Dignity
Participants are capable people, not charity cases.
About Side Door
The front door is not the only door.
Degrees, certifications, job titles, and uninterrupted work histories can be useful signals. But they are incomplete. We create another legitimate path.
Our mission
Make overlooked ability visible.
We create opportunities for undervalued people to demonstrate their skills in real professional environments, build recognized experience, and open pathways to meaningful employment while creating value for the communities they serve.
Our values
Built for capability, dignity, and proof.
Evidence
Real work and observable results build credibility.
Reciprocity
Every placement should create value in both directions.
Human judgment
Technology can assist matching. People remain responsible.
Starting in Cedar Rapids. Designed to travel.
The first small pilot will test a focused question: can real nonprofit work turn overlooked ability into professional evidence that leads to better employment opportunities?