SAFER FOUNDATION
571 WEST JACKSON, CHICAGO, IL 60661 www.saferfoundation.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: TO SUPPORT, THROUGH A FULL SPECTRUM OF SERVICES, THE EFFORTS OF PEOPLE WITH ARREST AND CONVICTION RECORDS TO BECOME EMPLOYED, LAW-ABIDING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND AS A RESULT, REDUCE RECIDIVISM.

EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION AND PLACEMENT FOR PERSONS WITH ARREST AND CONVICTION RECORDS.

Employment services in Illinois and Iowa - programs are designed to prepare people with criminal backgrounds for job opportunities by providing job preparedness, job referral and placement and retention services. Clients participating in the job-readiness program receive training in workplace etiquette, how to complete job applications, develop a resume and prepare for job interviews. Mock interviews are conducted during the week-long training. Individual counseling, case management and mentoring as well as group sessions focus on needs assessment and the development of both long and short range employment goals and the steps necessary to achieve those goals. Group sessions focus on a variety of topics including money management, health awareness, careers and life skills improvement. Safer's employment services division provides more than 300 employers with recr0itment assistance, logistic support and education re: tax and bonding incentives. Each year over 5,100 clients are served by Safer's workforce services. More than 3,800 clients secured subsidized and private sector employment. More than ninety-nine percent of clients rated Safer's services as satisfactory or very satisfactory. During FY20, Safer engaged individuals into several funded training programs. Of the 219 enrolled in training programs, 116 completed the credentialed training. 93 individuals or 82% were employed in the industry in which the training prepared them for the industry. SDSC The Safer demand skills collaborative (SDSC) is an employer-driven initiative of public and private partners working to get companies the skilled workers they need to meet in-demand occupations. It is a supply chain strategy that allows Safer to build a pipeline of well-qualified individuals to fill employer gaps based upon labor market information (LMI). Moreover, it allows Safer foundation to bring people with arrest and conviction records into the workforce with career ladder employment and fully into the economic mainstream of society. Our SDSC pathways include: healthcare, advanced manufacturing, logistics, construction, automotive technology, hospitality and information technology. Apprenticeship programs Safer foundation utilizes a variety of strategies to train people with arrest and conviction records for positions that can fuel a companies' growth and success. Our approach to building talent pipelines includes work-based learning programs. Our pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs are designed to bring underrepresented populations into apprenticeship programs in the skilled trades. These programs integrate our proven client services employment model (case management, wrap-around services, Safer skills training (SST) and workforce development) and our basic skills education with industry recognized construction and construction-related curriculum and on-the-job training through our reconstruction technology partners division. Current areas of focus include carpentry, electrical, solar panel installation. Violence reduction programs Safer foundation is a social impact organization. We believe that rebuilding personal economic security through work and meaningful employment is a path to eliminate violence in our communities and rebuild vital and human and social capital. Our work intentionally seeks to engage individuals in positive, affirming, meaningful pathways to economic security, freedom from substance abuse, and other influences that can lead to violence as a by-product of hopelessness and despair. Our violence reduction programs include: in-demand skills training, cognitive behavioral interventions, substance abuse treatment, transitional jobs employment, and case management. We partner with a diverse set of partners to carry out this work. Representative collaborations include: hospitals, university research centers, occupational training partners, community and faith-based institutions and governmental entities (criminal justice system, city and county government, etc.).

BASIC SKILLS/EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS AND IOWA - SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS TO IMPROVE BASIC EDUCATION SUCH AS READING, WRITING AND MATH. UPGRADING THESE SKILLS LEADS TO IMPROVED JOB OPPORTUNITIES. MORE THAN 1,200 CLIENTS PARTICIPATE IN SAFER'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHICH PROVIDE AN ACTIVE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS ARE PEER TEACHERS AND HELP EACH OTHER DEVELOP SKILLS NEEDED TO OBTAIN A HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF TRAINED FACILITATORS. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED IN A SIMULATED WORK ENVIRONMENT INCORPORATING TIME MANAGEMENT, TEAM BUILDING, BUSINESS SETTING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN INTENSIVE EIGHT WEEK SESSION, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE HSE EXAM. SAFER IS AN OFFICIAL HSE TEST SITE, ALLOWING MOST STUDENTS TO TAKE THE EXAM AT THE SAME LOCATION WHERE THEY ATTEND CLASSES. DURING COVID19, OUR ADULT EDUCATION STAFF SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED TO HYBRID LEARNING, CONSISTING OF ONLINE AND IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.

ADULT TRANSITION/RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS - SAFER FOUNDATION IS THE ONLY NONPROFIT PRIVATE AGENCY THAT OPERATES SECURED RESIDENTIAL CENTERS ON BEHALF OF THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. AT THE TWO SAFER ADULT TRANSITION FACILITIES, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS CAN SERVE THE FINAL 30 DAYS TO 24 MONTHS OF THEIR STATE PRISON SENTENCES IN A COMMUNITY-BASED, WORK RELEASE SETTING. THE PURPOSE OF THESE CENTERS IS TO GIVE THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SELECTED PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION TO WORK, FAMILY, AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PRIOR TO RELEASE, TO IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE, LAW-ABIDING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, SAFER SKILLS TRAINING (SST), MENTORING, HSE TESTING AND DEMAND SKILL VOCATIONAL TRAINING. OVER 1,100 CLIENTS WERE SERVED IN THE TWO ADULT TRANSITION CENTERS. AT ANY GIVEN TIME THERE WERE UP TO 530 RESIDENTS. ON AVERAGE, 100 HSE'S ARE COMPLETED EACH YEAR. ATC RESIDENTS ARE RECRUITED FOR PARTICIPATION IN DEMAND SKILL TRAINING PROGRAMS TO EARN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS. EMPLOYMENT IS A MAJOR FOCUS IN PROGRAMING OFFERINGS FOR THE RESIDENTS. BOTH CENTERS HAVE EXPERIENCED A HIGH OF 80% OF RESIDENTS ELIGIBLE TO WORK EMPLOYED. DESPITE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS BEING EMPLOYED PROVIDED $5.4M OF NET PAY in the current year TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENT AND RESIDENT FAMILIES POSITIVELY IMPACTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY, $1.4M TAXES PAID TO FEDERAL AND STATE REVENUE AGENCIES AND $572K IN DEPENDENT SUPPORT. FOR ALL JOB STARTS BOTH CENTERS HAVE A 30 DAY EMPLOYMENT RETENTION GOAL OF 70%. DURING THE YEAR THE CENTERS HAVE ON AVERAGE ACHIEVED THIS EMPLOYMENT RETENTION GOAL. In partnership with the Chicago Housing Authority, Safer has successfully operated its existing Focus Housing development on the West side of Chicago since 2007, a 10 unit residential building located at 165 N. Central Ave, Chicago. Safer provides men with arrest or conviction records with permanent housing and customed services including employment, training, job placement, substance use treatment, healthcare and intensive case management.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202111339349306251_public.xml