Marriott Foundation

Who we are:

The Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, a public charity, is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation's programs are funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education and its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, and various local grants and contracts. The Foundation directs all of its resources to the operation and expansion of "Bridges . . . from school to work" and related programs, and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Established in 1989 by the family of J. Willard Marriott to enhance employment opportunity for youth with disabilities, the Foundation developed and launched "Bridges . . . from school to work," guided by three key principles:

To consistently establish successful employment opportunity, the business needs of the employer must take precedence.
Rather than preoccupation with what people can't do we must focus on their skills and interests. People with disabilities can be employees with capabilities; it's all a matter of perspective.
Until the talents of all of our citizens are fully incorporated and utilized, our communities will be less than they could be. The future needs everyone.

What We're Doing:

Bridges works with young people exiting special education, and with local employers, to develop mutually beneficial job placements. A stepping stone for employer and youth, the program facilitates an employer/employee relationship in which the needs of each are met.

Piloted in 1990 in Montgomery County (Md.), Bridges has since expanded to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington (D.C.). Operating primarily in major urban centers, the program serves more than 1,000 young people annually. Bridges has placed more than 7,800 youth into competitive employment with over 1,500 different employers; eighty-nine percent of those who successfully complete the program receive offers of ongoing employment.

"Like many people in the Bridges program, there was a time I was left standing on the steps of my high school wondering, 'What will I do with my life now? How can I be an actress in a place where so few who are deaf have succeeded?' The desire and the dream were still there, it's just that I didn't feel the opportunity to realize the dream existed. Because of the insistence of [a few key people, I had] the chance to work and find meaning in my life. Without this opportunity . . . I don't know where I would be today. [I] encourage others in similar positions to give opportunities to people who they may not normally consider. Thanks to the Marriott Foundation's Bridges program, dreams can come true and more people can live meaningful and productive lives."

Marlee Matlin, Actress

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