Our Mission
To help Arizona young people ages 16–24 navigate life after foster care through practical guidance, career mentorship, and financial support for skills-based education and required career expenses.
Here for Life After Foster Care.
Foster the Future is a Christian nonprofit serving Arizona teens and young adults ages 16–24 who are transitioning from foster care. We help fill gaps in guidance and career access so young people have support as they prepare for adulthood and make decisions about their future.
Why We Do This Work.
Young people leaving foster care may have fewer people to turn to when a question comes up. We want them to have access to someone who can help them understand a responsibility, explore a career, or work through what is standing in their way.
Our Vision
A future where young people leaving foster care have someone to turn to, support for the responsibilities of adulthood, and a fair chance to pursue the career they choose.
“You do not need to share our faith to ask for help.”
Our Faith Guides How We Serve.
Our Christian faith is part of why Foster the Future exists. It shapes our commitment to care for people and recognize the dignity of each person we meet. We welcome young people and supporters from every background, and we respect each person’s beliefs and choices.
- Our Christian faith calls us to care for others and approach the work with humility and honesty.
- You do not need to share our beliefs to receive help or be treated with respect.
- We listen to what matters to each young person and offer guidance without religious pressure or judgment.
Guidance Matters in Everyday Decisions.
A lease can contain terms you have never seen. A career you are interested in may require training you do not know how to find. These are ordinary parts of adulthood, but they are easier to navigate when someone can help explain them.
Foster the Future brings together practical guidance, career mentorship, and scholarship support to help Arizona young people work through those questions and pursue opportunities.
Responsibilities Add Up
Finding work, paying bills, and searching for housing can happen at the same time, leaving a young person with unfamiliar decisions to make.
Costs Can Close Off Options
A training course may be within reach until an exam fee or required equipment adds a cost a young person cannot cover on their own.
Experience Answers Questions
Someone working in a field can explain the job, talk through training options, and answer questions a course description may leave open.
Having Someone to Ask Helps
Knowing who to call when a question comes up can help a young person work through uncertainty and decide what to do next.
Meet the People Behind the Work.
Our leadership helps guide the programs and partnerships that make this work possible, keeping the needs of young people transitioning from foster care at the center of the organization’s decisions.
Melissa Anderson
Founder Director/ President
Erik Bull
Board Member/ Vice President
Tamekia Dolan
Board Member/ Interim VP
Amanda Miller
Board Member/ Treasurer
Jess Redburn
Board Member/ Secretary
Jackie Lawler
Board Member
Foster the Future Is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit.
When you give to Foster the Future, you are supporting practical help for young people transitioning from foster care. We consider how resources can serve the mission and address the needs brought to us. We also believe you should understand the work you are supporting and have a place to ask questions about it.
Support the MissionWhat You Can Expect From Us.
These commitments guide how we work with young people, donors, and community partners. They help us keep the purpose of the organization connected to the decisions we make each day.
- 01
Work With a Clear Purpose
Our programs focus on guidance and career opportunities for young people transitioning from foster care. That purpose guides what we take on.
- 02
Care With Resources
We consider each request and the resources available, looking at how support could help a young person pursue a goal or address a need.
- 03
Respect for Each Person
Young people have a say in their own goals and decisions. We handle their stories and personal information with care and respect for privacy.
- 04
Straightforward Communication
We explain what we do and where help is needed, sharing updates that give supporters a clear understanding of the work they are contributing to.