Dear Friends:
Welcome to Philadelphia Futures’ web site. The site has been designed to be a helpful resource for our current students, mentors, volunteers, funders and friends. We also hope that the site will motivate and inspire those who are unfamiliar with our work to learn more about us.
Since 1989, Philadelphia Futures has been an effective means of social change, providing hope, incentive and opportunity to hundreds of students in Philadelphia. The organization’s centerpiece program, Sponsor-A-Scholar, has sent hundreds of students to college and has raised close to $5 million for the direct benefit of the students.
As you will learn from our web site, Sponsor-A-Scholar is unique in the duration and scope of its services. Students join our program in the ninth grade and participate as Sponsor-A-Scholar students all the way through college – a minimum of eight years. We do whatever it takes to help them achieve their dream of a college education.
I am privileged to be part of a wonderful organization that brings together a group of diverse individuals and institutions all with a common mission.
Students who beat the odds many times over and who touch our lives each day with their resilience, determination and good humor.
Parents and guardians who want the best for their children. It is through their efforts that their children enroll in our program and head down the path to success.
Mentors, sponsors and volunteers who willingly share their time, resources and guidance. Their contribution to the fabric of our organization is extraordinary.
Donors and funders who are our partners in the truest sense of the word. We are enormously grateful for their generosity and we are deeply moved by their confidence in our program and belief in our students.
College partners who are committed to diversifying their student bodies, understanding the value added to the education of all students when they learn in a diverse environment. These schools are committed to ensuring that Philadelphia public school students have an equal opportunity to attend a college at which they can develop to their fullest potential.
A Board of Directors who generously contribute their expertise, judgment, guidance and resources. It is through their vision that we see past our artificial boundaries and consider all that is possible.
And the talented and dedicated members of the Staff of Philadelphia Futures, who make great things happen for SAS students. They are filled with pride for what each student has accomplished and hope for what they know they will achieve in the future.
Philadelphia Futures was founded with a vision of what it takes to help a young person succeed, and over the years, we have become an effective, results-oriented program uniquely capable of making a difference in the lives of inner-city students. Please take a moment to browse our site. I hope you will then choose to join us in making dreams come true and building a better future for all of us.
Warmest regards,
Joan C. Mazzotti
Executive Director
