The Case for The Redemption Project Invest in Redemption: A Smart, High-ROI Strategy for Lasting Change In an era where strategic philanthropy demands both heart and hard returns, The Redemption Project (TRP) offers a compelling opportunity to transform lives while delivering measurable economic value. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pioneering the fight against recidivism, TRP doesn’t just provide second chances, it unlocks human potential with a proven model that yields a remarkable payback period of just 7.3 months on investments. Imagine deploying your major gift to not only heal fractured families and strengthen communities but also generate substantial societal savings through reduced incarceration costs. Your visionary support through transformative major gifts, endowed partnerships, or multi-year commitments, will empower justice-impacted individuals to rebuild, thrive, and contribute. Together, let’s make redemption the rule, not the rarity, while achieving a net positive ROI that benefits everyone.
The Crisis Demanding Action: Billions Lost to a Broken Cycle Today, over 2.2 million Americans languish in prisons, with more than 600,000 released annually into a world stacked against them. Without sustainable employment, meaningful partnerships, and robust community networks, these individuals confront relentless obstacles: pervasive stigma, scarce opportunities, and inadequate reentry resources. The outcome is a tragic recidivism epidemic, where re-offense rates trap people in perpetual despair, exacting a staggering toll on society, billions in economic losses, shattered families, eroded communities, and squandered talent. Consider the scale: In Minnesota alone, the Department of Corrections reports a 38% recidivism rate, mirroring national trends that fuel an endless loop of incarceration. Root causes: underdeveloped character, profound isolation, and employment discrimination, perpetuate this crisis, costing taxpayers an average of $64,000 per inmate annually. But here’s the pivot point: Evidence proves that targeted interventions like meaningful employment with livable wages can slash recidivism dramatically, fostering stability, growth, and prosperity. It’s not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic one, ripe for those with capacity like you to disrupt with high-impact funding.
The Redemption Project • Town Square Tower • 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1500, Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-256-6969 • info@redemptionproject.org • www.redemptionproject.org
The FACTS - What We Do Since January 2018, The Redemption Project has been transforming lives through education, partnership, and workforce readiness programs that break the cycle of incarceration and open doors to opportunity.
By the Numbers
264 graduates
Less than 10% recidivism (compared to nearly 38% state).
since 2018.
70% employment
38% State
10% TRP
within 90 days of release. 68% National
Key Outcomes • Less than half the recidivism rate of the State DOC. • Less than 1/4th the recidivism rate of the Federal BOP. • 70% of graduates employed within 90 days — creating stability and reducing re-offense. • Each graduate represents a family restored, a community strengthened, and a taxpayer cost reduced.
The Impact From incarceration to contribution — every life redeemed reduces recidivism. Since 2018, The Redemption Project has built pathways from prison to purpose, proving that rehabilitation and responsibility go hand in hand. The Redemption Project • Town Square Tower • 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1500, Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-256-6969 • info@redemptionproject.org • www.redemptionproject.org
This is Why The Redemption Project Is Needed “As a bullied kid in a small town, I found myself seeking validation and acceptance, which led to bad choices, addiction, and my eventual incarceration … the first of many. The effects on my children of not having a father for 19 years … addiction, incarceration, and social withdrawal. I lived with the stigma, shame, and guilt of the life I had lived and the people I had hurt. I had no hope for my future. The Redemption Project saw me for who I was, not for what I had done. For once in my life, I started to believe in myself and had a vision for my future.
Now I am employed, a neighbor, volunteer, active member in my congregation, and an active father. Life has allowed me to pay it forward to help break the cycle for other deserving individuals who just want to be seen.”
– Dave S.
“As a young man growing up poor and being made fun of because we did not have some of our basic necessities met led me to a life of selling drugs and hanging out with the wrong crowd. This created a destructive path of being placed in and out of facilities for most of my teen years, eventually landing me in prison for 188 months. The choices I made led to me being away from loved ones and the most important thing in my life, my kids, having to see them grow up from prison visits and pictures as a result of a life of drug addiction for over 25 years. I had this big weight on my chest when I got sentenced to 188 months in prison. Is this the example that I want to set for my kids and lead them down the same path? That is when TRP showed me that I could change and do something different than selling drugs and be in and out of prison. Through their help, education, and mentor program, I learned that I could change and be a new man in life!!
Now that I have learned these new skills, I have a wonderful job at a plumbing shop, and I can give back to my community through volunteering at church and in my community. I am now making an honest living and no longer have to look over my shoulder as a result. But the best part is seeing my kids grow up and being in their lives.”
– Eulises L.
Scan the QR code for more testimonials like these or visit www.redemptionproject.org/testimonials
The Redemption Project • Town Square Tower • 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1500, Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-256-6969 • info@redemptionproject.org • www.redemptionproject.org
Quantifiable Impact: A 7.3-Month Payback with Exponential Returns Our numbers speak volumes. As Jeff Korzenik highlights in his book Untapped Talent, second-chance hiring is strategic genius, yielding loyal workers for businesses and massive savings for society. TRP exemplifies this: Our recidivism rate of less than 10% crushes Minnesota’s 38% benchmark, reducing re-incarcerations and unlocking potential.
Step-by-Step Payback Period (ROI in Months) Our goal is to quantify how quickly savings from reduced recidivism offset the $11,299 cost per TRP Associate released, based on avoided incarceration expenses. Here’s the ROI breakdown, demonstrating why major donors foundations, corporations and individuals with capacity are rallying behind us: Reduction in Recidivism (Delta) Minnesota DOC rate
TRP rate
The Costs Per Associate – Transform a life for $11,299
Payback Months
38% - 9% = 29% (0.29)
representing prevented re-incarcerations
Monthly Incarceration Cost Average annual incarceration cost:
$64,000 = $5,333
per month per person
Expected Monthly Savings per Associate:
Delta × Monthly cost = 0.29 × $5,333 = $1,546
Administrative
$1,200
Education
$2,907
Partnering
$5,078
General Operations
$544
Programs
$1,271
Support Services
$299
Total Cost per Asso.
$11,299
$11,299 TRP Cost
÷ $1,546
Monthly savings
≈
7.3 months
Your investment is recovered in just 7.3 months through direct savings in incarceration costs. From that point forward, it delivers lifelong net savings, a powerful dividend stream fueled by sustainably lower incarceration rates.
This means your substantial gift doesn’t just fund change, it multiplies value, creating a legacy of efficiency, empathy and transformation. The Redemption Project • Town Square Tower • 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1500, Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-256-6969 • info@redemptionproject.org • www.redemptionproject.org