Who We Are
Fair Chance envisions a nation where every child succeeds. We believe that small, community-based nonprofits are critical players in combating the effects of poverty on children. Annually, we select cohorts of small nonprofits, predominantly led by people of color, and provide a unique capacity building program that strengthens organizational infrastructure and sustainability.
Our goal is to ensure these organizations are strong resources in their communities for years to come. Since 2002, we have served over 200 nonprofits in Washington, DC and Prince George’s County, MD. Results show that nonprofits that complete a Fair Chance Partnership go on to double their budget and double the number of children they serve — providing more opportunities and access to those most affected by poverty. Our model is necessary for our times.
The History of Fair Chance
When Fair Chance was founded by Amanda Marshall in 2002, our goal was to build the capacity of nonprofits serving children in DC’s Wards 7 & 8, the areas of the city most under-resourced and challenged by the impacts of structural racism. By 2003, Fair Chance began offering free capacity building to its first class of three nonprofits.
Since then, Fair Chance has…
- Worked with over 200+ nonprofits serving over 150,000 children, youth, and families
- Expanded from a focus on DC’s Ward 7 and 8 to working with nonprofits serving children and families poverty across DC and Prince George’s County, Maryland
- Developed three programs to meet the unique needs of community-based nonprofits
- Contracted with government agencies and foundations to improve the effectiveness of grantees
- Created Network Services to help nonprofits grow and thrive and to ensure our alumni are sustainable after they graduate from the Fair Chance Partnership
- Developed our Racial Equity Framework to help us intentionally incorporate racial equity into all facets of our organization
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Our Values
Accountability
Accountability
Innovation
Innovation
Diversity
Diversity
We are people of multiple ethnicities, identities, perspectives, and life experiences, and respect how that strengthens our work
Leadership
Leadership
Equity
Equity
Partnership
Partnership
We invest in developing long-term relationships of trust with leaders and organizations who work with children, youth and families
Impact
Impact
We use data to continuously improve programs and operations to achieve life-changing results for children and youth experiencing poverty