Ridge Project Inc.

Ridge Project Inc., a woman-owned, tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in McClure, Ohio, specializes in providing comprehensive reentry and rehabilitation services to justice-involved individuals, particularly incarcerated and formerly incarcerated adults and their families. Operating through federal grant awards rather than contracts, Ridge Project Inc. focuses on breaking generational cycles of incarceration and poverty through evidence-based programming that addresses criminal thinking patterns, family relationships, employment readiness, and long-term community reintegration. The organization's mission centers on serving vulnerable populations within Ohio's correctional system by delivering integrated services that combine behavioral education, workforce development, and sustained post-release support.

Ridge Project Inc. has secured substantial federal funding across multiple programs and agencies to implement its service delivery model. The organization currently administers two significant prime grants totaling $5.25 million: a $1.25 million Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families under the Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood Grants program (CFDA 93.086) awarded in September 2025, and a $4 million Project Grant from the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration under the Reentry Employment Opportunities program (CFDA 17.270) awarded in July 2025. Additionally, Ridge Project Inc. maintains active grants from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Administration on Children Youth and Families, and a legacy grant from the Employment and Training Administration (awarded July 2022, concluding September 2026) that collectively support workforce development initiatives. The organization's programming includes the TYRO DADS and TYRO LEADERSHIP curricula focused on responsible parenting and cognitive behavioral interventions; economic stability programming encompassing job ethics training, financial literacy, and industry-recognized credentials such as forklift operator safety, ServSafe hospitality management, and commercial driver's licenses; family bonding activities through the TYRO FAMILIES and TYRO YOUTH curricula; 12 months of post-release case management with job placement and peer mentoring support; and sexual risk avoidance education delivered through community and school-based settings. Ridge Project Inc. collaborates with subgrantees including the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Youth Services, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, leveraging partnership networks to extend services across multiple Ohio correctional facilities and community regions while targeting specific populations such as incarcerated fathers, youth, and individuals returning to Lucas County.