That’s the Ticket!

A Ticket to Success (see our site’s grantee feature) represents an ideal “whole package” grantee. 

This Central Valley program is based in one of the fastest growing regions in the state, facing high unemployment rates that surpass the state’s average, focusing on a program where very few participated in or knew about, had almost little to no start-up funds, addressing an issue in a geography with little philanthropy activity, and had little capacity of fully engaging in technology—almost every high risk factor that funders typically detract from...or embrace. 

And embrace we did. 

We did, not because of the need because that’s always relevant, but because the impact of the program in an economically depressed region and the population for whom it would benefit, could have huge impacts should the grant be deployed well and resourced appropriately. 

This can be attributed to two things: 1) CTFC’s commitment to engaged grantmaking, and 2) a lot of gut. 

Last week, Karen Davidson, A Ticket to Success’s Program Coordinator, CTFC’s Jocelyn Yin and I participated on a “Tuesdays Ticket Training “ teleconference, sponsored by Maximus, the national program manager for the Ticket program.  In the call, Karen attested to how her program became a “whole package” grantee due to CTFC’s engaged grantmaking of evaluative support, convenings, ongoing communications, and our emphasis to dive deeper into the community using technology as a tool. 

Their success is measurable in many ways, and that’s also 100% Karen and her team.  They have already placed 112 disabled persons in the workforce, generated enough income in the 6 figures to sustain their program, and leveraged additional grant dollars from the California Wellness Foundation.  Now, her team is taking her model program online and creating their own social network of Ticket to Work participants and organizations.  You can contact her and ask how she developed her model program and what’s next down the pipe for this grantee. 

Or, you can read about Jorge or Maria, two Ticket beneficiaries who are now working thanks to A Ticket to Success, and learn about what difference a mere ticket made for them.