Birmingham Promise
Birmingham Promise is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit providing up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance, paid $15/hour internships, and ongoing success coaching to graduates of Birmingham City Schools pursuing post-secondary education at Alabama public institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Birmingham Promise does
Birmingham Promise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019-2020 and headquartered at 1500 1st Ave N, Birmingham, Alabama, that operates college scholarship and workforce development programs for graduates of the Birmingham City Schools (BCS) district. The organization's flagship offerings include the Birmingham Promise Scholarship Program (up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance covering any public two-year or four-year college or university in Alabama, layered on top of Pell grants and other aid), the Internship and Work-Based Learning Program (paid at $15 per hour with 100+ employer partners across healthcare, construction, government, financial services, and manufacturing), Success Coaching (dedicated staff support throughout college), and the Promise Pathways program (federal WIOA-funded career assistance for former BCS students ages 16-24 not currently enrolled). To date, Birmingham Promise has distributed over $15 million in tuition assistance to more than 1,600 graduates and placed over 350 BCS seniors in paid internships across the Birmingham metro area.
The organization is fundamentally a human-capital-intensive program delivery operation rather than a technology company; there are no proprietary software platforms, AI/ML systems, or digital products described. The closest technology adjacency is the use of third-party virtual reality tools for career exploration within the Promise Pathways program. The staff of approximately 25 includes Executive Director Samantha Williams, a Chief of Staff (Mia Toole), Senior Directors of Operations and Finance (Aimee Scottland) and Student Programs (Courtney Sankey), Directors of Development and Communications (Laurel Mills) and K-12 Initiatives (Derrick Billups), and dedicated success coaches, employer partnership, internship program, and institutional research roles. Distribution runs through BCS counselor and email channels, partnerships with Alabama public colleges (UAB, Alabama State, Auburn, Lawson State, etc.), and direct coordination with employer partners.
Birmingham Promise's revenue model is grant- and donation-based rather than commercial. Funding sources include foundation and corporate grants (Alabama Power Foundation $4M cumulative since 2020, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama $2M cumulative, CAFE Group $1M Luminary Award in 2025, KPMG U.S. Foundation $112,500 over three years, Hibbett/Nike First String $50,000, PNC Foundation $1M grant), individual donations solicited through the website, and federal WIOA grant funding. Programs are free to students; tuition funds flow directly to Alabama public institutions, internship wages are billed to employer partners or paid through a third-party payroll administrator, and the organization is governed by a board chaired by Danny McKinney (McKinney Capital) with Mayor Randall Woodfin serving ex-officio.
Birmingham Promise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Birmingham Promise
- Legal name
- Birmingham Promise
- Website
- https://birminghampromise.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Birmingham Promise is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit providing up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance, paid $15/hour internships, and ongoing success coaching to graduates of Birmingham City Schools pursuing post-secondary education at Alabama public institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Birmingham Promise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Scholarships and Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where Birmingham Promise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Birmingham Promise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major funding from foundations and corporations including Alabama Power Foundation ($4 million since 2020), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama ($2 million donated), KPMG U.S. Foundation ($112,500 over three years), CAFE Group ($1 million Luminary Award), and Hibbett/Nike First String program ($50,000).
- Individual Donations: The organization actively solicits individual donations through its website, describing every dollar as counting toward immediate impact for Birmingham City School students.
- Public Funding: Promise Pathways program funded through federal grant under Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. City grant program provides extra aid for Birmingham Promise students pursuing health-related majors at UAB.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Four-year tuition assistance for graduates attending public Alabama colleges/universities |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Paid internship program at $15 per hour |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Birmingham Promise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools attending any public two-year or four-year college or university in Alabama, paired with dedicated success coaching. The organization also runs a paid internship and work-based learning program that places high school seniors with local employers at $15 per hour, including 17 hours of professional development training. A separate Promise Pathways track extends career assistance to former students ages 16–24 who are not currently enrolled in school or training, supported by federal WIOA funding.
Product overview
Birmingham Promise is a unified scholarship and workforce development program offering a portfolio of interconnected services: the core Scholarship Program provides up to four years of tuition assistance for Birmingham City Schools graduates attending Alabama public colleges; the complementary Internship and Work-Based Learning Programs enable paid work experiences ($15/hour) with local employers; Success Coaching provides ongoing academic and career guidance throughout college; and Promise Pathways extends career assistance to former students ages 16-24 not currently enrolled in school. These programs work together to support students from high school through college completion and into the workforce.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Birmingham Promise Scholarship Program Provides up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools to attend any public two-year or four-year college or university in Alabama. Covers tuition and mandatory fees not covered by other financial aid sources including Pell grants. To date, the program has distributed over $15 million to more than 1,600 graduates.
- Birmingham Promise Internship Program Paid internship program for Birmingham City Schools seniors earning $15 per hour with local employers across healthcare, construction, government, financial services, and manufacturing sectors. Includes 17 hours of professional development training covering interview preparation, orientation, and workplace skills workshops. To date, 347 Birmingham students have participated with 100+ local employers.
- Work-Based Learning Program Provides high-quality work experiences through internships and apprenticeships for Birmingham City Schools students. Students gain exposure to seven core competencies defined by Birmingham Promise and explore career pathways after high school graduation.
- Promise Pathways Career assistance program for former Birmingham City Schools students ages 16-24 who are not currently enrolled in high school, college, or job-training programs. Connects participants with career opportunities, college and training programs, and exploration resources including virtual reality technology for job exposure. Funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $15 million in tuition assistance provided to more than 1,600 graduates of Birmingham City Schools
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Birmingham Promise
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Birmingham Promise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Birmingham Promise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Birmingham Water WorkscoreBirmingham Water Works has provided internships to Birmingham Promise students since 2023, hosting five high school seniors every spring. Founded in 1951, it serves nearly 770,000 people across Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, and Walker counties.
- UAB Human ResourcescoreUAB Human Resources hosted Ramsay High School student Kendall Petties as a Birmingham Promise intern. UAB highlighted the two-way benefits with fresh perspectives on the workforce of tomorrow.
- Jefferson County Circuit CourtcorePresiding Judge Elisabeth French has hosted Birmingham Promise interns for two years, providing insight into judicial leadership and daily work life after high school, college, and graduate studies.
- Birmingham City CouncilcoreBirmingham City Council partnered with Birmingham Promise for second semester, having hosted eight Promise interns last semester and five this semester. Council aims to show students career opportunities in government and public service.
- IMC Financial ConsultingcoreIMC Financial Consulting was among the first companies to welcome a Birmingham Promise intern when the program began in 2019. The company continues to host interns annually, focusing on entrepreneurship and community impact.
- Brasfield & GorriecoreBirmingham-based construction firm providing co-op program opportunity for Birmingham Promise scholar Ennis Rhetta Jr. over three semesters, allowing him to gain invaluable industry experience while continuing his engineering studies.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Birmingham Promise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit combining skills training, corporate internships, and wraparound supports for young adults. Overlaps with Birmingham Promise's Promise Pathways program targeting 16–24-year-olds not currently enrolled in school.
- QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students to selective colleges with full scholarships. Adjacent mission but serves a higher-achieving, nationally competitive cohort — useful benchmark for the high-achieving end of Birmingham Promise's pipeline.
- Thrive Scholars: Provides high-achieving underrepresented students with academic preparation, mentoring, and scholarship support through college. Comparable wraparound student-success model, focused on a higher-academic-achievement segment.
- iMentor: National college-success nonprofit pairing low-income students with mentors for college persistence. Closely comparable to Birmingham Promise's success-coaching/mentoring model layered on top of financial aid.
Direct peers
- Denver Scholarship Foundation: Provides scholarships, college advising, and career support to Denver Public Schools graduates. Operates a similar scholarship-plus-coaching model in a single metro area, making it a close functional peer.
- Kalamazoo Promise: The original 'college promise' scholarship program, providing tuition assistance to graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools. Directly comparable last-dollar scholarship model serving a single urban district, with a focus on local economic mobility.
- Tennessee Promise: Statewide last-dollar scholarship covering tuition and fees at Tennessee community and technical colleges. Same last-dollar tuition model, though implemented at state scale rather than single-city, and a useful reference for Birmingham Promise's geographic scope.
- Say Yes to Education: National nonprofit operating city-based 'Say Yes' chapters (Buffalo, Cleveland, Syracuse, etc.) that combine tuition scholarships with wraparound student supports. Most comparable multi-city college promise operator and the closest structural peer for replication.
- Pittsburgh Promise: Last-dollar scholarship program for Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates attending in-state institutions. Closely mirrors Birmingham Promise's funding structure, school-district anchor, and college-completion support mission.
Others
- College Promise Campaign: National advocacy initiative supporting the creation and expansion of 'Promise' programs across U.S. cities and states. Comparable mission category and a potential partnership/affiliation channel for Birmingham Promise's replication ambitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Birmingham Promise social profiles
Digital presenceBirmingham Promise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Birmingham Promise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Birmingham Promise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Birmingham Promise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Birmingham Promise
What does Birmingham Promise do?
Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of last-dollar tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools attending any public two-year or four-year college or university in Alabama, paired with dedicated success coaching. The organization also runs a paid internship and work-based learning program that places high school seniors with local employers at $15 per hour, including 17 hours of professional development training. A separate Promise Pathways track extends career assistance to former students ages 16–24 who are not currently enrolled in school or training, supported by federal WIOA funding.
Is Birmingham Promise a public or private company?
Birmingham Promise is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Birmingham Promise founded?
Birmingham Promise was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Birmingham Promise based?
Birmingham Promise is headquartered in Birmingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Birmingham Promise make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Corporate Grants are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and public Funding.
Who are Birmingham Promise's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Year Up, QuestBridge, Thrive Scholars and iMentor. Direct peers are Denver Scholarship Foundation, Kalamazoo Promise, Tennessee Promise, Say Yes to Education and Pittsburgh Promise. College Promise Campaign is listed as an others.
Does Birmingham Promise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Birmingham Promise.
What industry is Birmingham Promise in?
Birmingham Promise's product category is Educational Scholarships and Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAK, Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit), with a secondary code of EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.