Foundation for Changing Lives
The Foundation for Changing Lives is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to overcome barriers and build sustainable futures. We invest in programs that deliver measurable impact across four core areas: education, workforce development, health and wellness, and community stability.
Our Approach
- Community-centered: We partner with local organizations and residents to design solutions that reflect real needs and local strengths.
- Evidence-based: We fund programs with proven outcomes and monitor progress to ensure resources drive meaningful change.
- Holistic support: Recognizing that challenges are interconnected, we support wraparound services—childcare, transportation, counseling, and financial coaching—to remove obstacles to success.
- Capacity building: We strengthen nonprofits through training, technical assistance, and organizational grants so they can scale effective work.
Priority Areas
1. Education
  Early childhood initiatives to ensure school readiness.
  After-school and mentoring programs that boost academic achievement and social-emotional skills.
  Scholarship and college-access supports for first-generation students.
2. Workforce Development
  Job training and apprenticeship programs aligned with regional labor market needs.
  Career navigation, resume and interview coaching, and placement services.
  Employer partnerships that create pipelines to living-wage employment.
3. Health and Wellness
  Mental health services, substance-use recovery supports, and family counseling.
  Preventive care initiatives and health education to reduce disparities.
  Programs addressing food insecurity and stable housing as foundations for health.
4. Community Stability
  Affordable housing projects and eviction prevention resources.
  Financial empowerment programs: budgeting, credit repair, and asset-building.
  Civic engagement and leadership development to cultivate local decision-makers.
Impact Measurement We set clear, measurable goals and track outcomes such as school readiness rates, job placement and retention, improvements in mental health symptoms, and reductions in housing instability. Regular evaluations guide funding priorities and continuous improvement.
How We Work with Partners
- Grants: Flexible funding that supports both program delivery and operational needs.
- Capacity Grants: Training, coaching, and infrastructure support to increase effectiveness and sustainability.
- Convening: Bringing stakeholders together to share best practices and coordinate services.
- Advocacy Support: Backing local and state policies that remove systemic barriers and expand opportunity.
Get Involved
- Donate to support responsive programming and emergency needs.
- Volunteer time or professional expertise to local partner organizations.
- Advocate for policies that create equitable access to education, employment, health care, and housing.
The Foundation for Changing Lives is committed to long-term partnerships and sustained investment in people and places. By aligning resources with evidence and community voice, we strive to create systems that enable everyone to thrive.
Leemu K. Tokpa, founder of the Foundation For Changing Lives (FFCL), saw the deplorable condition of children across Liberia and resolved to act. Confronted by overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teaching materials, limited access to basic healthcare, and communities strained by poverty and post-conflict recovery, she committed herself to building practical, sustainable solutions that prioritize education, health, and community development.
Under her leadership, FFCL focuses on:
- Improving educational access and quality by supporting schools with learning materials, teacher training, and infrastructure repairs.
- Enhancing child and maternal health through vaccination drives, health education, and partnerships with local clinics to expand services in underserved areas.
- Empowering communities by funding small-scale development projects—clean water systems, community centers, and vocational training—that create safer, healthier environments for children to grow.
Leemu’s approach centers on locally led initiatives. FFCL collaborates with community leaders, educators, and health workers to design programs that reflect real needs and cultural context. This collaboration ensures projects are relevant, accepted, and maintained after initial implementation.
Driven by measurable impact, FFCL tracks outcomes such as school attendance, literacy rates, immunization coverage, and access to clean water. These metrics guide program adjustments and help secure donor support for scaling successful interventions across Liberia and neighboring Sierra Leone.
Leemu K. Tokpa’s work exemplifies a pragmatic commitment to changing the trajectory of vulnerable children’s lives—turning urgent observations of need into sustained, community-rooted action.
F.F.C.L. officially launched in 2025, while Leemu began her philanthropy work shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topoe Village, Chocolate City… Around the Japanese Freeway
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