ARCS Foundation

Name

ARCS Foundation

Legal name

Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://arcsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic STEM Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC)

Keywords

• STEM scholarship funding
• Nonprofit education grants
• University research awards
• Philanthropic student support
• Women-led foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagrange

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Member Donations: ARCS Foundation members are major contributors to scholar awards. Members pay dues and make personal donations that directly fund scholar awards at local chapters.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Major U.S. corporations and foundations support ARCS Foundation Chapters through grants and partnerships. The Danaher Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to fund Danaher National Impact Awards supporting 13 scholars. Partnerships with corporations like Danaher provide multi-year funding commitments.
3. 100% Pass-Through to Scholars: ARCS Foundation operates with the principle that 100% of every dollar given for scholar awards goes directly to the scholars. The organization raises funds through various channels and distributes them as unrestricted grants to STEM students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ARCS Foundation provides unrestricted financial awards (scholarships) to academically outstanding U.S. citizen students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, engineering, math, technology, and medical research at approved U.S. research universities. The awards are funded through member donations, corporate and foundation grants, and chapter fundraising, and are distributed to scholars identified and selected in partnership with 50 partner universities across 15 regional chapters.

Product overview

ARCS Foundation operates as a single unified nonprofit service offering—the ARCS Scholar Award program—which provides unrestricted financial grants to academically outstanding U.S. citizens pursuing STEM and health disciplines degrees. The core product is the ARCS Scholar Award, supplemented by specialized programs including the National Scholar Award Program (launched March 2026) for regions without chapter coverage, and the Danaher National Impact Award which funds scholars at specific regional chapters. The organization delivers these scholarship products through 15 chapters partnering with 50 approved research universities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARCS Scholar Award Unrestricted financial grants awarded to academically outstanding U.S. citizen graduate and undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, engineering, math, technology, and medical research at approved U.S. research universities. Award amounts are set by each chapter (e.g., Oregon Chapter: $18,000 over 3 years at $6,000 per year) and can be used in any way that advances the scholar's academic progress or research program.
• National Scholar Award Program National-level scholar award initiative that funds graduate-level U.S. STEM scholars at partner research universities in regions outside the geographic footprint of ARCS' 15 regional chapters. Designed to extend ARCS Scholar Awards to universities that lack a local chapter partner.
• Danaher National Impact Award Named scholar awards funded by a $100,000 Danaher Foundation grant that supports 13 ARCS scholars across five regional chapters for STEM education and diversity initiatives. Established in March 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 out of 10 ARCS Scholars after graduation work in their sponsored fields
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• 50 Leading U.S. Research UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCS Foundation partners with 50 leading U.S. research universities. Universities nominate and select scholars for ARCS Scholar Awards based on outstanding potential. Chapters work with university departments to support research important to their communities. The partnership enables ARCS to fund graduate and undergraduate students in scientific fields critical to U.S. competitiveness.
• Purdue UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurdue University and ARCS Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding establishing Purdue as a member of the ARCS National Scholar Award Program. This program provides support to domestic doctoral scholars in high-impact scientific fields vital to U.S. innovation. The National Scholar Award Program expands support to universities in regions not currently served by ARCS chapters.
• Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCS Foundation's 15 chapters build industry partnerships to support research important to their own communities. Chapters depend on relationships with local businesses and foundations for funding support. The National organization also maintains corporate partnerships for funding and support.
• University of WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Washington is an academic partner with the ARCS Seattle Chapter. According to President Ana Mari Cauce, 'ARCS Foundation is a vital partner of the University of Washington as we seek to recruit the very best graduate students in the sciences and engineering.'
• Washington State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington State University is an academic partner with the ARCS Seattle Chapter. President Kirk A. Schulz stated that 'with the support of ARCS Foundation, we have been able to provide assistance to some of our most talented doctoral students, allowing them to focus on the important challenges before them.'
• University of Hawai'icoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Hawai'i is the academic partner for the Honolulu Chapter. The Honolulu Chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary and has supported 600+ scholars with over $2.5 million in total support for UH doctoral students. The National Board approved the interdisciplinary Marine Biology PhD program at UH Manoa as eligible for Scholar Awards.
• Marine Biology Programs (National)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCS National Board voted to include Marine Biology as an approved area of study, making the field eligible for Scholar Awards. The board also approved the interdisciplinary Marine Biology PhD program at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
• Council on CompetitivenessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCS Foundation is a member of the Council on Competitiveness, which brings together members from academia, business, labor, and national labs to discuss the global marketplace and examine challenges and priorities for continued innovation.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hertz Foundation: The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation provides multi-year PhD fellowships in the applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences to U.S. citizens at top universities. It is highly comparable to ARCS in scholar selection model and STEM PhD focus, but with materially larger award sizes.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides multi-year scholarships to high-achieving students with financial need, including dedicated undergraduate and graduate scholarships in STEM. Comparable scholar-eligibility model to ARCS but focused on financial need rather than pure academic merit.
• Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation: The Goldwater Foundation is the premier U.S. undergraduate STEM scholarship program, awarding scholarships to top students in mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. Comparable in mission to ARCS but focused on undergraduates and operating at larger scale with federal-style award amounts.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): AAUW is one of the most direct peers to ARCS: a women-led nonprofit that provides fellowships and grants to women pursuing graduate and undergraduate STEM degrees, with a similar model of awarding unrestricted funds to scholars at U.S. institutions.
• American Physical Society (APS) Scholarships and Fellowships: APS administers several STEM scholarships and minority fellowship programs for U.S. physics students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Comparable to ARCS as a discipline-aligned scholarship provider, but narrower in scope (physics only).
• Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs: Administered by the National Academies, Ford Fellowships fund predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral scholars committed to diversity in academia. Highly comparable to ARCS's STEM scholar funding model with an explicit diversity-equity focus.

Emerging players

• Davidson Fellows Program: The Davidson Fellows Program awards scholarships to gifted students 18 and under for significant work in STEM, literature, music, and philosophy. Comparable to ARCS in awarding scholarships to high-achieving U.S. students, but focused on younger prodigies rather than graduate researchers.

Broad incumbents

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP): NSF GRFP is a federally funded, three-year fellowship supporting graduate research in STEM fields at U.S. institutions. It is the dominant incumbent in U.S. STEM graduate funding and competes for the same scholar pipeline ARCS targets, but with much larger award sizes and broader eligibility.
• SMART Scholarship Program (DoD): The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program is a DoD program funding U.S. STEM graduate students in exchange for civilian service. Comparable in funding U.S. STEM graduate talent, but with a service obligation that differentiates it from ARCS's unrestricted grants.
• Society for Science & the Public (Regeneron Science Talent Search, ISEF): Society for Science runs the premier U.S. STEM competitions for high school students and administers affiliated scholarships. Comparable to ARCS in identifying and funding high-potential U.S. STEM talent, but operating through competitions rather than university-nominated scholar awards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARCSFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/arcsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/3757538
• Instagraminstagram.com/arcsfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ARCS Foundation