The Mallory Gaston Foundation: Turning Fitness Into Economic Power for Bay Area Youth

MGF's MentorUp! apprenticeship trains underserved youth ages 17–30 as certified personal trainers, turning movement into a career. Here's what they need from donors.

Mallory Gaston built 20+ gyms across the Bay Area over a career defined by what she calls "Grit & Grace." The Mallory Gaston Foundation carries that ethos into a specific, urgent mission: taking young people from Marin, San Francisco, and Alameda Counties — ages 17 to 30, underserved and disconnected from traditional career pathways — and training them as certified personal trainers through an intensive 10-week apprenticeship followed by six months of study toward the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer credential. The result: a paid career, a professional identity, and an economic foundation that didn't exist before. Givelink, a Transparent Giving Platform that connects donors to verified U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits with photo proof of delivery, partners with MGF to connect donors to the specific supplies and equipment that make the MentorUp! program run. Here is what that looks like.

Key Takeaways

• MGF trains underserved youth ages 17–30 from Marin, San Francisco, and Alameda Counties as certified personal trainers.
• The MentorUp! 10-week apprenticeship is hands-on, paid, and leads to ISSA CPT certification.
• The A-Lab facility in Sausalito provides state-of-the-art training space on the waterfront.
• Fitness as economic emancipation — not just wellness, but a sustainable career pathway.
• Givelink donors give 60% more times per year than traditional platform donors (Givelink data, 2026).

What MGF does — and why this model matters

Most career development programs for at-risk youth train participants in skills for which the local labor market has limited demand. MGF chose the fitness industry deliberately: it is growing, it is accessible without a four-year degree, and it provides the kind of physical and psychological training that produces whole-person transformation alongside career credentials.

The MentorUp! program runs in MGF's A-Lab — a 24/7-access state-of-the-art fitness facility in Sausalito — with group and individual mentorship, cross-mentorship circles (including subgroups for young women, young men, and mixed groups), and ongoing support through the certification process.

The apprentices who complete the program emerge as ISSA-certified personal trainers with professional identity, business development skills, and a mentorship network that continues past the 10 weeks.

"Giving was always supposed to be a thread between two lives."

A donor who gives program supplies to MGF sends something to a young person who is using a gym to become someone the world didn't tell them they could be.

What MGF needs from donors right now

Program Area	Items Needed	Who They Reach
Apprenticeship Training	Study guides, notebooks, printed materials	MentorUp! apprentices
A-Lab Operations	Athletic supplies, tape, towels, water bottles	All apprentices and clients
Mentorship Circles	Journals, pens, printed frameworks	Group and individual mentorship participants
Participant Support	Hygiene kits, transit cards, snacks	Youth facing resource barriers
Certification Prep	Study books, flash cards, printed practice tests	Apprentices preparing for ISSA CPT exam

Why this matters in 2026

The personal fitness industry in the Bay Area generated over $3.2 billion in 2025. Almost none of that economic activity flows back to the communities that surround it. MGF is changing that — specifically, intentionally, one apprentice at a time. Individual donor support for program supplies and participant support items reduces the barriers that prevent at-risk youth from completing the apprenticeship.

Givelink in action with MGF

A donor in Marin County gave study guides and participant support items through Givelink to MGF. Two weeks later, a photo arrived: the materials organized in the A-Lab's apprentice study area, ready for the next cohort. He gave again the following month. Browse MGF's wishlist on Givelink.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Mallory Gaston Foundation need most from donors?

Their most consistent needs are study materials for certification prep, athletic supplies and towels for the A-Lab, journals and notebooks for mentorship circles, and participant support items (hygiene kits, transit cards) for youth facing resource barriers.

Is the Mallory Gaston Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?

Yes. The Mallory Gaston Foundation is a verified 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 41-3304390) based in Sausalito serving youth from Marin, San Francisco, and Alameda Counties. Their Givelink profile displays independent evaluation data.

Give a young person the tools for a career, not just a workout

Browse MGF's wishlist on Givelink and give something that shows up in an apprenticeship.

Stay Human.

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Antonis Politis is CEO and Co-Founder of Givelink.