John William Jackson Fund

The John William Jackson Fund (JWJF) was started in 2000 by Jackie and Bill “Action” Jackson. Jackie and Action started the fund in response to the tragic loss of their son, John, in a climbing accident. Turning grief into good, the JWJF seeks to “capture the enthusiasm, passion, contemplation and enterprise that John exhibited in his life and individual pursuits.” Their mission is to advance academic scholarships, performing arts, and outdoor sporting for Idaho youth. The JWJF is making a difference in Idaho and at the Alzar School.

The JWJF has an innovative and effective funding strategy. As a donor-advised fund in the Idaho Community Foundation, the JWJF collects monetary donations from all types of supporters. In conjunction, they have created an innovative fundraising program called Idaho Youth Education Recycling Partnership, or iYERP. iYERP works to collect steel and metal recycling from individuals and construction projects around the state to help fund the John William Jackson Fund. They also partner with Pacific Steel and Recycling and their collection centers to receive scrap metal donations.

Using this unique fundraising model, the JWJF has been able to provide opportunities in education, music and the outdoors to dozens of Idaho scholars and aspiring students. In 2017, they surpassed the $1,000,000 milestone in grants given to students, nonprofits and organizations. For the past four years, the Alzar School has been a proud recipient of a John William Jackson Fund grant that supports student scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of groups like the JWJF, the Alzar School is able to provide some type of financial assistance to a quarter of our students.