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| Back on My Feet | |
|---|---|
| Name | Back on My Feet |
| Formation | 2007 |
| Founders | Anne Mahlum |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia |
| Region served | United States |
Back on My Feet
Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that uses running, community, and employment to combat homelessness. The organization began in Philadelphia and expanded to multiple metropolitan areas, linking daily morning runs with access to resources and pathways to work through partnerships with local agencies and corporations. Back on My Feet's model connects participants with volunteers, shelter providers, and employers to foster stability and reintegration into long-term housing and careers.
Back on My Feet was founded in 2007 by Anne Mahlum in Philadelphia following her exposure to urban homelessness and the running cultures of cities like New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Early programs leveraged relationships with local shelters such as the City Team Ministries and municipal agencies in Philadelphia and soon attracted volunteers from nearby institutions like University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and corporate offices of Comcast and IBM. Expansion during the late 2000s and early 2010s reached metropolitan regions including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, often aligning with regional nonprofits like Catholic Charities USA, Shelter Partnership, and municipal homelessness initiatives in Los Angeles County and King County. The organization weathered nonprofit sector changes during the 2010s and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, adapting program delivery alongside agencies such as United Way chapters and foundations including the Ford Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Back on My Feet's stated mission centers on promoting independence for people experiencing homelessness through running-based programming and employment pathways. Core programs combine daily morning runs with goal-setting and case management in collaboration with shelters and service providers like Coalition for the Homeless and Volunteers of America. The model includes tiers of engagement—initial fitness-oriented runs, transitional housing navigation with partners such as Habitat for Humanity, workforce development coordinated with employers like Starbucks and Target Corporation, and alumni support networks that mirror community models used by organizations like Goodwill Industries and Urban League. Programming often integrates referrals to mental health providers including clinics affiliated with Mayo Clinic or university hospitals like Johns Hopkins Hospital and Stanford Health Care, and connects participants to benefit-enrollment services tied to local public agencies such as Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
Back on My Feet operates as a registered nonprofit with a board of directors and regional directors overseeing city chapters, following governance patterns similar to national nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity International and Feeding America. Staffing includes executive leadership, program managers, volunteer coordinators, and case managers who liaise with shelter partners and employers such as Amazon and McDonald's Corporation for hiring pipelines. Funding sources historically blend individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants from entities like the Gates Foundation and Kellogg Foundation, and special-event fundraising modeled after charity runs used by groups like Team in Training and Race for the Cure. Financial audits and annual reports align with standards advised by organizations such as Charity Navigator and GuideStar, and the nonprofit navigates grant cycles administered by government bodies including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and local philanthropic collaboratives.
Back on My Feet reports outcomes spanning housing placements, employment retention, and improved health metrics. Evaluations reference partnerships with research institutions like University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University to measure indicators used by homelessness researchers at Brown University and Harvard University—including job placement rates, duration of housing stability, reductions in emergency shelter stays, and self-reported improvements in well-being. Peer organizations such as PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) and Homeward Bound have cited similar metrics when assessing program efficacy. Back on My Feet alumni have proceeded into careers facilitated by employer partners including UPS and Home Depot, and some have become mentors or staff, reflecting workforce development outcomes tracked by workforce boards like Philadelphia Works and Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. Independent evaluations often examine cost-effectiveness relative to public spending models administered by municipal agencies in cities like San Francisco and Seattle.
Community engagement is central to Back on My Feet's model, relying on volunteer networks drawn from universities such as Drexel University and Boston University, corporations like PwC and Deloitte, and faith-based institutions including local chapters of Trinity Church and regional interfaith coalitions. Strategic partnerships include alliances with shelters and service providers like The Salvation Army, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and workforce intermediaries such as Year Up. Collaborative initiatives with public health departments and county service agencies—mirroring cooperative frameworks used by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Department of Homeless Services (New York City)—support integrated case management, housing navigation, and employer engagement. Community events, charity runs, and awareness campaigns have involved high-profile athletes, running clubs, and local media outlets, creating cross-sector visibility similar to strategies employed by organizations like Team Rubicon and Americares.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States