Become a RISING MEMBER.
This isn't a handout. It's a membership for people ready to do the work. You bring the effort. We walk with you: a mentor who's been there, help building a plan around what you already have, and connections to the resources that move you forward, growing every time you step up. Anywhere in the U.S.: it all happens online, and your mentor meets you by video.
In crisis right now? You don't need to be a member. Call 888-860-RISE, or 911 in an emergency.
Four steps. Each one unlocks more.
Every program follows R.I.S.E. Each step has a few clear actions for your situation. Finish them, show proof, and you move up.
You'll do the basics.
- A mentor matched to you
- Priority on the 888-860-RISE help line
You're putting in the effort.
- A Together we RISE! profile
- Donor help with small costs you've earned toward (ID fees, phone, bus pass)
Your life is getting stable.
- Donor help with bigger costs you've earned toward (deposit, tools, tuition)
- Referrals to employers and housing partners
You can keep it going.
- Donor help with the costs of your final steps
- Graduation and RISE Alumni status
- The chance to mentor the next member
If you're honest with us, we can help. If you lie, we can't. Tell us when you mess up, slip, or relapse, and we'll respect it and help you as best we can. Telling the truth about a setback never costs you your membership. Lying, fake proof, or hiding a problem can.
Check in and log at least 2 actions that move you forward.
Meet with your mentor.
Show proof when a step asks for it.
Miss a week and you're on Warning. Miss two, or go 30 days without step progress, and support pauses until you're back. After 60 days without effort, membership ends, and you can reapply after 90 days. A relapse you tell us about doesn't end your membership; it starts a new plan.
Your license, your trade, your skills, the people in your corner, the job lead your cousin mentioned. We help you build your plan around all of it, then connect you with resources for the gaps. The more you bring, the faster you rise.
Membership is fully online. Apply, check in, turn in proof, and see your plan from your phone, wherever you live.
Your mentor is a volunteer who came through a situation like yours. You meet by video at least once a month.
Finish your intake and we help you build a custom plan: your steps, what you already have, and where to find help for the gaps.
Apply
Two phases. Phase 1 takes about 3 minutes and tells you right away if membership is the right fit. If it is, Phase 2 is the full intake (about 15 minutes), and we build your custom plan from it. Your answers go only to RISEaid staff and your mentor, and they're stored encrypted.