Generation Hope

What Generation Hope does

Generation Hope is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 by Nicole Lynn Lewis that supports teen parents pursuing college degrees and their young children through a two-generation programming model. Its direct-service Scholar Program operates across three geographic regions (Washington D.C., Greater New Orleans since 2021, and Dallas-Fort Worth since 2024) and provides wraparound support including mentoring, tuition assistance of $1,200-$2,400 per year per scholar, tutoring, mental health services, career readiness training, emergency funding, and peer community, alongside the Next Generation Academy early childhood program serving the children of Scholars.

The organization's institutional arm, branded as FamilyU, includes a two-year capacity-building Cohort program for colleges and universities priced at $40,000 per institution (with a reduced $20,000 rate for HBCUs), the FamilyU Seal national certification for institutions and nonprofits with a $250 application fee and 3-year cycle, the Student Parent Ally Certificate Program delivered as a self-paced online course via LearnWorlds, and the California Presidents Circle launched in October 2025 as a statewide peer network of higher education leaders. Generation Hope also runs the annual HOPE Conference, conducts federal and state policy advocacy through its Student Parent Advocacy Alliance, and distributes research reports on student parent outcomes.

The revenue model combines individual donations, foundation and government grants, institutional participation fees for FamilyU services, nominal application fees for the FamilyU Seal, book sales from the Founder's two published works (Pregnant Girl and Student Parent), and event-related conference revenue. Direct services to teen parents are provided at no cost; institutional programs are priced on a subscription or application-fee basis. Documented outcomes include a 61% six-year graduation rate for Scholars (approximately double the rate for low-income students and 8x the rate for single mothers nationally), 89% post-graduation employment or graduate school enrollment, and 100% on-track social-emotional screening for children in Next Generation Academy.

Name

Generation Hope

Legal name

Generation Hope

Website

https://generationhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Generation Hope is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports teen parents in college and their children through a two-generation programming model, combining direct wraparound services with national institutional capacity-building via its FamilyU Cohort, Seal, and Ally Certificate programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Parent Education Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Student parent support
• Higher education access
• Two-generation programming
• Family services nonprofit
• College completion support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting mission to help teen parents complete college. Donate page available on website.
2. Institutional Participation Fees (FamilyU Cohort): $20,000 annually ($40,000 for 2-year engagement) for institutions participating in FamilyU Cohort technical assistance program. HBCUs receive reduced rate of $20,000 for full 2-year program.
3. FamilyU Seal Application Fee: $250 application fee for higher education institutions and nonprofits seeking FamilyU Seal certification to cover administrative costs.
4. Book Sales (Pregnant Girl, Student Parent): Sale of Founder & CEO Nicole Lynn Lewis's books - Pregnant Girl (memoir) and Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College. Custom-signed copies available for $45.
5. Tuition Assistance to Scholars: $1,200/year scholarship for 2-year college students, $2,400/year for 4-year college students. Total of $2.1M provided since founding in 2010.
6. Foundation and Government Grants: Grants supporting policy advocacy, research reports, and direct programming for teen parent support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Generation Hope provides direct wraparound services to teen parents pursuing college degrees (mentoring, tuition assistance, peer community, academic and mental health support, emergency funding) alongside early childhood programming for their children. The organization also delivers paid technical assistance and certification programs to higher education institutions, including a two-year FamilyU Cohort capacity-building engagement, the FamilyU Seal national certification, the Student Parent Ally online certificate, and the California Presidents Circle peer network, supplemented by national policy advocacy and an annual HOPE Conference.

Product overview

Generation Hope offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and services organized around a two-generation approach — supporting both teen parents in college and their young children. The core direct-service programs include the Scholar Program, which provides holistic wraparound support (mentoring, tuition assistance, academic and mental health support, career readiness, and emergency funding) to teen parents pursuing college degrees across Washington DC, New Orleans, and Dallas; and Next Generation Academy, an early childhood program for the children of Scholars. The institutional-support programs include FamilyU Cohort (a two-year capacity-building experience for colleges), the Student Parent Ally Certificate Program (a self-paced online course for professionals), the FamilyU Seal (a national certification for institutions and nonprofits), the California Presidents Circle (a peer network for college leaders), and the annual HOPE Conference. Generation Hope also conducts policy and advocacy work and delivers College Readiness Workshops. The organization is led by two published books by Founder & CEO Nicole Lynn Lewis: Pregnant Girl (2021) and Student Parent (2024). The organization was founded in 2010.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FamilyU: A technical assistance initiative providing comprehensive, evidence-based capacity-building experiences for higher education institutions to improve student parent success. Includes the FamilyU Cohort, FamilyU Seal certification, and California Presidents Circle.
• Next Generation Academy
• HOPE Conference
• Student Parent Advocacy Alliance (SPAA)
• FamilyU Cohort
• FamilyU Seal
• Student Parent Ally Certificate Program

Products and services

• Scholar Program
• Next Generation Academy
• FamilyU Cohort
• Student Parent Ally Certificate Program
• FamilyU Seal
• California Presidents Circle
• HOPE Conference
• College Readiness Workshops
• Pregnant Girl
• Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College

Quantifiable outcome

• 61% of Scholars earn a degree within 6 years
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Howard Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Recipient of FamilyU Seal national recognition for supporting student-parents through Parent Scholars Program, flexible policies, dedicated family spaces, and priority registration.
• California Presidents CircleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Statewide network of California college presidents and chancellors dedicated to transforming campuses to support student parents. Part of FamilyU initiative with peer learning, coaching, and campus-based capstone projects.
• New Legacy Charter SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20252025 Exemplar Nonprofit FamilyU Seal recipient receiving $10,000 award for exemplary efforts in serving parenting college students.
• Jeremiah ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FamilyU Seal exemplar nonprofit recipient. Organization providing housing, education, and childcare for teen mothers and their children.
• New MomscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FamilyU Seal exemplar nonprofit recipient. Organization supporting young mothers in Chicago with housing, job training, and education services.
• Student Parent Advocacy AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Coalition of student parents advocating for policy change. Members serve as subject matter experts informing Generation Hope's annual National and State Policy and Advocacy Agenda.
• Trinity Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023FamilyU Cohort participant. Testimonial partner citing surprise at student parent data and advocacy for family-friendly campus spaces.
• Montgomery CollegeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023FamilyU Cohort participant. FamilyU Seal recipient. Featured testimonial citing Generation Hope as 'ultimate accountability partner' for institutional transformation.
• Austin Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021FamilyU Cohort participant (Cohort 4, 2024-2026). Institution working to improve support for student parents through two-year capacity building program.
• College UnboundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021FamilyU Cohort participant. Named 2025 Exemplar Institution recipient receiving $15,000 award. Alternative higher education model focused on student parent success.
• Dallas CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021FamilyU Cohort participant. FamilyU Seal exemplar designation recipient. Institution expanding to serve student parents in Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• CNN (Heroes Program)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2015Founder Nicole Lynn Lewis named CNN Hero in 2014, providing national media platform and recognition for the organization.
• Multiple Higher Education Institutions (24 total)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201024 colleges and universities across 15 states have participated in FamilyU Cohorts since 2021, including community colleges, four-year institutions, and minority-serving institutions (including HBCUs and HSIs).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jeremiah Program: National nonprofit providing housing, early childhood education, and postsecondary support to single mothers — a directly comparable two-generation model serving a similar student parent population, and an existing FamilyU Seal exemplar partner.
• New Moms: Chicago-based nonprofit supporting young mothers with housing, job training, and education services. Comparable wraparound two-generation approach for young parents, and a current FamilyU Seal exemplar partner.
• New Legacy Charter School: Colorado charter school specifically designed for pregnant and parenting teens pursuing college. Closely aligned mission and population with Generation Hope's Scholar Program, and a 2025 FamilyU Seal exemplar.
• Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice: Research and policy organization focused on basic needs insecurity and student success, with a major initiative on parenting students. Overlapping advocacy and research agenda, and a frequent policy coalition partner.
• Ascend at the Aspen Institute: National policy and practice hub advancing two-generation (2Gen) approaches to family economic mobility. Closely aligned policy/advocacy framing and 2Gen methodology, with overlapping higher education and family-serving institution network.

Emerging players

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing college access and success coaching to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable one-on-one advising and persistence outcomes focus, but without the parenting-student or 2Gen specialization.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing near-peer coaching to help low-income and first-generation students get into and graduate from college. Comparable college success model with national footprint, but broader target population.
• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income students with college-going mentors — directly comparable mentoring model and population, but with broader K-12/college pipeline focus rather than student parents specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large national workforce development nonprofit for young adults, providing training, stipends, and employer connections. Comparable young-adult economic mobility mission, but focused on workforce rather than postsecondary completion.

Others

• SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders): DC-area youth development nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ youth with mentoring and wraparound support. Comparable local nonprofit peer operating in Generation Hope's home geography with a youth mentoring and family support model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SupportGenHope
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/supportgenhope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Generation Hope