While a student in the Nonprofit Management program, Jean-Louis acquired all the tools she needed to assist her in achieving her dream to launch a nonprofit organization to help alleviate future poverty through education, health promotion and humanitarian aid to support local empowerment for a sustainable future for Haitians.  She co-founded with her sister, Marie Rosemonde Joseph, the Elise Joseph Foundation, Inc. (EJF) in May 2005.  The organization, named after their mother, was recognized in November 2007 as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) under the IRS code.

“The Nonprofit program gave me the confidence to manage and run the organization and has made me very knowledgeable about the regulations and government protocol to be able to maintain a successful 501(c)(3) status,”  Jean-Louis said. 

In addition to providing annual health fairs and health clinics for Haitians in the Philadelphia area, the foundation increases public awareness of the Haitian culture through an educational, cross-cultural, weekly radio program, English as a Second Language (ESL) program, provides humanitarian relief for Haitians with partnerships in Haiti, and collaborates with Haitian and various multi-national community leaders and organizations. 

Jean-Louis also received her BA in Organizational Management from Eastern in 2003.  The mother of four young adults and grandmother of three is also a full-time working professional. She has been employed at Eastern for ten years as the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Nursing.  Jean-Louis had always told her sisters about God’s calling on her life to do missions work.  However, it wasn’t until she enrolled at Eastern that Jean-Louis’ vision of founding a nonprofit organization began to develop.  Consequently, she realized the next step in cementing the groundwork of this legacy is to wisely pursue a graduate degree in Nonprofit Management.

“The program has made me capable of handling multiple objectives in order to meet our strategic goals,” Jean-Louis said.  “I’m working full-time and able to successfully run an organization that provides various services to a specific community. When I enrolled in the graduate program, my sister and I already had a plan and started the organization. The MS in Nonprofit Management provided me with the tools to successfully build the organization. Upon completion of the program, and with the advice of a missionary friend, I was able to file and help EJF obtain 501(c)(3) status without the assistance of a lawyer within three months of applying.  I can’t put into words how much the program has truly been a blessing.”
 
The MS in Nonprofit Management program is a part of the University’s School of Leadership and Development.  The program is one of only a few graduate programs in the country focused on the management needs specific to the nonprofit sector.  Increasing competition in the nonprofit marketplace mandates that if an organization is to remain viable, effective management tools must be developed and utilized. This program is focused on helping present and future leaders of the not-for-profit sector gain solid analytical and problem-solving skills unique to nonprofit organizations.  It is offered as a weekend residency program in Washington, D.C., St. Davids, and Center City Philadelphia.  Jean-Louis and her classmates met in class for ten weekends over the course of approximately 22-24 months with research and field-based learning in the interim.

The Elise Joseph Foundation’s mission is to serve the Haitian and Haitian-American communities through education, cross-cultural promotion, health promotion and humanitarian relief.  In addition to serving the Haitian community in Philadelphia, and supporting programs in Haiti, the organization also offers missions training to individuals and churches, particularly on the Haitian culture, Haitian-Creole language, church practices, customs, etc., in the United States through workshops and seminars.

“I am constantly amazed by the amount of work the Board and I do at EJF,” Jean-Louis said.  “When I leave work at Eastern University at 5 p.m., the day is far from over.  I’m normally contacting service providers and community leaders to coordinate events and workshops.  Currently, we are accepting registrations for ESL and civics classes to help the Haitian community members. We are also participating in Macy’s Shop For A Cause promotion and other fundraisers and events in the Haitian and non-Haitian community in the Philadelphia area.”

Jean-Louis works with the Haitian Pastors Association of Philadelphia, 88.5 FM (sca) Radio Vision Célèste (Haitian, Christian radio), Deliverance Evangelistic Church Missions Department, the Mayor’s Commission for African and Caribbean affairs, AFRICOM-The Coalition of African Communities - Philadelphia, Explorers Sans Frontières, and the Korean Community Development Corporation among others. She learned the importance of networking and maintaining these business partnerships through her education from the Nonprofit Management program.

On May 17, 2008, the Philadelphia Department of Health – Ambulatory Services acknowledged Jean-Louis for her work at the Elise Joseph Foundation and awarded her the Dr. Yves Jerome Service Award to the Caribbean Community.  
 
 “During the program, while using EJF as my basis for assignments, I learned to identify the different sources of funding that we needed in order to build financial support for the foundation,” Jean-Louis said.  “I was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of EJF, and strategically plan to financially strengthen the foundation. I praise God for enabling me to attain a graduate education and appreciate Eastern University for providing me with this opportunity.”

With convenient class locations and weekend sessions, the MS in Nonprofit Management program is developed to enable working individuals with families and busy work schedules to also maintain a classroom agenda. All students enrolled in the MS in Nonprofit Management program are considered full-time students and are eligible for federally guaranteed student loans.  For more information about the program or to request an interview with a program coordinator, please call or e-mail Denise Robinson at drobinso@eastern.edu, 610.341.4364 or 1.800.732.7669 ext. 4364.

To learn more about The Elise Joseph Foundation, call Gilda Jean-Louis at 267.808.4714 or e-mail elisejosephfoundation@hotmail.com.  The Elise Joseph Foundation can also be reached at P.0. Box 12595, Philadelphia, PA 19151.