GIVE MERIT INC

Founded in 2011, Give Merit is the nonprofit arm of cause-based fashion brand, Merit. Give Merit facilitates FATE, a four-year cohort-based mentorship and enrichment program for Detroit youth. FATE's mission is to provide resources and opportunities for Detroit youth to embrace education and become world-class citizens, with a goal to motivate each student to graduate high school and attend college.

The four-year cohort-based program provides innovative programming which blends project-based learning, character development, career exposure, and mentorship into a co-curricular experience emphasizing the value of education and the role it plays in providing access to achieving long term career and personal goals.

Throughout the year, FATE students attend weekly after school programming where each cohort works on their own capstone project. These projects include creating a marketing/advertising campaign, designing their own Merit product collection, organizing a city-wide charity event in Detroit, and participating in an internship placement as a youth-driven marketing firm. Mentors help facilitate workshop activities where students learn skills in business, entrepreneurship, marketing, and design-thinking while also supporting their mentees as they develop personally and professionally.

If you are interested in mentoring for the FATE Program, email Give Merit’s Program Success Director, Rachel Mazzaro, at rmazzaro@meritgoodness.com for more information!