Juma Ventures

Juma Ventures (Juma) operates an award-winning youth development program with the mission of breaking the cycle of poverty by ensuring that young people complete a four-year college education.

Founded in 1993, this San Francisco-based nonprofit empowers low-income youth to make successful transitions to independence in adulthood through an innovative program that integrates employment in social enterprises, college preparation, career services and financial education. For the fourth year in a row, over 90% of Juma's seniors graduated from high school; and 87% of those transitioned to college (compared to the prevailing rate for low-income high school graduates of 52%).

In each community (San Francisco Oakland and San Diego), Juma owns and operates small businesses that provide meaningful employment and development opportunities to low-income youth. The job experience youth receive is complemented by programs focused on college completion (including academic-based after school programming and college preparation); opportunities for leadership development; and financial literacy education, including access to matched savings accounts that multiply and leverage personal savings from job earnings.

Juma's program provides the foundation for youth to transcend challenging circumstances and break the cycle of poverty - fulfilling their inherent potential to positively impact their communities.

Juma believes in a strength-based, social justice approach that offers young people supportive one-on-one counseling, coaching on life skills and workshops to develop their critical thinking skills. At the heart of our ability to help youth make successful transitions into adulthood is our commitment as a staff team to providing youth with positive adult relationships.