"The ability to gain employment and the ability to retain employment are two very different skill sets the offender must acquire to be successful in the workplace" - National Institute of Corrections

DLF has worked with incarcerated men on the Hutchins Unit since 2002. In recent months, DLF’s reentry team noticed that while participants in the Faith Based Dorm where able to find employment upon release, their ability to stay employed was becoming an issue. As a part of many reentry programs, finding employment is one of the initial requirements. However, the educational tools and resources to both find job opportunities and maintain them is lacking. 

"I hope to prepare the offenders professionally, mentally and spiritually to be successful in the workplace so that they can become financially stable" - Ashton Galloway, Employment Case Manager 

DLF's WIN! program launched in April as a solution to equip incarcerated men with soft skills and other tools for employment prior to their release. Ashton Galloway, Employment Case Manager for DLF, has been integral to the program's curriculum which spans across six modules on topics like conflict management, resume writing, and financial literacy.

In addition to these skills, program participants will also have an opportunity to participate in mock interviews and will receive access to job leads and referrals upon release. Upon the start of the program, initial assessments showed 60% of participants not being ready to enter the workforce despite feeling able to find and maintain a job. In fact, Ashton notes that one of the biggest challenges was “getting into the mind of the inmates and helping them see why they need the program”. As the first 30 WIN! program participants have wrapped up their training, 90% show a stronger understanding of soft skills which will greatly improve their employability.

Interested in supporting the WIN! program? Check out how ways to get involved:

Volunteer to conduct mock interviews. Contact Ashton Galloway at agalloway@dlftx.org to set up a time.

Donate supplies. Make a gift to DLF Reentry to provide folders, writing utensils, and more to the men in the Hutchins Unit. 

DLF's youth team works with hundreds of young people like Erica every day. Our programs and the staff and volunteers that facilitate them help to provide much needed guidance, support, and healthy adult relationships in a safe environment. When you donate to DLF, you are making a commitment to help our students prepare for college, make wise decisions, and grow as individuals. 

Donate to the Summer Match Campaign through August 31st and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar!

Thirty-four years ago, Karen and David Konker settled into Dallas with their two children. Karen notes that their “life was focused around [their] church, Highland Park Presbyterian.“ As involved members, Karen and David participated in various community outreach events and along the way were introduced to Dallas Leadership Foundation.” DLF’s annual city-wide volunteer event, Transform Dallas was and is a huge area of interest for the Konker family. After volunteering at the event and connecting with CEO Wil McCall, they were sold on the mission and have grown deeper as volunteers. The Konkers have done everything from working with DLF’s development team to pulling weeds in Mill City’s community garden. In all aspects, they agree that a unique facet of DLF’s work is the degree of personal mentoring that takes place in all our programs. “It’s a rare organization that gives personal care then helps others develop the skills to do the same." David and Karen are passionate about helping their community reflect Christ’s love and want to spread the word while being earthly examples of God’s kingdom. Volunteering supports their desire to be the hands and feet of Christ but there’s always more to be done. David and Karen have experienced how technology has been utilized to expand the mission of their church beyond their four walls and are excited to see DLF’s mission be shared in the same way. “There’s so much rancor and conflict in our communities. Everyone just needs more practice in the language of love. That happens with what DLF is doing."

We are very thankful to have David and Karen as part of the DLF family! 

“You cannot turn a community around thinking in singularities. You have to think in pluralities.” – Michael Sorrell, Paul Quinn College

Our community partner Michael Sorrell is widely known for his innovative farm on the former football field at Paul Quinn College. What is perhaps not as widely known, is that when he received funding for that project, he also ensured support for the surrounding neighborhood, which sits in a food desert, by giving away 10% of everything they grow.

The Partnership Problem

Nonprofit organizations today are constantly wondering how to increase their impact, serve more people, and raise more money. The reality is that not enough nonprofits are seeking ways to solve their challenges together. When organizations work alone, the people we seek to serve suffer. The competition for funding increases, program initiatives are cut, and broader social change is limited.

Why Partner?

Finding a corporate partner to champion your cause, or a community partner to be in the trenches alongside you can save costs on infrastructure and administrative expenses, improve efficiency, share skills and expertise, and strengthen your brand and programs.

How DLF’s Partnerships Have Increased Our Impact

Dallas Leadership Foundation began partnering with organizations that aligned with our mission and values in 2012. In the years following, we’ve seen that as our partnerships grow, the number of people we serve annually has more than tripled. DLF’s partnerships are critical to our work. DLF also utilizes space for our summer programming at Christ Community, provides food for families during the holidays through B.C. Williams, and works with Home Depot who provides materials and volunteers for our neighborhood beautification projects. Due to all of our partners, we can do more, better! To date, DLF has touched over 100,000 people in its 23 years.

DLF's Parnterships vs. People Served 

The true work of community transformation cannot occur in a silo. Help us do even more this year! If you’re interested in partnering with DLF please contact Krystal Hargrove at publicrelations@dlftx.org

Edison has served on our DLF Youth team as Youth Leader for a little over a year. He credits a simple google search for “Leadership in Dallas” for leading him to our website where he found exactly what he’d been searching for. After graduate school Edison states he “was looking for a non-profit organization that valued Christ, servant leadership, community, and the next generation”. 

Edison's favorite part of working with his team is the sense of community amongst them. He explains that Dallas Leadership Foundation's leadership creates an environment where people can “laugh, cry, and support staff in areas they need to grow”.

As a Youth Leader, Edison works with young people ages 12-18 to teach the DLF Youth leadership development curriculum. He is one member of a small team that touches over 2,000 students each year through the in-school Power Lunch program and summer Power Camp program.

Lately, he’s worked alongside our Youth team to develop their newest initiative, Power Mentoring. This program will connect high school students in Dallas and Richardson ISD with volunteers in the community to teach our very own leadership curriculum.

Identifying future leaders, engaging their parents, and perhaps most importantly, sharing his Christian faith are among the few amazing things Edison strives to do daily.

"Dallas Leadership Foundation is a church without a pulpit. We are blessed to be God's hands and feet in the metroplex" - Edison Senat

Want to be a part of DLF? Apply here.