Jade Nicole Neverdon Merritt, who is a Baltimore native, is the Founder and Executive Director of Mikey's Miracle Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support resources to marginalized communities impacted by cancer, which she established in April 2016—three months after the January 2016 death of her mother from stage IV colorectal cancer. Jade established the organization after recognizing the many challenges that patients and family caregivers face during cancer treatment and the critical need for comprehensive support programs.
In addition to her work with the foundation, Jade is also the founder of The Black Executive Director’s Network—a membership-based community designed to address the systemic issues and inequities faced by African-American Executive Directors in the nonprofit sector by equipping them with resources to thrive in their leadership roles. The network's programs include quarterly events that facilitate direct communication between executive directors and funders, monthly discussion opportunities, an annual conference, BLK ED Hot Seat Session, a form of group laser coaching designed to help nonprofit leaders find solutions to their nonprofit organization's challenges, BLK Leadership Pods, Dear BLK ED Podcast, BLK ED Leadership Accelerator, a capacity-building program designed to support black nonprofit leaders navigating systemic challenges while building impactful and sustainable organizations that benefit their communities, and 1:1 Coaching/Mentorship program, which connects Black executive directors with successful and experienced mentors who provide industry or organizational knowledge, expertise, and skills to support their growth and development.
In 2020, Jade launched her consulting services and founded the J. Merritt Consulting Group, where she serves as Principal Consultant. The J. Merritt Consulting Group is dedicated to educating and empowering nonprofit leaders as they launch, grow, and scale their ideas to fulfill their purpose and make an impact on the world. In the same year, Jade also received her Nonprofit Management Certificate from Georgetown University, a significant achievement that underscores her commitment to continuing professional development.