MISSION
We are a nonprofit organization working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals in school, work, and life.
VISION
Our work is successful when low-income residents recognize the power they already possess to transform their lives and communities and disrupt the systems that affect their families. We accomplish this by listening to residents and providing the tools and supports they deem necessary to enact change.
THEORY OF CHANGE
Springboard to Opportunities is built on the premise that affordable housing, combined with strategic, resident-advised services, can provide a platform for low-income people to advance their goals in school, work, and life.
Springboard’s theory of change takes a holistic approach, striving to deeply know and understand the various factors that affect our residents as whole people. At the heart of our organization is a radically resident-driven model. We stand beside families as they work to create change and achieve their goals on an individual, community, and systems level. Simultaneously, we amplify their stories and voices to counter harmful narratives surrounding low-income families.
SPRINGBOARD TO OPPORTUNITIES
Our History
Springboard to Opportunities was founded in 2013. It began its work through affordable housing service contracts, interacting directly with families, and establishing strategic partnerships with local organizations.
In its first decade of existence, Springboard to Opportunities established itself as an invaluable source of support for Jackson’s affordable housing residents, helping residents maintain and retain housing, offering emergency cash and other resources, and creating space and time for personalized coaching and development opportunities, such as Springboard’s fellowships in Policy and Systems Change, Workforce Development, and Education Advocacy.
In 2018, Springboard launched The Magnolia Mother’s Trust, a guaranteed basic income program that went on to become a national standard-bearer for guaranteed income programs nationwide.
Today, Springboard continues to expand the scope of its programming and its influence. Driven by deep and ongoing conversations with residents, the organization supports self-defined goals that reflect families’ changing needs. Importantly, Springboard also partners with residents to influence policy-making and to rewrite social narratives about low-income families and Black mothers in particular.
Holistic Prosperity
Finances are just one part of a family’s life and well-being. In recognition of this complexity, we are working toward a vision of holistic prosperity based on four pillars: financial stability, time, mental and physical health, and relational ties.
By seeing residents as whole people, we can co-create pathways for families to thrive financially, physically, emotionally, and academically.
Learn more about
The Magnolia Mother’s Trust.
In 2018, Springboard to Opportunities launched The Magnolia Mother’s Trust, an initiative that provides low-income Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi, $1,000 each month for 12 months—no strings attached. This was the first guaranteed income initiative to target extremely low-income families headed by Black women living in federally subsidized housing in the United States. Now, with several efficacy studies backing the success of the program, The Magnolia Mother’s Trust has become a national model.
We Are Not …
We are not landlords.
We do not work exclusively in Jackson.
We do not focus exclusively on guaranteed income initiatives.
We are not simply a source of cash assistance.
We Are…
We are advocates who can connect residents of affordable housing with resources and services.
We are activists who share our residents’ commitment to building a thriving community.
We are national leaders who, alongside residents, influence social narratives and policy conversations about socioeconomic well-being at the local, state, and federal levels.
We are collaborators who work with a robust network of thought leaders and stakeholders across the economic justice space.
We are agile and responsive to residents’ needs, prioritizing diverse solutions that honor their perspectives and wisdom.
MORE ABOUT WHO WE ARE
Meet our team of committed advocates and experts.
Aisha Nyandoro is the founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities and a pioneer in the radically resident-driven approach to ending generational poverty. Click here to learn more about Aisha and the rest of our team.
