Connections to Success, a non-profit organization with locations in Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis, and St. Charles, was selected as one of 10 grantees in the inaugural cohort of Bridging Divides by Upward Momentum. The organization will receive $200,000 in funding to support efforts to overcome barriers and improve economic mobility in Boone County, Missouri.
The Bridging Divides initiative aims to promote critical work being done in urban and rural communities, ensuring that more families have access to opportunities to improve the lives of their families and community. According to Upward Momentum, Connections to Success and the other grantees were selected to help create lasting, transformative change while advancing upward mobility among a diverse cross-section of communities served in Missouri.
“We are honored to be chosen by Upward Momentum for this grant, and thrilled to collaborate with these other great organizations,” said Brandi Jahnke, CEO of Connections to Success. “This initiative will expand our reach in more rural areas as we continue walking alongside individuals and families in Boone County, helping them overcome challenges and achieve economic independence.”
Connections to Success provides wrap-around services including career training, life coaching, mentoring, and community support, empowering participants to surmount obstacles such as poverty, incarceration, and domestic violence.
“This new grant will give so many more people the opportunity to break generational cycles of poverty and create a brighter future for themselves and their families,” said Rachael Meuser, Vice President of Community & Impact. “We are deeply committed to supporting our participants every step of the way – through the highs, the lows, and everything in between. We’re with them for life.”
About Connections to Success:
Founded in 1998, Connections to Success is a nonprofit organization based in Missouri, with locations in Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis, and St. Charles. Connections to Success offers comprehensive support to families working toward economic stability and growth by providing practical resources, career preparation, and a strong foundation for lasting success. The organization provides a comprehensive network of services and referrals to help people achieve economic independence after facing challenges such as generational poverty, incarceration, and violence. The Connections to Success model integrates training opportunities, life transformation coaching, support services, and job development to set participants up for long-term success. This evidence-based model delivers a measurable ROI, resulting in sustainable change that positively impacts all areas of a person’s life while also having a positive influence on the community.
Since its original start in 1998, the organization has served over 40,000 individuals throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.
About Upward Momentum:
Upward Momentum is a Missouri-based philanthropic fund and collaborative for philanthropists and community members who are investing in bold, transformative interventions and partnerships that aim to address systemic inequities and improve opportunity for greater economic mobility for all.
