Creating paths
out of poverty.
Mission
THE ONE LESS FOUNDATION works to help families and communities create paths out of poverty through a two-generation approach.
We are dedicated to alleviating poverty by providing financial literacy and capability, supplemental education, and personal mentoring to individuals, families and communities to help them gain the skills needed to create a path out of poverty.
Our organization bridges the gap between academic theory and real life, by providing programs and access to education, resources and opportunity.
Our programs work to help people achieve goals they never knew they could dream; and inspire individuals, families and communities to become more than they thought possible.
OUR VALUES
The One Less Foundation believes that every soul is of great worth and deserves to be treated with respect, compassion and dignity; regardless of race, gender, age, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
Awards & Honors
Our organization was recognized in October 2018 for the advocacy work we do and for our programs related to Financial Literacy and Capability by the FiNext Awards and Conference as one of the ‘Top 10 Companies in Finance’. Read more about the award and recognition and the remarks given.
In March 2018, our organization received an invitation to participate in the AMEX Leadership Academy, which is a partnership between American Express and Thunderbird School of Business in Glendale, AZ. The AMEX Leadership Academy invites 30 emerging nonprofit practitioners and social sector leaders from around the world for a week of leadership and organization capacity building to them develop the tools to solve pressing social issues. Read our press release.
In the summer of 2016, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, our Executive Director was asked to speak at Women Speak Out at the DNC Forum: For Justice, Survival and a Living Wage for All forum, she gave a speech titled "Women, Poverty and the Need for a Living Wage", to a crowded room, which was met with great applause.
On July 24, 2016, also during the DNC, our organization was honored to host and serve as the staging office for the "Climate Revolution is Up To Us: Where Do We Go From Here" rally and documentary show in Vernon Park, located in the Germantown neighborhood, two blocks from our office. The Climate Change Rally, was organized by internationally known producer Josh Fox in partnership with NextGen Climate. Our office also served as the interview site for a film crew from Switzerland, working on a documentary to conduct their local interviews. This event brought many A-list celebrities to the Germantown neighborhood, where many of them took the opportunity to learn about the work The One Less Foundation is doing to end poverty. Read the press release.
Our organization was honored with the 2014 Making A Difference Award from the Health Partners Foundation for our work in the Philadelphia community to combat poverty through our work with our youth education and support programs. Read our remarks.
In 2014, our Executive Director was one of the headlining speakers at the Second Chance Conference in Toronto, Ontario, the annual conference examines issues related to returning (re-entering) citizens from prison in Canada. She spoke on the need to develop and fund programs that provide opportunities for youth, especially those most at risk for entering the criminal justice system, and how access to quality education and employment opportunities are the best way to help stem the flow of youth entering the criminal justice system. Read a copy of her speech titled "Giving Our Kids a Chance".
“While i learned "the rule of 72" from my parents at age 7, i know that financial literacy means a lifetime of learning. The sooner and stronger that learning starts, the sooner and stronger goals can be crafted, pursued and achieved. i am excited to support the TOLF goal of financial education as a means to “inspire individuals, families and communities to become more than they thought possible.”
Ami j. shah | board member (Former), TOLF
our story
“When I started The One Less Foundation, I told myself that I would be happy if I helped only one person develop a path for their future and get out of poverty’s bitter cycle, because I know the ripple effects would have the potential to change generations to come for the better. That is still my goal – to help each person create lasting positive ripple effects and break the chains of poverty.” ~ Ingrid R. Shepard, Founder
The organization was created in 2012 after many years of volunteer experiences the founder had creating programs for women and teens in need at her church. During this volunteer work, she had the opportunity to oversee and guide the women's auxiliary of 300 women for five years, which included ensuring that all food, financial, health and housing needs were met as possible. After that she volunteered as the employment specialist for her congregation for three years, helping adult members (men and women) upgrade their education, become employed and self-sustaining. It is from these experiences, that The One Less Foundation (TOLF) was created to help the greater Philadelphia community receive access to information and education through programs specifically designed to support some of the most vulnerable populations.
Read more about the two experiences that led our founder to start TOLF.