Minds Matter
Minds Matter is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1991 that runs an intensive three-year academic mentoring and college-prep program for accomplished low-income high school students, delivered free of charge through 14 chapters nationwide and powered by 2,200+ volunteers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Minds Matter does
Minds Matter National, Inc. is a U.S. private nonprofit founded in 1991 in New York City that runs an intensive three-year academic mentoring program for accomplished high school students from low-income families. The organization is incorporated in New York, headquartered at 1120 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, and operates through a chapter-based delivery model across 14 U.S. cities (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Twin Cities, Washington D.C.), each delivering the program in person via weekly sessions, two-volunteer mentor pairings, SAT/ACT preparation, college counseling, and two fully-funded summer programs at partner colleges. Minds Matter does not develop proprietary technology products; service delivery is volunteer-powered and human-led, with 2,200+ volunteers supporting 800+ students annually across all chapters.
The program is provided free of charge to students and families. Reported outcomes include a 100% four-year college acceptance rate for program graduates, over 70% attendance at U.S. News top 100 colleges, over 90% four-year college completion among alumni, and a 17-to-1 social return on investment per a Columbia University study. The organization is governed by a National Board of Directors with semi-autonomous chapter leadership councils and local executive directors; two co-founders remain active (Leanne Huebner, Board Co-Chair and Co-Founder).
Revenue is sourced entirely from charitable contributions: individual donations (suggested $50/month), foundation grants (notably $1.2 million from 100 Women in Finance in 2016 and a $375,000 matching grant from The Pershing Square Foundation beginning 2012), corporate sponsorships, and chapter-level annual fundraising galas (recent galas have raised between $85,000 in Chicago and more than $200,000 in Denver and NYC). The organization has received media recognition from The New York Times, The Dr. Oz Show, the L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth program, the Points of Light Foundation, and the Los Angeles Business Journal, and holds a Candid Gold Seal of Transparency (renewed 2026).
Minds Matter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Minds Matter
- Legal name
- Minds Matter National, Inc.
- Website
- https://mindsmatter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Minds Matter is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1991 that runs an intensive three-year academic mentoring and college-prep program for accomplished low-income high school students, delivered free of charge through 14 chapters nationwide and powered by 2,200+ volunteers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Minds Matter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (6117), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching) (EDAJALAH)
Keywords
Where Minds Matter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Minds Matter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support students. Suggested donation of $50/month for supporters.
- Foundation Grants: Major grants from foundations including $1.2 million from 100 Women in Finance, $375,000 matching grant from The Pershing Square Foundation, and seed funding from The Taubman Foundation for Detroit chapter.
- Corporate Sponsorships and Galas: Annual fundraising galas across chapters (Chicago raised $85,000, Denver raised $200,000+, NYC raised $200,000+, San Francisco raised $136,000). Corporate partners sponsor events and programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Minds Matter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Minds Matter delivers an intensive three-year academic mentoring program for accomplished high school students from low-income families. The program pairs each student with two volunteer mentors and provides SAT/ACT preparation, college application counseling, writing instruction, and two fully-funded summer academic programs at colleges and universities. All services are provided free of charge to students and families.
Product overview
Minds Matter offers a single, unified three-year academic mentoring program as its core product. The program provides comprehensive college access support including SAT/ACT test preparation, one-on-one mentor matching (two mentors per student), college admission counseling, and two fully-funded summer academic programs at colleges nationwide. All services are provided at no cost to students from low-income families.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Three-Year Academic Mentoring Program An intensive three-year college access program for accomplished high school students from low-income families. The program pairs each student with two volunteer mentors, delivers SAT/ACT preparation, college application and scholarship counseling, writing instruction, and sends students to two fully-funded summer academic programs at colleges and universities, all at no cost to participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of Minds Matter program graduates are accepted to 4-year colleges
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Minds Matter
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Minds Matter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Minds Matter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.
- Portland Community CollegeminorProvided classroom space at Hillsboro campus (about 20 miles from Portland) for Minds Matter Portland's second program site, enabling 8 students as inaugural class.
- SAY DetroitcoreEssential community center in Detroit that houses and supports the expansion of Minds Matter Detroit chapter.
- Los Angeles Dodgers FoundationmajorLos Angeles Dodgers Foundation partnered with Minds Matter Los Angeles for College Signing Day celebration and 2018 College and Career Accelerator program.
- University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)coreHistoric partnership with Minds Matter Colorado guaranteeing college admission and scholarships to all Minds Matter students who satisfy graduation requirements. Students receive conditional admission to CU Denver along with commitment to assist in applying for scholarships and financial aid.
- Perkins CoieminorGenerously donated space for Minds Matter Seattle chapter meetings for three years, supporting initial chapter operations.
- Hogan LovellsminorProvided space for Minds Matter Washington, D.C. chapter sessions, supporting the chapter's launch.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Minds Matter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income high school students to top colleges and universities through scholarships and a college-match program. Directly comparable to Minds Matter in mission, target population, and selective-college outcome focus.
- College Possible: National nonprofit providing near-peer coaching to low-income high school students on college access, ACT/SAT prep, and college persistence. Comparable service model and beneficiary population to Minds Matter's three-year mentoring program.
- College Track: College-access and persistence organization serving first-generation students from high school through college graduation across multiple U.S. regions. Comparable multi-year, multi-city college access model to Minds Matter.
- iMentor: National nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with adult volunteer mentors for one-on-one college access support. Highly comparable mentoring-driven service model to Minds Matter.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing one-on-one college access and persistence advising to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Comparable target population and direct-service advising model to Minds Matter.
- The Posse Foundation: National college-access and leadership program that recruits cohorts of high-achieving students from urban high schools and places them at selective colleges. Comparable selective-college mission and outcome focus to Minds Matter.
- Let's Get Ready: Nonprofit offering SAT prep, college advising, and mentoring to low-income high school students. Closely comparable tutoring, mentoring, and college-counseling offering to Minds Matter's core program.
- uAspire: National nonprofit focused on college affordability advising and persistence support for low-income students. Comparable college-access mission and direct-service advising model to Minds Matter.
Emerging players
- Matriculate: Nonprofit providing remote college-access advising and mentoring to high-achieving low-income high school students. Comparable targeted mission with a tech-enabled advising twist that contrasts Minds Matter's in-person model.
Broad incumbents
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest U.S. youth mentoring nonprofit, broadly serving youth outcomes including education. Overlaps with Minds Matter in volunteer mentor recruitment and youth-development mission, though broader in scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Minds Matter social profiles
Digital presenceMinds Matter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Minds Matter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Minds Matter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Minds Matter 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
What does Minds Matter do?
Minds Matter delivers an intensive three-year academic mentoring program for accomplished high school students from low-income families. The program pairs each student with two volunteer mentors and provides SAT/ACT preparation, college application counseling, writing instruction, and two fully-funded summer academic programs at colleges and universities. All services are provided free of charge to students and families.
Is Minds Matter a public or private company?
Minds Matter is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Minds Matter founded?
Minds Matter was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Minds Matter based?
Minds Matter is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Minds Matter make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants and corporate Sponsorships and Galas.
Who are Minds Matter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are QuestBridge, College Possible, College Track, iMentor, Bottom Line, The Posse Foundation, Let's Get Ready and uAspire. Matriculate is listed as an emerging player. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Minds Matter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Minds Matter.
What industry is Minds Matter in?
Minds Matter's product category is Youth Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAH, Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching). Its NAICS code is 6117 and its SIC code is 8200.