ExodusFoundation.org

GIVING TUESDAY 2024

How can you be a part of this awesome mission to stop the flow of African-Americans and all Americans to prison? 

1) Make a substantial sacrificial gift and ask your friends to match it in order to assist us in our ongoing campaign to raise $1.5 million ($500,000 a year for three years) . We need to scale our award winning mentoring program so that Exodus Mentors who are culturally competent life navigators and career developers, can be trained online and in person.  

2) Help us meet our next big goal.  We aim to recruit, train and match 1000 mentors over the next 5-10 years with your committed financial support becoming wind beneath the wings of formerly incarcerated women and men who DESERVE a chance at life after paying their dues.  Oftentimes, those coming home from prison and jail paid MORE than their fair share with exceedingly harsh sentencing laws or long periods of  jail time awaiting a hearing.

3) Help the board attract 600 donors giving $10 monthly for three years or $120 annually.

More about us....

Outcomes:  90% of our formerly incarcerated mentees did not return to prison between 2008-2018.   We help our neighbors transform their lives with new mindsets, careers, education and entrepreneurship.  We give hope and succor to families depressed by the impact of incarceration.  We significantly contribute to Charlotte's improved public safety.

Exodus Foundation.org was founded in 1999 by Rev. Dr. Madeline McClenney after seven years (1986-1993) of serving people who were homeless on the streets of Washington, D.C. at the height of the crack epidemic.   The vision was born at the  Community for Creative Non-Violence on 2nd and D. Street where she volunteered as a college and graduate student.   Fifty percent  of the residents had arrived straight from prison.  After completing a business degree in Finance from Howard University and Master of Divinity, Dr. McClenney completed a Ph.D. in Hebrew Scriptures at Duke University minoring in Islamic Law and Women's Studies.   She has turned down a combined $2 million in income from tenure track offers over the past twenty years to answer the call to serve formerly incarcerated persons.  She serves as the President and Board Chair.

Exodus Foundation.org is a movement to transform global public mental health and safety through highly trained mentors for people impacted by jails and prison systems. Our local mission is to stop the flow of African-Americans to prison. Nationally, our mission is to stop the flow of all Americans to prison. 

Our banner program, the Red Sea Crossings Mentoring and Scholarship program matches trained volunteers who are culturally competent with formerly incarcerated persons. We are unique in Charlotte and the nation because we provide 24 hour customized mentoring. Our mentors are life navigators who make a one year renewable commitment to go on a journey with a ready-for-success returning citizen who has paid his or her dues yet faces legalized discrimination in housing, employment, education and voting. 

Our mentees set their goals, and we help them achieve them in the workplace, educational settings and entrepreneurship. The staff supports the match with referrals to needed services. We are a loving, compassionate Christian faith based 501c3 operating foundation. We serve people of all faiths or no faith at all.

Past support has accomplished the following: 

-Our 2024 Restoration, Redemption and ReEntry Conference was a resounding success with over 200 people in attendance and multiple workshop addressing re-entry issues for formerly incarcerated participants and their loved ones. 

--Provided 24-hour support in mentoring relationships leading to job placements, housing search ass, eviction avoidance, educational pursuits and training, family support, and court support for 10 mentees. 

--Served over 100 people with our trauma care focused Restoration, Redemption and ReEnry Conference in 2020 online. 

--After a five year effort, secured clemency for Robert "Wize" Green on January 6, 2022 who had served 20 years and otherwise faced a 39 year sentence for un-violent crimes. 

--Helped launch the Ending Mass Incarceration National Interfaith Network with two online events with Calling All Crows reaching over 3000 directly impacted persons and their families. 

--Distributed over 600 care packages to N.C. state prisons. 

--Coached two Bennett Belle interns focusing on criminal justice careers. 

Post-Covid:

--Expansion of partnerships and concept design for a residential version of the mentoring program. 

--Infrastructure and branding upgrades. 

---Held the Restoration, Redemption and ReEntry Conference in 2022 in partnership with the National Prison Summit serving over 300 re-entry advocates and prisoners including 30 participants from a local prison.