Minds Matter Philadelphia
Minds Matter Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a three-year college preparation program pairing high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia high school students with two dedicated mentors, funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Minds Matter Philadelphia does
Minds Matter Philadelphia is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2011 as a chapter of the national Minds Matter entity (originally founded in New York City in 1991). The organization operates a three-year college preparation program targeted at high-achieving students from low-income families in the Greater Philadelphia area. Students are recruited primarily through high school counselor referrals and online applications during their sophomore year, with eligibility requiring a minimum 3.0 GPA. The organization currently serves students from over 20 area high schools.
The program's core service components are structured sequentially across three cohorts: a Sophomore Program emphasizing writing, critical thinking, math, and college awareness; a Junior Program featuring formal ACT preparation and summer program applications; and a Senior Program focused on college applications, financial aid, and essay writing. Delivery occurs through weekly Saturday sessions held at Temple University's Center City Campus from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, augmented by fully funded residential summer programs at partner universities (domestic and international, via CIEE). Each student is paired with two college-educated mentors under a distinctive two-on-one model. The organization is 100% volunteer-led, with the sole exception of Executive Director Ashley McGrath.
Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions rather than fees—the program is free to all students and families. Funding streams include individual donations (tax-deductible under EIN 45-1602619), corporate matching gifts (facilitated by Double the Donation), corporate "Dollars for Doers" volunteer incentive programs, recurring workplace giving through payroll deduction, and foundation grants (e.g., a $10,000 WSFS CARES Foundation grant in December 2023). Distribution partners include Temple University (facility), UPenn/Wharton (mission alignment), CIEE (international summer programs), and corporate sponsors PNC, EnvestNet, LLR Partners, and PhRMA. The organization reports a 100% college acceptance rate for program completers.
Minds Matter Philadelphia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Minds Matter Philadelphia
- Legal name
- Minds Matter of Philadelphia, Inc.
- Website
- https://mindsmatterphilly.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Minds Matter Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a three-year college preparation program pairing high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia high school students with two dedicated mentors, funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Minds Matter Philadelphia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Access Mentoring and College Preparation Services
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students) (EDAIAIAD), Academic Acceleration & Grade-Skipping Support (EDANAKAE)
Keywords
Where Minds Matter Philadelphia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Minds Matter Philadelphia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting the mission. Donors can give online or mail checks to P.O. Box 58896, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Minds Matter of Philadelphia, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 45-1602619).
- Corporate Matching: Many employers match employee charitable contributions dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling individual donations. The organization maintains a matching gift search tool powered by Double the Donation.
- Volunteer Incentive Programs: Corporate 'Dollars for Doers' programs where companies grant financial donations based on volunteer hours logged by employees.
- Workplace Giving: Recurring payroll deductions through employer giving programs, providing consistent and reliable funding to sustain the three-year student programs.
- Foundation Grants: Grants from corporate foundations such as the WSFS CARES Foundation supporting educational programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free program for eligible students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Minds Matter Philadelphia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Minds Matter Philadelphia runs a free, three-year college preparation program for high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia-area high school students, beginning in sophomore year and continuing through college enrollment. The program combines individualized two-on-one volunteer mentoring, small-group academic instruction (writing, critical thinking, math), professional ACT test preparation, college application and financial aid guidance, and fully funded residential summer programs at prestigious universities, all delivered at no cost to students, families, or schools.
Product overview
Minds Matter Philadelphia is a nonprofit organization offering a single, unified three-year mentoring program designed to help high-achieving students from low-income families gain admission to, enroll in, and graduate from four-year colleges. The program consists of three sequential cohorts (Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Programs) delivered through weekly Saturday Sessions at Temple University's Center City Campus. Core service components include the Two-on-One Mentorship Model, ACT Test Preparation, and Fully Funded Summer Programs at prestigious universities. The organization operates as a 100% volunteer-led 501(c)(3) with supplemental donation matching and workplace giving tools to maximize donor impact.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sophomore Program Year-long foundational program for high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia high school sophomores that builds confidence, ambition, and motivation through writing, critical thinking, and math skill development, introduces the college admissions process, and supports summer program applications.
- Junior Program Year-long college preparation program for junior-year students featuring formal full-year ACT test preparation, continued writing and critical thinking development, and guidance through summer program applications including international options.
- Senior Program Year-long college application intensive for senior-year students covering financial aid considerations, scholarship applications, final ACT test prep refresher, essay writing workshops, and college life preparation.
- Two-on-One Mentorship Model Structured mentorship offering in which each student is paired with two college-educated volunteer mentors who provide consistent one-on-one support across the three-year program, including social, emotional, and professional scaffolding.
- ACT Test Preparation Professional ACT test preparation program delivered through small-group instruction, including diagnostic exams, test-taking strategies, and refresher courses for seniors.
- Fully Funded Summer Programs Fully funded residential summer programs at prestigious universities across the country and internationally, covering subjects including psychology, computer science, biology, medicine, business, filmmaking, and architecture, available to sophomores (local) and juniors (domestic or international).
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% college acceptance rate for all students completing the program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Minds Matter Philadelphia
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Minds Matter Philadelphia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Minds Matter Philadelphia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Temple UniversitycoreTemple University provides facilities for Minds Matter Philadelphia's Saturday sessions at its Center City Campus, enabling the organization to hold in-person programming for students.
- The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)minorPartner organization supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia's mission to prepare students for top-tier colleges and universities.
- University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)minorPartner organization supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia's mission to prepare students for elite higher education institutions.
- PNC Financial ServicesminorCorporate sponsor and partner organization supporting the educational programs.
- EnvestNetminorCorporate sponsor supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia's mission.
- LLR PartnersminorCorporate sponsor supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia's educational programs.
- CIEEminorOrganization providing international exchange and study abroad opportunities for students, potentially supporting Minds Matter's international summer programs.
- Philadelphia District Attorney OfficeminorGovernment partner supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia's mission.
- PhRMAminorPharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America - corporate sponsor.
- Teach For AmericaminorThe Executive Director started her career as a middle school science and math teacher in Southwest Philadelphia through Teach For America.
- Red BAG MediaminorWebsite development and digital marketing partner credited for powering the organization's online presence.
- WINGSminorCorporate sponsor supporting Minds Matter Philadelphia.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Minds Matter Philadelphia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bottom Line: Bottom Line provides one-on-one college access and success advising to low-income and first-generation students from high school through college graduation. Operates in multiple cities with a similar intensive mentoring and college-prep model serving comparable demographics.
- POSSE Foundation: POSSE identifies and trains public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential to attend top-tier colleges together in supportive cohorts. Targets the same high-achieving low-income demographic for elite-college enrollment.
- College Advising Corps: College Advising Corps places recent college graduates as full-time advisors in underserved high schools to help low-income students navigate the college application process. Addresses the same 1:400 counselor gap Minds Matter highlights.
- iMentor: iMentor partners with schools to deliver multi-year mentoring programs pairing low-income students with professional mentors focused on college readiness and graduation. Closely aligned model around sustained mentor pairings and college completion outcomes.
- OneGoal: OneGoal is a national college persistence program that supports low-income high school students through college graduation with dedicated programming and program directors in partner schools. Comparable focus on college completion, not just admission.
- College Track: College Track operates a ten-year program beginning in ninth grade that supports low-income students through college graduation, combining academic support, college advising, and leadership development. Comparable longitudinal, intensive-cohort design.
- Questbridge: Questbridge connects high-achieving low-income students with admissions and full scholarships at top colleges and universities. Addresses the same elite-college access gap for low-income high-achievers that Minds Matter targets.
Broad incumbents
- Minds Matter (National Organization): Minds Matter is the national parent organization founded in 1991 in New York City, operating chapters across multiple cities with the same three-year mentoring model. Directly comparable mission, program structure, and student outcomes framework as the Philadelphia chapter.
Regional players
- KIPP Philadelphia Charter Schools: KIPP Philadelphia operates charter schools serving low-income students from kindergarten through college, with a college-prep focus and alumni support through college. Operates in the same Philadelphia geography with overlapping student demographics and college-readiness mission.
Emerging players
- uAspire: uAspire provides advising and financial aid support to low-income students to maximize college affordability and persistence. Focuses specifically on the financial-aid-navigation gap, complementing Minds Matter's broader college prep delivery.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Minds Matter Philadelphia social profiles
Digital presenceMinds Matter Philadelphia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Minds Matter Philadelphia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Minds Matter Philadelphia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Minds Matter Philadelphia 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 Minds Matter Philadelphia
What does Minds Matter Philadelphia do?
Minds Matter Philadelphia runs a free, three-year college preparation program for high-achieving, low-income Philadelphia-area high school students, beginning in sophomore year and continuing through college enrollment. The program combines individualized two-on-one volunteer mentoring, small-group academic instruction (writing, critical thinking, math), professional ACT test preparation, college application and financial aid guidance, and fully funded residential summer programs at prestigious universities, all delivered at no cost to students, families, or schools.
Is Minds Matter Philadelphia a public or private company?
Minds Matter Philadelphia is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Minds Matter Philadelphia founded?
Minds Matter Philadelphia was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Minds Matter Philadelphia based?
Minds Matter Philadelphia is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Minds Matter Philadelphia make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Matching, volunteer Incentive Programs, workplace Giving and foundation Grants.
Who are Minds Matter Philadelphia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bottom Line, POSSE Foundation, College Advising Corps, iMentor, OneGoal, College Track and Questbridge. Minds Matter (National Organization) is listed as a broad incumbent. KIPP Philadelphia Charter Schools is listed as a regional player. uAspire is listed as an emerging player.
Does Minds Matter Philadelphia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Minds Matter Philadelphia.
What industry is Minds Matter Philadelphia in?
Minds Matter Philadelphia's product category is College Access Mentoring and College Preparation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAHAH, Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams), with a secondary code of EDAIAIAD, Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students). Its NAICS code is 611691.