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Our Mission

The mission of The J9 Foundation is to glorify God and honor the dreams and vision of Jacob J Nyenhuis by inspiring a global movement of entrepreneurs who utilize their God-given gifts to improve their own lives and the lives of others.

Our Identity

The identity of The J9 Foundation is grounded in the following:

The Dreams and Vision of Jacob J Nyenhuis

As a young man, Jacob J Nyenhuis inspired his family and friends with his passion, dreams, vision and faith. As a teenager he began buying and selling real estate. He was voted “most likely to succeed” by the students in his high school graduating class. He planned to study real estate development in college and dreamed of one day owning a large development company, which he would call "J9 Development." Jacob used "J9" as shorthand for his name: the J from Jacob and 9 from Nyenhuis (pronounced nine-hice).

Jacob cared deeply for his family and friends and planned to support them as his business grew. In addition, he envisioned a charitable foundation to support work that would make a difference in the lives of people in need. Trips to Africa and South America softened his heart to the needs of the world’s poor. He planned to use a portion of the resources generated from his business ventures to help those trapped in poverty.

Jacob died tragically in an automobile accident on Sept. 24, 2006 while returning to the University of Georgia, where he was a freshman. Two months later, family and friends founded The J9 Foundation to carry on Jacob's vision.

God gave Jacob the spirit of an entrepreneur and also a heart of compassion. The foundation is built on those characteristics. He once told a friend: “I want to do something every day to make someone else’s life a little better.”

Jacob lived by the philosophy he articulated in a paper written in college: “Living life to the fullest and not being afraid to do what you really want to do.” For Jacob, it wasn’t a question of whether the glass was half full or half empty. The last personal message he programmed into his mobile phone said: “The glass is full.”

The Principles of “Compassionate Entrepreneurship”

Compassionate Entrepreneurship is grounded in the principles of Dream, Act and Serve.

· Dream: Entrepreneurs dream. They envision possibilities beyond what is apparent to others. They think beyond their circumstance and see more opportunities than limits. While others see a box that hems them in, entrepreneurs see the horizon beyond.

· Act: Dreaming is not enough. Entrepreneurs also act. They make things happen. They take initiative, plan, assume risk, organize and manage enterprises, evaluate successes and failures and modify approaches. They are not afraid to fail. They learn from it.

· Serve: The world is full of entrepreneurs who enrich themselves with only casual thought of others. Compassionate entrepreneurs, on the other hand, give equal consideration to improving the lives of others as well as their own lives. They match their entrepreneurial spirit with a compassionate heart. They recognize they are stewards of the entrepreneurial gifts they have been given by Almighty God. He calls them to be “good and faithful servants” and to reach out in compassion to their neighbors.

In The J9 Foundation’s interactions with young people, those living in poverty, successful entrepreneurs and others, priority is given to the ideals of compassion, stewardship and philanthropy along with business development, innovation and risk.

Program Strategies

The J9 Foundation has four primary program areas:

J9 Scholars: Motivating students toward entrepreneurship and service through scholarships, internships and training, including:

Jacob J Nyenhuis Scholarship – An annual college scholarship for a graduating senior from Jacob’s high school, Glynn Academy
CE Institutes – Partnerships with high schools and youth ministries to train young people in the principles of compassionate entrepreneurship (CE)
Internships – Providing experiential learning for college students.

J9 Entrepreneurs: Moving people living in poverty toward economic self-sufficiency and community service through micro-enterprise projects following a strategy we call “Jacob’s Ladder.”

J9 Mentors: Engaging successful entrepreneurs in mentoring, service, and business development.

J9 Business Development: Generating economic growth in impoverished communities through profit-making enterprises.

Christian Witness

The work of the Foundation is more than an exercise in training, education and humanitarian service. The work is first and foremost a witness to the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Our Christian Witness is grounded in the following:

Belief that God fulfills dreams

All good things come from God. That includes our dreams and the knowledge, skills and tools to make them reality. Jacob J Nyenhuis understood this. While in college, he wrote to a professor:

“Belief in God is necessary because He can fulfill dreams.”

Desire to be good and faithful servants

God gives people the gift of entrepreneurship so that they can improve their own lives and multiply their ability to serve others. Jesus tells us in the parable of the talents in the Gospel of Matthew (25: 14-30) to put to good use the knowledge, skills and tools He has given to us. If we do, His response to us will be:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”

Care for all people

In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), Jesus identifies our “neighbors” as anyone in need, not only those who are like us or near us. Following this example, we serve all people regardless of their religion, gender, race, nationality or ethnic background.

Special concern for the poor

Scripture is rich with examples of Jesus’ great compassion for the poor, sick, cast out and persecuted. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us: “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.'” (From The Message translation). We have a special commitment to serve those living in the world’s poorest communities.