Pawsperity
Geography:
U.S.A.
Type:
GRANT
Mission
Break poverty cycles through grooming careers and support.
The Problem: Cycles of Poverty, Incarceration, and Unemployment
Across the United States, millions of individuals face seemingly insurmountable barriers to employment due to histories of poverty, addiction, incarceration, and domestic violence. Many are single parents or in recovery, with limited access to education, stable housing, or a supportive social network. Traditional workforce development programs often focus narrowly on technical training while ignoring the deeper, systemic challenges these individuals face.
Without meaningful employment, individuals remain trapped in poverty—unable to regain custody of their children, secure housing, or achieve long-term stability.
The Solution: Pawsperity’s Holistic Dog Grooming Career Program
Pawsperity, a nonprofit based in Kansas City, offers a unique and powerful solution: a trauma-informed job training model that uses professional dog grooming as a pathway out of poverty. The program is designed to address the full range of challenges students face—combining vocational training with wraparound support services and life skills coaching.
Pawsperity’s model includes:
800+ hours of hands-on dog grooming instruction
Wraparound case management, including childcare, housing assistance, food support, and transportation stipends
Comprehensive learning including emotional regulation, financial literacy, and mindfulness training
Ongoing job placement support and career coaching for long-term stability
This comprehensive, human-centered approach gives students not just a skill, but the confidence and capacity to build a new life.
Defined Outcomes and Impact
Pawsperity rigorously measures its effectiveness through third-party evaluation and long-term outcomes tracking:
100% job placement within two months of graduation
$47,000 average annual income for graduates, up from $8,500 pre-program
90% employment retention, with 75% remaining in the grooming industry
Significant gains in self-esteem, self-regulation, and long-term goal planning
Graduates have gone on to start businesses, regain custody of children, and lead addiction recovery groups
Giving Opportunity
Pawsperity is beginning to scale nationally, working with local partners to replicate its model in cities across the U.S. Your philanthropic support can directly help expand this proven pathway out of poverty.
Use of Funds: Training instructors, developing curriculum for partner sites, expanding access to student support services, and conducting impact evaluations.
Expected Outcomes: Provide a viable pathway to employment for individuals in recovery or poverty, intergenerational impact for families, and measurable reduction in reliance on public assistance, increased self confidence, increased income, improved housing, and improved sense of self control.
How to Support
To learn more or contribute, email us at impact@uicharitable.org and we can help you support this organization through your UI Charitable Donor-Advised Fund.