Year in Review: The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation Nonprofit Impact Report

The end of the year is a milestone, a time to pause and reflect both on where we’ve been and where we’re going. For nonprofits, including the Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation, it’s also a time to celebrate our impact over the past year, renew our commitment to community improvement in the year ahead, and continue to raise awareness of our offerings to the people we serve. 

Our Programs

The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is dedicated to improving our community by enhancing education opportunities, improving police and community relations, and encouraging community engagement. Our offerings include:

• The Tiers Free Academy Homeschool High School Diploma Program. Through the Tiers Free Academy, parents and guardians have the resources and support they need to issue high school diplomas to students. The program’s curriculum is grounded in flexibility, allowing students to balance their education with the other demands in their lives.
  
  What makes this alternative diploma program truly unique is its strength-based philosophy—rather than forcing students to start over, it gives them the opportunity to pick up where they left off. For at-risk or nontraditional students (such as students in the foster care system, homeless LGBTQ youth, sex trafficking survivors, and high school dropouts) this approach has proved nothing short of revolutionary.  
• The Chief’s Diploma Program (Rural Communities Diploma Program). Poverty, lack of resources, and other factors contribute to marked educational inequality in rural areas. As a result, students from rural areas are much less likely to achieve a bachelor’s degree than their urban peers. The Chief’s Diploma program allows rural students to partner with local law enforcement agencies, thus connecting them to educational support and resources that they might not otherwise have. Thanks to corporate grant funding, the Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is able to cover 100% of the cost of these educational programs for these students. 
• SW GA Community Policing Resource Center. The Community Policing Resource Center is working to heal the legacy of trauma and violence that has historically characterized the relationship between law enforcement agencies and marginalized populations. To that end, we offer an eight-hour workshop, “The Art of De-Escalation in 21st Century Community Policing,” to local law enforcement agencies. This hands-on, scenario-based workshop helps participants to understand how the historical background of marginalized populations informs interactions in these communities today.  
• Marshallville Police Department Arrive Alive AAA Driver’s Improvement Class. In 2022, our community policing resource center partnered with the Marshallville Police Department to offer AAA Teen and Senior Safe Driver Courses.

Our Impact

Our programs are designed to empower the individuals we serve by giving them the tools they need to move forward. Below are a few statistics that illustrate our progress:

• Since opening in 2015, the Tiers Free Academy Homeschool High School Diploma Program has supported over 400 families in issuing their own high school diplomas, most of whom complete their diploma in 9 months or less. 
  • 86% of graduates have obtained full-time employment. 
  • 42% of graduates are enrolled in technical colleges or four-year universities. 
  • 10% are employed with municipalities, state government, and the Department of Corrections. 
  • Currently, there are 295 homeschool students enrolled in the program. 
• In 2022, The Community Policing Resource Center facilitated De-escalation training for six rural law enforcement agencies and one of Georgia’s largest District Attorney’s offices. In total, this amounts to 187 law enforcement officers, investigators, and executives who are now versed in community policing practices.
• Since 2021, the Rural Communities Diploma program has received more than 268 applications. In total, this program has transformed 140 high school dropouts into high school graduates. 
• The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation has successfully cultivated a diverse array of funding sources, including the International Paper Foundation, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the Atlanta Pride Committee, and Metro Atlanta United Way Foundation.

Highlights

The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is both proud and grateful to have been recognized as a transformative force in Georgia.

 

• In 2020, Dr. Annise Mabry was included on OUT Georgia’s “100 Most Influential LGBTQ+ Georgians” list.
• In 2021, Dr. Annise Mabry was named the Out Georgia’s Business Alliance Member of the Year.
• In 2021, the Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation received OUT Georgia’s Community Honors Nonprofit of the Year Award. 
• In 2022, the organization and Tiers Free Academy graduates received recognition from local news outlet 13WMAZ. 
• Currently, the Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is a United Way Learning Loss Service Provider for 79 rural, persistently impoverished counties in Georgia. It is also the only nonprofit organization that provides online evidence-based reading programs at no charge to families in rural communities whose children have been diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, or have been identified as reading below their grade level. 

As the year draws to a close, the Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation is grateful for the continued support of generous donors and community members. It is your generosity that allows us to offer critical resources to underserved communities and under-resourced individuals at no cost to those in need. And you can help us serve even more people in 2023! If you believe in the vital work that we are doing, consider subscribing to our newsletter or donating today!