2025-2026 Next Step Annual Fund
Every great journey starts with a question: What is possible? For teens and young adults living with serious chronic illnesses, that question can feel out of reach. Diagnoses like cancer, sickle cell disease, and HIV often overshadow their dreams and potential.
Each year, thousands of teens transition out of pediatric care, losing support systems they relied on. For nearly 25 years, Next Step has helped to empower these young people to break through these barriers-helping them discover their strength, find a community, and pursue meaningful goals.
Jamall, a young man with sickle cell disease, was experiencing these same troubles. His diagnosis was clouding his vision of the future. He was looking for something, and thankfully he found Next Step. As a result, Jamall found a community, an environment where he felt comfortable chasing his passions and seeing a future full of possibilities.
“Before Next Step, I never met anyone my age who lives with sickle cell. Meeting peers who get it—that was the moment I finally felt seen.”
JAMALL, NEXT STEP PARTICIPANT
Now is the time to act. Your support last year has made a real difference for young people living with serious illness. Join us again today in transforming “Why me?” into “What’s next?” for even more young people like Jamall. Please include Next Step in your end-of-year giving plan and become a catalyst for change.
Your gift isn’t just a donation—it’s a lifeline. Give today. Empower tomorrow.
Best wishes,
Bill Kubicek, Executive Director & Founder, Next Step
YOUR IMPACT
$100 – Provides food for an in-person group program
$250 – Provides a studio recording session in Song Studio
$500 – Enables 15 seriously ill young people to attend a life skills workshop
$1,000 – Provides a group songwriting session for eight participants
$1,500 – Provides a year of Next Step STRIVE and academic tutoring and mentoring for one participant
$2,500 – Enables a seriously ill young person to attend a 4-day Campference
$5,000 – Provides a full year of programming for one participant.
