It’s a good place to be when you’re over half-way to reaching your year-end goal and it’s only June. That’s the position our 2024 recipient organization, Build a Biz Kids (BizKids), is thrilled to be in.

Utilizing Project Change Foundation’s combination of funding and mentorship support, BizKids made the goal to expand its programs of teaching human essential soft skills (HESS) to 6,000 youth in 80 communities through partnering with schools and non-profits. A combination of investing in marketing and working with mentor Emily-anne King (a Project Change board member) has resulted in BizKids securing multiple new community partners across Canada.

The BizKids team used the $2,000 grant from Project Change to produce new marketing materials that pitch the benefits of the charity’s Future-Ready education programs to educators. Delivering those materials at two conferences attended by BizKids resulted in a significant number of conversions, says Rebecca Patterson, BizKids community manager. Starting in September, over 1,000 more youth will be participating in at least one BizKids Program that will help them develop critical skills to be equipped for the future employment market.

BizKids CEO and executive director, Leah Coss, says the mentorship from King, who is executive director and co-founder of Backpack Buddies, has helped the team see how to move forward.

“Getting to meet with a founder and CEO of another charity that is a number of steps ahead of where we want to be is so empowering because it allows us to gain perspective and gives us tactical strategies to reach our goals and better support our communities.” – Leah Coss, BizKids CEO/executive director

We’re so pleased to see BizKids producing such impressive results, and we can’t wait to check in again at the end of the year.

Read more about BizKids on their website.