Jelani Girls is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that gives young women ages 14-18 tools for greatness. Throughout the year, Jelani Girls participate in a Cultural Enrichment Program (CEP) comprised of monthly virtual sessions to ignite global thinking and prepares them for international travel and volunteerism. Each summer, Jelani Girls who successfully complete the CEP will get to participate in our Cultural Immersion Trip to experience firsthand the native customs and traditions they have studied. We believe that when a Jelani Girl immerses herself in the political, economic, and historical landscape of a different culture, she develops global awareness, confidence and humility. We empower young women to understand and be proud of who they are and the world they live in.

Jelani Girls from the United States holding hands with their South African peers after the entire group experienced their first safari. It was a powerful event filled with discovery, connection, and joy.

All of our participants experience financial hardship and are unable to guarantee assistance from family members, their parent’s coworkers, and friends. Jelani Girls are expected to raise the total cost for participation, unless scholarship or sponsorship is awarded. Scholarships are awarded based on need and given on a first come first serve basis. In the event scholarships or sponsorships are awarded, participants are still expected to raise at least 20% to show their dedication and commitment to the program. We believe that every Jelani Girl (current and future) deserves the opportunity to reimagine what it means to be great through our cultural enrichment program. Participation for each Jelani Girl costs approximately $5,000 each and includes: 

We are kicking our raffle fundraiser off for #GivingTuesday. On December 16th, the winner of our online raffle will be automatically chosen from our computer generated tickets leaving no room for error.