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Working together to help underserved individuals through meaningful employment.

annual report 2024

ten years of impact

 
five black and white portraits of program participants: black and brown people of various ages, genders, and ethnicities, against neutral backgrounds. each portrait is contained in a white frame, all nested within a larger yellow frame
 
 

TIMELINE
CONTENTS

 
 

a look back over 10 years

Ten years ago, Living Hope Church had just completed restoring its building at 64th and Cottage Grove, and as a part of that process had employed many young men from the community to work on that project. The opportunity for work, coupled with personal relationships and support, led several of those young men to find new work opportunities and pursue a change of trajectory for themselves and their families. What captivated us then is the same thing that captivates us today, ten years later: people are resilient and we have an incredible capacity to make a change, regardless of our circumstances or starting points.

What remains essential in our work is the personal connection, the one-on-one support that allows us to encourage someone in their next step. Oftentimes we hear from participants that all they needed from working with One On One was for someone else to tell them ‘you can do it!’ We truly believe that is one of the most important parts of our work.

people are resilient and we have an incredible capacity to make a change

We started programming much in the same way it looks today: sitting down one-on-one with a job seeker to understand their unique challenges and opportunities while supporting them to take action towards their goals. We grew our work to establish partnerships with employers, community-based businesses and organizations, a network of faith communities, and educational institutions who have all played a role in helping our work both expand and deepen. We’ve supported 87 for-profit businesses to start and helped incubate 123 other grassroots, community-led nonprofits to grow. Ten years later, we serve over 1,000 participants per year and our budget has grown to 1.5M annually.

 

Many of you have played a part in this growth. You’ve lent your wisdom, your resources and your time towards helping our team build One On One. We’re so grateful for the countless hours our volunteers, donors, interns, staff, and board members have given over the years to ensure that we show up consistently to affirm the dignity and self-reliance of each individual and their families through meaningful employment.

As we celebrate this milestone of ten years, we look forward to the next ten years. Our economy continues to evolve and we see more opportunities than ever to ensure that all communities are included in tomorrow’s economic future. As we continue our growth, we look to expand in a few key ways.

First, we look to partner with industry leaders to connect our participants into pathways of growth in technology, analytics, transportation, healthcare, and hospitality. Secondly, we look to grow our physical presence by expanding to multiple satellite locations throughout the city to better serve our participants city-wide while more immediately being able to meet their needs. We invite your continued partnership over the next season of our journey.

black and white headshot of Rebekah, smiling in front of a neutral background

Rebekah Kikama
Executive Director, Co-founder

 
black and white headshot of Ta Juana, smiling against an out of focus cityscape background

Ta Juana Tang
Board Chair

 

2014

 
 
Brad, along with a group of youth volunteers, all in casual clothing, hoist a scaffold into position on a city street

brad beier & benjamin prinz raise funds to start hope works

Brad and Ben raised $50 thousand to start Hope Works, with a broad vision of what it could be. With Rebekah’s background in economic mobility and the church’s history of providing jobs throughout the building, they decided to devote their efforts toward workforce development.

 
Living Hope Church logo; Living Hope Church in chunky blue all-caps type, next to a cross made up of multicolored bricks of irregular sizes and shapes

first
partner

 
 

program model is established

In their first year, Hope Works solidified their unique approach, focusing on individual coaching to support job seekers. This model continues to structure the work we do today.

 
 
infographic; black text reading "40 served" accompanied by 40 yellow dots in 5 columns of 8
 
 
 

hope works hires rebekah as first executive director

2015

 

hope works hires their very first employment coach

 

2016

 
a young woman sits at a desk with two children, one on either side of her. The younger child, a boy, holds a pencil, while the older child, a girl, rests her hand on a notebook. All 3 are smiling and embracing each other.

summer camp with living hope serving 50 youth

20 new partners

2015: Sunshine Gospel, Wheaton College, University of Chicago, UIC, Mustard Seed Foundation, +11 local churches

2016: One Summer Chicago, Rome's Joy Companies, Peach's Restaurant, MIGMIR Fund

2016

MARCEL’S STORY

 

If you spend time at Hope Works, it is only a matter of time before you will meet Marcel. Having grown up in Living Hope Church, he has spends much of his time in the building. Hope Works shares space with Living Hope Church, and Marcel has been coming here long before Hope Works began.

“People always ask me how long l’ve been here but I really don’t know, I’d say like 6 years. I met Pastor Brad through a friend of mine and I played on a basketball team he was coaching... He asked me if I wanted to come to church sometimes, and I kind of avoided him at first for a while, but eventually I came through and it was a great experience. I loved it. I got exposed to different cultures and other people that have different lifestyles.”

A few years after being involved in the youth program, Marcel began to work with the church. He began mentoring the kids and helping out with the summer camp and after-school programs. “I would say I’m really passionate about working with kids. I can relate to them because we all grew up in the same neighborhood. They tend to enjoy me and I tend to enjoy them.”

Marcel loved working with the students, but knew that he would need more sustainable income. When he was ready to look for a long term job opportunity, he knew that through Hope Works, he would have the resources needed to be successful. “Hope Works taught me to be more professional...when you come to Hope Works, you know you’ll apply to jobs. It can be hard on your own but when you come here they make sure that you apply. They really want to help you. There’s an understanding and you become comfortable with them. They taught me that the way you work today is the way you’ll work everywhere else.”

His community advocate worked with him to update his resume and practice interviewing. They searched for and applied to jobs all over the city for two months and eventually found a position with FedEx that would allow Marcel to make a good wage and work with a great team.

“There’s a friendship with co-workers as compared to another job. We got a family thing going on. The longest I had been at a job before this had just been summer jobs for two to three months. But now I’m saving money and learning towards wherever God takes me.” Marcel still works with kids and is grateful for his time with Hope Works. “It’s a smooth process, it will definitely help you. They did a good job of reminding me to always work hard and be at my best.”

2017

 
infographic; black text reading "200 served, 75 hired" accompanied by 20 dots in 4 columns of 5; 12 of the dots are yellow outlines, 7 of the dots are solid yellow, and one is a yellow outline half filled with solid yellow
 
 

Chicago Connection Group

In our work with community based organizations and businesses on the South and West sides, we saw that while many wanted to hire, they often lacked the capital to do so. In 2017, we launched CCG to connect Black & Brown organizations on the South and West sides with the resources to grow.

$250K+ Raised in the first year

$5M+ Raised in five years

200-300% Staff Growth

 
 
 
 
 
black and white headshot of Rebekah against an out of focus brick background; Rebekah appears several years younger than in the headshot accompanying the introductory section

WE KNOW THAT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO GETS A JOB, A WHOLE FAMILY IS IMPACTED

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

2017

 

Dear Friends,

With your support, we’ve had an incredible year of growth. This past year, we worked with over 700 individuals, 422 of whom received jobs. We’ve built community partnerships with over 150 Community Based Organizations who extend our work into their communities. We know that for each individual who gets a job, a whole family is impacted. With an average family size of five individuals, we see a total of over 2,000 people whose lives have been transformed through an employment opportunity.

I am excited to see this significant growth but there have been so many other meaningful victories, like when one of our participants who loves to bake was able to complete a training program and get a full time job as a pastry chef paying more than the part time job she had previously.

The personal growth of each of our program participants is always exciting to see and we are grateful to partner with you to be part of their story. We know that each individual who gets a job is impacting a whole family; transformation that we know accumulates and impacts communities as a whole.

As I reflect on this year, I am grateful for the growth we’ve seen not only in our budget and support, but also in our capacity, services, and community partnerships. This year, we expanded our church partnerships to create more on the ground opportunities in neighborhoods across the city as well as expanded networks for our program participants. AS a part of our efforts to expand these partnerships, we were able to help secure more than $200,000 in grants to churches and community organizations led by African American leaders. WE completed a strategic planning process and we’ve moved forward in scaling our programming operations and planning for significant growth. We’ve formalized partnerships with institutions such as University of Chicago, Bain Capital, and Rome’s Joy Companies. All of our work was supported by more than five hundred volunteers and interns from colleges and churches across the country who passed through our doors.

We partnered with youth employment initiatives throughout the city to employ 210 students in summer jobs and partnered with Living Hope Church to host Summer Camp for more than 75 children. I’m deeply committed to the transformative power of work and encouraged to see the ways that tangible opportunities have impacted individuals and families. Thank you for your willingness to partner with us as we catalyze individual, workplace, and community transformation and we look forward to the continued work we will do together this year.

With gratitude,

Rebekah S. King
Executive Director

 
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2018

 
 

$346,000
Raised

 

2019

 

HOPE WORKS PARTNERS WITH ONE SUMMER

Through the One Summer program, Hope Works partnered with local organizations to provide youth job placements to provide 50 summer jobs to youth ages 16-24. This marked the beginning of our ongoing work to support youth job seekers and through the unique challenges they face.

 
 
infographic; black text reading "1400 served" nests within a field of 140 solid yellow dots; below it a second field of 32 yellow outlined dots contains the text "32 partners"
 

REBRAND AND NAME CHANGE

In 2019 we launched a full rebrand, reframing our mission and vision, as well as selecting a new name to better articulate the work that we had been doing since 2014.

 
the One On One logo; right aligned and stacked geometric type reading "one on one"; the "O"s and "N"s are broken up by diagonal gaps, all at the same angle

A time to reflect and renew

Since our earliest days, we have believed firmly in the power of building direct relationships. We know that these personal connections are what allow us to support people in finding work that truly supports their well-being.

As part of our 2019 rebrand, the board selected the new name “One On One”, placing this guiding principal at the core of the organization’s identity. The name change represents what we believe is our core differentiator; our commitment to working individually and personally with job seekers.

 
 

 OUR VISION

To be a catalyst for individual, workplace, and community transformation into vibrant economic ecosystems.

 

OUR MISSION

To affirm the dignity and self-reliance of underserved individuals and their families through meaningful employment.

 
 

2020

 
black and white photo of two people wearing masks, holding certificates of completion that bear the One On One logo, stand in front of a brick building

COVID COMMUNITY SUPPORT

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, One On One stepped up to provide community members with weekly meals, COVID supplies, employment opportunities, online training, and leadership development.

 
infographic: black text reading "5000 families served" nests within a grid of 500 solid yellow dots

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

City of Chicago, University of Chicago, Cook County Workforce, Northern Seminary, Wheaton College, 27 churches, and community based organizations

 

2021

 

FIRE AT LIVING HOPE

When our long term home at Living Hope caught fire in 2021, we were forced to adapt quickly, relocating to our current headquarters at King Drive and 47th Street.

 

$420,619
Raised

 
 
black and white photo: 2 people in running shorts and sneakers walk down a paved path through a park, toward a pop up tent bearing the One On One logo. Early morning light casts long shadows on the pavement. other groups of runners gather nearby

FIRST YEAR
OF SECOND
WIND 5K

2022

 
black and white photo of 3 young people. smiling, they gather around a large plastic bin, sorting through its contents of packaged food

ONE SUMMER

One Summer is a Summer youth program that allows us to directly employ 100 youth job seekers over the summer months and place them in jobs throughout the city.

 
infographic: at left, black text reads "47 partners"; at right, 47 yellow outlined dots are arranged in 6 vertical columns

2023

 
infographic: at left, black text reads "55 partners"; at right, 55 dots are arranged in 6 vertical columns
 
 

one on one receives iyip grant

This $450,000 grant, awarded by the Illinois Youth Investment Program, enabled us to rapidly grow our youth support services, serving 100 youth in specialized programs.

 

$1,360,000
Raised

 
 

2023

CHARLY’S STORY

 

Charly’s journey with our program began when he was referred to us by the Marjorie Kovler Center in early spring. After immigrating from Chad, Charly was determined to seize opportunities in the city of Chicago. He enrolled in Business and English courses at his local community college, utilizing his time while waiting for his work permit to arrive. Upon receiving the permit, he wasted no time and eagerly applied to various job openings on different platforms.

After searching for different leads, Charly and his employment coach learned of a hospitality hiring event that was taking place downtown. Charly navigated a hectic schedule that coincided with his final exams to ensure that he could make it to the hiring event. While he was there, Charly engaged with numerous employers and learned more about the industry.

From this event, Charly secured a part-time Public Lot Attendant position at the Ritz Carlton. Soon after, he was offered a full-time hospitality role, further solidifying his passion for meticulous work and attention to detail.

His experience at the Ritz Carlton ignited his aspiration to grow within the hospitality and tourism sector. While Charlie gains work experience, he will continue to pursue education with the goal of becoming a flight attendant after his studies.

Charly’s positive experience with the coaching process left him elated. He found the pace of his interactions with his coach to be just right, enabling him to make meaningful progress. Charly is grateful for the guidance he received and wishes to share the experience with others. 

 
 

2024

YEAR ONE

infographic: at bottom left, short horizontal dark grey bar; at top right, black text reading "1 partner"
infographic: at bottom left, yellow rectangle with a white circle in the middle; at top right, black text reading "$50K budget"
infographic: at bottom left, four solid yellow dots arranged 2x2; at top right, black text reading "40 served"

YEAR FIVE

infographic: at left, taller light grey bar stacked on top of short grey bar; at right, black text reading "32 partners"
infographic: at bottom left, 7 yellow rectangles with white circles in the middle, arranged in a stair-stepped grid; at top right, black text reading "$350K budget"
infographic: at left, thirty solid yellow dots arranged in 5 columns; at right, black text reading "1400 served"

YEAR TEN

infographic: at left, tall yellow bar stacked atop shorter light and dark grey bars; at right, black text reading "115 partners"
infographic: at bottom left, 24 yellow rectangles with white circles in the middle, arranged in a stair-stepped grid; at top right, black text reading "$1.2M budget"
infographic: along bottom left, yellow dots arranged in 7 rows, bottom five rows solid, top two rows outlined; at top right, black text reading "2432 served, 1147 hired"
 
 

Celebrating 10 years of one on one

 
black and white photo of two adults sitting in front of an abstract painting. both wear light colored blazers and name tags. the person on the right, Franklin, speaks into a microphone
black and white photo of three people, a middle aged man, younger man and younger woman talking animatedly while holding
black and white photo of young man in a polo shirt holding a microphone in front of a window that looks out on a snowy neighborhood
black and white photo of a young woman standing next to a seated middle-aged woman. both smile at the camera, wearing business casual clothing and name tags
black and white photo of three young men holding up t-shirts bearing the "One Summer Chicago" logo
black and white photo of a woman in a patterned blouse talking animatedly with a young man in a suit. both hold beverages, while other people mingle in the background
 
 
 
 
black and white portrait of Taylor wearing a smooth blazer and long braids in a white frame nested within a larger yellow frame

TAYLOR’S STORY

2024

 

Taylor Anthony’s journey with us began through a fantastic partnership with True Star Media, one of our worksite partners. She discovered True Star on her own while reaching out to write a story about them for a journalism class. True Star quickly recognized her talent and passion for all things media and connected her to us so she could be part of our youth employment program.

Taylor was about to graduate with her Masters in Journalism and wanted to find a summer internship before diving into a more permanent position. The timing couldn’t have been better, and she quickly started with True Star Media. During her time there, she explored and developed other skills, such as PR and event planning.

Through One On One, Taylor met with her employment coach who encouraged her and, in her words, “took a caring approach.” Our team assisted Taylor with revising her resume, interview prep, and affirming her gifts and skill set. Taylor also appreciated the experience True Star provided and the expansion of her network.

Despite her initial plan to have more time between graduation and a permanent position, Taylor’s readiness to embrace new challenges was evident. She received an offer to be a morning reporter for a local news station in Buffalo, NY, a role she is prepared to excel in and grow within her field.

Resourceful and determined, Taylor’s journey is a testament to what can be achieved with the right support and opportunities. We’re proud to have been part of her story and look forward to watching her rise in the media world.

 

2024

CONNECTING PARTNERS

Used with permission of Golub Capital and University of Chicago Booth School of Business IGNITE Program 2023 

Five years ago, One On One revamped its approach to serving clients: “We used to offer a lot of standard workforce development programs,” said Kikima. “We’d have about 30 people sitting in a class that was very structured; it was a one-size-fits-all approach. This can be very effective for some people, but we saw that for many it didn’t work. They had a lot of complicated other challenges—like childcare, healthcare, housing instability—that were preventing them from improving their lives. 

“We wanted to think about how to supercharge our model by tailoring it to individual needs… Non-profits don’t always do the best job of recognizing what can move the needle for a single person today.” The power of One On One’s individual coaching approach is perhaps best illustrated by their impact on the development of a new facility for Northwestern Medical’s Lurie Children’s Hospital. Lurie had identified the Austin neighborhood and the surrounding zip codes as an area that was underserved for quality healthcare. They approached Pastor Contrell Jenkins, of Lively Stone MB Church, about purchasing a block of properties the church owned to serve as the site for a new hospital. 

“Churches are the largest landowners in our communities,” explained Franklin Ballenger, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships for One On One. “If we hadn’t connected with Pastor Jenkins, they likely would have just sold the land and got a one-time payout. Instead, the church has retained ownership of the land and will get a $2M/year lease payment, and we’re now supporting them on a $19 million development project. 

“We put together an A-team for the project with deep finance and real estate development expertise,” Ballenger continued. This helped Lurie “expedite the development and get the community buy-in they needed to unlock the federal and state funding the project required.” The outcome “won’t just transform the church, but the whole community,” explained Ballenger. “It will go from 3 people to 112 full-time staff and 30 part-timers, and three other tenants including a full-service restaurant in a neighborhood that currently doesn’t have one.

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

 

2023-2024

2,432

TOTAL SERVED

1147

JOBS SECURED

115

COMMUNITY
PARTNERS (ACTIVE)

 

CUMULATIVE (SINCE 2014)

 

11,628

CLIENTS SERVED

$60M+

ESTIMATED TOTAL WAGES*

7,835

JOBS SECURED

212

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

 

*According to the Price of Impact Index

 
simplified map of Chicago zip codes with one zipcode shaded in bright yellow, 4 in pale yellow, 4 in dark grey, and 7 in light grey; most shaded neighborhoods are on the South and West Sides of the city
 
map key: title reads "density of program reach in Chicago"; yellow represents 2014 - 2018; pale yellow, 2018-2021; dark grey, 2021-2022; light grey, 2023
 
 
 
black and white group photo of board members in business casual clothes, gathered close around each other and smiling at the camera

CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Brad Beier, Past Chair
Co-Founder
One On One 
Founding Pastor
Living Hope Church

Mark Davino, Treasurer
Managing Director
J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Angela Dodd
Director, EDLI Community Outreach
Cleveland Avenue

Rebekah Kikama
Executive Director & Co-Founder
One On One

David Leishman, Secretary, Past Chair
Senior Counsel
McGuireWoods

Shenita Muse
Executive Director
The Hope Center Foundation

Sarah Beth Rizzo, Past Treasurer
Partner, Tax
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom 
LLP and Affiliates

Ta Juana Tang, Chair
Principal
Tandem Ventures

Sylvia Wood
Executive Director
JPMorganChase & Co

past board members

Ava Gordon

Nancy Hess

Philip Hong

Tom Kubiak

Mia Martich

Michael Nitz

Benjamin Prinz,
Co-Founder

Perika Samson

Aaron Wood

Trudy Zimmerman

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Financials

 
 

REVENUE

horizontal bar graph: 1st bar, pale yellow, black text reads "FY22, $1,059,650"; 2nd bar, brighter yellow, longer than 1st, text reads "FY23, $1,360,000"; 3rd bar, bright yellow, slightly shorter than 1st,text reads "$1,047,000*"
 

Revenue By Source

pie chart with 5 slices: slice 1, individuals, bright yellow, 12%; slice 2, foundations, pale yellow, 24%; slice 3, government, medium yellow, 43%; slice 4, corporations, dark grey, 10%; slice 5: earned revenue, light grey, 11%
 
 

expenses

horizontal bar graph: 1st bar, pale yellow, black text reads "FY22, $570,000"; 2nd bar, brighter yellow, much longer than 1st, text reads "FY23, $1,320,000"; 3rd bar, bright yellow, intermediate length, text reads "$937,000*"
 

functional expenses by category

pie chart with 3 slices: slice 1, programming, bright yellow, 77%; slice 2, general and administrative, pale yellow, 13%; slice 3, fundraising, dark grey, 10%

*FY24 FINANCIALS ARE BASED ON PRE-AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. FULL FY24 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

 
 
 
black and white photo of middle aged woman smiling in semi-formal dress, standing in front of a graphic wallpaper background

corporate sponsors and donors

All Construction

AshLaur Construction

GMA Construction

JPMorgan Chase Foundation

Leopardo Construction

McGuireWoods

Ozinga Bros, Ltd

Related Midwest

Skadden, Arps, Meagher,
and Flom LLP

Skender

Tandem Ventures LLC

University of Chicago
Civic Engagement

 

private and public grantors

City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services

Crary Family Legacy Fund

Illinois Department of
Human Services

The John E. and Jeanne T.
Hughes Charitable Foundation

The Seabury Foundation

The Marc and Jeanne
Malnati Family Foundation

MIGMIR Fund

The Owens Foundation

Polk Bros Foundation

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join us

To mail a donation, please use:

One On One
PO Box 5624
Chicago, IL 60680

To volunteer, reach out to us at volunteer@oneononechicago.com

 
12 black and white portraits of Black and Brown young people of various ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds, arranged in a 3x4 grid; each photo has its own white frame; all are nested in a larger yellow frame