Jesse White Tumblers | Jesse White Foundation

OUR STORY

The Jesse White Foundation's mission is to support programs benefiting at risk youth and to provide educational opportunities for low income students. The Jesse White Foundation operates the Jesse White Scholarship Program and the Jesse White Tutoring Program to provide support and the funds necessary to pursue a collegiate career.

In addition, our organization provides job opportunities for the unemployed, holiday food options for the low-income, and support for high school students off to college.

Please view our "Events" section to learn about our events supporting these programs.

DONATE

VOLUNTEER

$120,000

RAISED FOR HOLIDAY

FOOD DRIVE

$1,000,000

IN SCHOLARSHIPS SINCE 2001

NEWS AND UPDATES

January 19, 2025

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, ask yourself, 'How can I help others?'

Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White was one of King's proteges. He writes about following King's examples and committing to publice service and volunteer work. He helped me as a college student at Alabama State College. I attended the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in downtown Montgomery, where Dr. King served as the pastor, and I got to listen to and observe him firsthand.

I didn’t realize at the time that this effort, designed primarily to help kids stay in school and away from gangs, drugs and alcohol, would be going strong in 2025. I’m proud of the fact that more than 20,000 kids have participated in this program, helping put them on a path to success to give back to their communities as teachers, police officers, firefighters, doctors, lawyers — the list goes on and on.

In honor of Dr. King, let us commit ourselves to the following four ideals:

• Never dislike or discriminate against someone because of race, creed or color.
• Learn to love your fellow man and woman.
• Do something good for someone every day.
• Give back to those less fortunate when you become successful.

MORE NEWS

JESSE WHITE

Jesse White was Illinois' 37th Secretary of State. White was first elected to the office in 1998 and won landslide victories in 2002, in which he won all 102 counties, and again in 2006 and 2010. On November 4, 2014, White was re-elected to a record-breaking fifth term, winning another landslide victory by a 2-to-1 margin in which he earned over 2.3 million votes statewide – more than 230,000 votes than any other statewide constitutional candidate...