Earlier this year, several National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members received unrestricted gifts from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. These members were:
Two of these members, Achieve Atlanta and Bottom Line, received $8 million and $15 million,
respectively.
Achieve Atlanta (AATL) has been serving the students of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) on their journey toward postsecondary attainment since 2015. In their seven years of operation, they’ve had 955 scholars earn their degree or credential.
Achieve Atlanta’s 2022 Impact Report details more of the incredible achievements of their scholars and how they have supported scholars through their education.
For 25 years, Bottom Line has been serving low-income students of color who will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree. With locations based in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Ohio, Bottom Line helps over 8,000 students
in fulfilling their postsecondary aspirations. Last year they had 945 college graduates, as detailed in their 2021 Annual Report.
NCAN connected with AATL
and Bottom Line’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Colón to understand what the gifts mean to their organizations and how they plan to use them to support their students.
What did it feel like when you got the news?
AATL: While we didn’t ask for or expect this gift from Ms. Scott, we are very excited to have received this donation. We are honored, humbled, and see this gift as an affirmation
of our cross-sector approach and the work Achieve Atlanta and its partners do to help APS students access, afford, and earn postsecondary credentials.
Colón: I was elated! This gift came on the heels of Bottom Line’s program being validated by an unprecedented scientific study. We were handed seven years’ worth of research proving our program increases college graduation rates and
can reduce educational and economic inequalities. Then this gift made me feel so hopeful about giving that opportunity to more communities.
What was shared by Ms. Scott or a representative of hers about why they chose your organization for this gift?
AATL: We were not expecting this gift from MacKenzie Scott! About two years ago, representatives of an anonymous donor met and interviewed Achieve Atlanta’s executive director. We
didn’t receive feedback from this interview. Then, over the summer, Ms. Scott’s team notified us we were receiving a gift. At that time, the donor asked that we not disclose any details about the transaction. Now we can publicly announce the gift
was from Ms. Scott.
Colón: To a certain extent, I can only speculate. The research validating our College Access and Success program had to be a factor. Our 25-year history means that Bottom Line graduates are advancing professionally and uplifting their
communities. Also, we have been scrutinized by other funders, like The Connor Group Kids and Community Partners in Ohio, where our succession planning, commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and investments in technology were factors in receiving their support. Bottom
Line has been a darling of the research community for years. Now I am optimistic that a broader audience will discover what our students and alumni are achieving and lean into this work with us.
How will you decide what to do with the funds?
AATL: Next year, Achieve Atlanta will kick off a process to engage students, partners, and stakeholders about how to increase its impact, including how to best leverage this generous donation. We hope the donation will also inspire community members and other organizations to come together to enrich education for low-income scholars.
Colón: The decision-makers at Bottom Line always include our students, staff, alumni, Board members, and community partners. Several years ago, before the pandemic, we embarked on an ambitious growth strategy. Like so many others, we've
had to moderate those plans over the last two and a half years, but this gift will mean we can dig back into those plans.
What will you do with the funds?
AATL: At this moment we’re in the process of deciding how exactly we’ll leverage this gift for greater impact. AATL serves 7,000 high school and college students at a cost of more
than $15 million per year, largely supported by the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation. Our commitment to each of these students lasts for more than six years. Every dollar we raise goes to help strengthen and support Achieve Atlanta’s efforts to increase
the number of Atlanta students graduating from college and remove financial barriers to degree completion with our effective model.
Colón: All Bottom Line stakeholders share the goal of continuously improving the quality
and impact of our college advising program. We plan to serve more students in the four regions where we currently operate, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Ohio. Our goals for expansion include serving 20,000 students annually by 2030 with our
core advising program and that means opening new regional offices. But because we make a 6 to 7-year commitment to each student, we are researching the landscape in new cities: donor base, economic mobility provided by colleges, existing supports
for college access and success, the potential to recruit highly talented advisors, and the need for our program.
What might these funds allow you to try that you might not have?
AATL: We have some big decisions ahead to ensure this gift has the greatest impact, and we need to hear from our partners about what support students need to persist and complete.
We’ll gather that feedback through our strategic planning process next year.
Colón: The new funds mean we can move more quickly to scale the things we know are working, and offer Bottom Line’s core advising program to more students in our current regions and across the country. Because we were forced to innovate
during the pandemic with virtual programming, the gift will also help us rigorously evaluate and scale new ways to deliver our services. In partnership with NCCEP [National Council for Community and Education Partnerships], we created Learning Labs
to bring our best-in-class training and curriculum to staff in school districts and community-based organizations around the country. Right now, we are working through GEAR UP with counselors in Appalachia and we see potential for Bottom Line to have
a ripple effect that uplifts hundreds of thousands of students by 2030.
Note: Bottom Line’s Ohio expansion and Learning Labs were conceived, funded, and operational prior to Ms. Scott’s gift.
It’s safe to say that this gift reflects that people believe the work you are doing is important, and that you and your organization will successfully execute your mission. How have you and your team positioned your organization to be recognized and supported at this level?
AATL: Achieve Atlanta runs the largest need-based postsecondary scholarship program in Georgia. We are very fortunate to have funding and effective cross-sector collaboration with our partners to drive our core work. This investment, and others like it, strengthen and support Achieve Atlanta’s efforts to increase the number of Atlanta Public Schools students graduating from college and help remove financial barriers to degree completion.
Although
the gift was received before our evaluation results were made public, the findings validate our impact on students’ ability to persist and earn a degree.
Colón: Bottom Line’s most fervent supporters have traditionally
been the people who spend their careers researching college access and success programs. My team is working to translate research into language that resonates with people who are not going to read 57-page RCT results. But most importantly, we are trying
to build platforms in more spaces for our students and alumni to share their stories. We also want this gift to draw new donors and public funding to Bottom Line because our advising model is proven to cost-effectively increase the college graduation
rates for Black and brown students from under-resourced communities to same levels as their wealthier peers. Whether people see educational equity as an economic imperative, a racial justice issue, or both—and it is both—we have and evidence-based solution
that is also affordable.
What do these gifts mean for the college access and success field?
AATL: MacKenzie Scott’s investment in Achieve Atlanta sends a clear message in recognition of the cross-sector collaborative work Achieve Atlanta and its dedicated partners have done to increase college enrollment and completion for Atlanta Public Schools graduates. Gifts like these ensure we can strengthen the ecosystem of college access and success organizations that support students across the country to access, afford and complete college.
Colón:
No amount of money can erase centuries of systemic racism and oppression overnight. Our field of college access and success still faces the challenge of moving Black and brown students through a higher education system that, in many cases, was built to
exclude them. These gifts have the potential to direct attention towards programs like ours that guide students toward better and more affordable college selection. More importantly, we need to redefine college success to mean not just graduating, but
also launching into a career that aligns with a student’s aspirations. Building a professional network and graduating with under $31,000 in total debt are also primary goals for our program.
What does this grant mean to your students and families?
AATL: We see this gift as an affirmation of our cross-sector approach and the work Achieve Atlanta and its partners do to help Atlanta Public Schools (APS) students access, afford, and earn postsecondary credentials. At this moment we’re
in the process of deciding how exactly we’ll leverage this gift for greater impact. But every dollar we have raised is to strengthen and support Achieve Atlanta’s efforts to increase the number of Atlanta students graduating from college and help
remove financial barriers to degree completion with our effective model.
Colón: Our students and families have a lot on their plates and if the grant is on their radar, I hope they celebrate this as a validation of the work they
are accomplishing in partnership with their Advisors. Our alumni and their families should take pride that they laid the foundation for Bottom Line to receive this gift. So many alumni continue to share in our success and give so much back to the organization
as mentors, donors, and staff.
What could other funders learn from these grants?
AATL: Funders play an essential role in catalyzing and assisting organizations with identifying gaps in their sector and generating solutions. From this gift, we hope other funders will be encouraged to participate in and support efforts
to increase postsecondary success and upward mobility for our students. In addition, the unrestricted nature of the grant provides us with helpful flexibility to ensure the investment best serves Achieve Atlanta Scholars.
Colón:
I hope other funders, especially those who may not have research team embedded in their organization, can see these grants as an investment in programs that have been thoroughly vetted and proven to work.
What do you think about the progress that Achieve Atlanta has made, having graduated 955 students in Atlanta so far? How will the gift increase this number?
AATL: We are very proud of the work Achieve Atlanta and its partners have done so far! We’re still in the process of deciding how exactly we’ll leverage this gift for greater impact, but remain focused on and committed to serving our
7,000 APS high school and college students.
Bottom Line’s strategic plan has intentions of expanding nationally. Where does Bottom Line hope to expand to, and will that vision be coming into fruition sooner with the help of the gift?
Colón: Expansion means that we plan to
serve more students in the four regions where we currently operate. Our goals include serving 20,000 students annually by 2030 with our core advising program and that does means opening new regional offices. But because we make a six to seven-year commitment
to each student, we are deliberately researching the landscape in new cities: donor base, economic mobility provided by colleges, existing supports for college access and success, the potential to recruit highly talented advisors, and the need for our
program. Meanwhile, our partnership with GEAR UP allowed us to create Learning Labs that virtually deliver the best of Bottom Line’s curriculum and training to staff in other organizations around the country, including school districts in Appalachia.
Bottom Line’s ripple effect is already reaching farther than anyone imagined 25 years ago when we started with 25 students in Boston.
NCAN celebrates Achieve Atlanta and Bottom Line for their well-deserved grants, and thanks both organizations for their NCAN membership! Thank you to Achieve Atlanta and Bottom Line’s teams for your time and responses.
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