G. Fred DiBona, Jr. Memorial Foundation

Fred's Footsteps supports families that were otherwise financially stable until faced with the astronomical out-of-pocket costs associated with caring for a sick child. Our support is not limited to certain illnesses as we
understand that there are thousands of rare diseases that have little or no funding from other organizations. Our goal is simple: to provide substantial, real-life, practical support to families so their child's care can be their only worry.

We will be participating in a long-range strategic planning process with our Board of Directors and staff to articulate a clear strategic plan for Fred’s Footsteps for 2024-2028.

Some additional strategies currently underway:

Financial Commitment – Continue to expand our core services for families in the Greater Philadelphia as needed, keeping in line with staff and financial resources needed.

Partnerships – Continue to identify and explore new partnerships with individual and corporate communities. These partnerships can be both financial and in-kind in nature.

Application Process – Continue to monitor and revise the social worker/family application process. A new application process was implemented in 2021 to provide a more efficient and effective application process. We now can collect more demographic information as well as a better understanding of the impact being made on the families in our program.

Donor Engagement – We have invested in some new tools that will enhance our communications with our donors both current and past. New stewardship processes are being put in place along with the publishing of a more robust impact report.

2022 was a year of growth for Fred’s Footsteps. In addition to our team growing, our committees and board have set their sights on the future. In 2022, we served 138 families. That’s a nearly 40% increase from 2021’s record of 103 families, an organizational record.

The creation of a new long-term strategic plan for 2024-2028 along with the support of our Board of Directors, Grant Advisory Committee, staff, and strong and dedicated group of supporting partners, Fred's Footsteps is in a good position to meet the organizations goals.

Along with new positions created and filled in the organization, Fred’s Footsteps has also streamlined their social worker/family application processes, donor communications, revised branding and social media plans, and implemented a new online giving platform.

A new strategic plan for 2024-2028 will help us to continue to reach our goals and identify new or more prioritized needs within the organization.