob’s Ladder Job Center (JLJC) has served Charlotte citizens in the spirit of excellence by helping unemployed and underemployed individuals get back to work. We have literally turned thousands of lives around, providing hope and opportunity for a sustainable future. People like you and supportive multi-faceted partnerships within the community are a testament to the success that JLJC has achieved throughout the years.
Unfortunately, due to a series of unexpected circumstances, Jacob’s Ladder Job Center is suddenly facing the most critical time in our history. We need your help! After going through a period of leadership transitions last year from a long-term executive director to an interim and finally to a permanent one, we missed out on some key fundraising and grant opportunities. Coupled with the economic downturn, we are afraid the very future of our organization is at stake and we are in dire financial need.
On behalf of JLJC, we are asking for your immediate financial support so JLJC can continue to move forward in our mission and enrichment of our community. Let us be very clear – we must raise $200,000 by August 17 to fund the organization through 2012, giving us time to get back on track financially, thus enabling us to keep our doors open, continue services and avoid layoffs. In addition to operating at a bare-bones capacity, we’re implementing an aggressive diversified fund-raising strategy to get us back where we need to be.
Some nonprofits may feel it’s important to paint a picture of strength during such a vulnerable and tough situation like ours, but we believe it is important to reach out to our supporters like you in the spirit of trust by alerting you and allowing you the opportunity to help us back to stability rather than quietly shutting-down operations. The good news is that provided we can obtain this emergency funding, we already have several grant proposals and other existing and prospective benefactors in play that we believe will solve our funding shortages and restore us to the level of financial solvency we have achieved in the past.
What can you do to support JLJC?
- Make a monetary donation
- Request a matching gift from your employer
- Become a voice…share this story with coworkers and employers, friends, family, and neighbors
- Encourage your family, community and church foundation to support this work
In order to reach our immediate fundraising goal, any donation will be greatly appreciated and can be made online from our home page at http://jacobsladdercharlotte.org - by clicking the yellow and blue donate button on the right column. You may also make a check payable to “Jacob’s Ladder Job Center” and mail it or hand deliver it to Jacob’s Ladder Job Center, 2304 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205. Additionally, credit card gifts may be made by phone at 704-332-5822.
See how Jacob’s Ladder impacts lives: Read Tim Bell’s Story
Since becoming executive director at the end of March, I have been working diligently to continue building on the foundation established by previous executive directors and have been fortunate to inherit an amazing team of trained, professional and caring staff and volunteers who are passionate about arming our clients with competitive job readiness skills. Once over this financial hurdle, there is room to expand and collaborate. Our vision of the next level for JLJC is to create and lead solid collaborative partnership efforts through a “Continuum of Care Consortium.” Because many of our clients come to us with multiple barriers that keep them from achieving self-sufficiency, there is a need to collaborate with community agencies to help negate those barriers by taking a holistic approach.
If you have any questions or to discuss our current situation, please call me (Holly) at 704-332-5822 ext. 221 or email at Holly@JacobsLadderCharlotte.org. We appreciate your support in helping JLJC remain vibrant and continuing its mission of helping people climb the economic ladder of success and building a stronger community one person at a time!
Sincerely,
Holly Cummings, M.M.C. JLJC Executive Director
Sincerely,
Jeff Jones JLJC Board Chairman
