The James R. Jordan Foundation (JRJF) was established in 2000 by Mrs. Deloris Jordan in honor of her late husband, James.
Prior to founding JRJF, Mrs. Jordan was President and Co-Founder, with her son Michael, of the Michael Jordan Foundation.
The sudden and tragic loss of Mr. Jordan in 1993 led the Michael Jordan Foundation, along with the Chicago Bulls and the City of Chicago, to spearhead a community campaign to build the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club on Chicago’s West side.
The Club, completed in 1996, would be the final project of the MJ Foundation, but the beginning of an even deeper connection between Mrs. Jordan and the community.
Troubled by the number of children at the Club who were unable to read and lacking strong family support to guide them academically, Mrs. Jordan reached out to Victor Herbert Elementary School, just across the street, to inquire about participating in the next Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting. After learning that the PTA had not existed at Herbert for more than 30 years, she knew something had to change.
The James R. Jordan Foundation was created to engage and empower parents to be active participants in their children’s education. The Vision for Families program, now VFF/Parent Partnerships, established a PTA at Victor Herbert. The A-Team Scholars program followed, inspiring students to excel in the classroom.
Between 2001-2003, the Foundation responded to the needs of the Victor Herbert community by launching a mentoring program, a summer learning experience (now the Student Explorers program) and a family literacy program (now Read with Me!).
Subsequently, Victor Herbert was named a School of Merit.
In 2004, JRJF’s Vision for Families extended to a new school, William Brown Elementary, also on the West side. The following year, JRJF programs went beyond the borders of Chicago to Gertrude Smith Elementary School in Aurora, Illinois. In 2006, the organization began working with the Sherman School of Excellence on the South Side of Chicago, and in 2008, Prince Chapman Academy and Glen Park Academy, both in Indiana, adopted JRJF programming.
The work of the James R. Jordan Foundation is guided by the belief that a strong family plays a major role in a child’s academic success, and that education provides a path out of poverty.