Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Name

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Legal name

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

Website

https://coca-colascholarsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 by Coca-Cola bottlers that awards $20,000 college scholarships to 150 exceptional U.S. high school seniors annually, while sustaining a lifelong alumni community of 5,850+ leaders through programming, regional events, and a digital networking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Employer-Sponsored Scholarships (EDAIAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

Keywords

• College scholarship program
• Nonprofit foundation services
• Alumni networking platform
• Leadership development programs
• Charitable giving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations supporting scholarship programs, enrichment opportunities, and alumni programming. Donors can give to the Coca-Cola Scholars Legacy Fund or unrestricted General Fund.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the annual Scholars Banquet and other Foundation programs. Companies pledge to help make Scholars Weekend an memorable experience.
3. Planned Giving and Bequests: Planned giving vehicles including bequests, retirement plan assets, charitable remainder trusts, and testamentary charitable remainder trusts. Tax ID Number: 58-1686023.
4. Stock Donations: Gifts of appreciated stock to the Coca-Cola Scholars Legacy Fund, providing donors with tax advantages by essentially waiving capital gains tax on appreciation.
5. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers match employee charitable contributions, doubling or tripling support.
6. Amazon Smile: Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Foundation when customers link their accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation awards a $20,000 college scholarship each year to 150 exceptional U.S. high school seniors selected from approximately 107,000 applicants, and bundles the award with lifelong alumni programming including the Leadership Development Institute, Scholars Weekend, the Scholars Banquet, Service Summits, C-Suite Connections virtual events, regional alumni receptions, and access to the Coke Scholars Connect networking platform linking over 6,450+ alumni leaders across sectors.

Product overview

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation offers a unified scholarship program for exceptional high school students, providing $20,000 college scholarships and lifelong membership in a community of leaders. The core Coca-Cola Scholars Program includes annual Scholars Weekend featuring the Scholars Banquet and Leadership Development Institute. Alumni access the Coke Scholars Connect networking platform and can participate in Service Summits and C-Suite Connections virtual events. The Foundation also produces The SIP podcast. All offerings are part of a single integrated program focused on scholarship funding, leadership development, networking, and lifelong enrichment for program alumni.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 107,000 students applied for 150 spots in the 2026 class
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coca-Cola ConsolidatedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Coca-Cola Consolidated partnered with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for the 2026 Service Summit, supporting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina alongside Scholars and alumni.
• Appalachian Service ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Nonprofit partner for the 2026 Service Summit working with Coke Scholars on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.
• CASE Consultants InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner organization for the 2026 Service Summit supporting long-term recovery after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, NC.
• Swannanoa Grassroots AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Local partner organization collaborating with Coke Scholars at the 2026 Service Summit for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
• Viking Coca-ColaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnered with CCSF for a Minneapolis alumni reception, hosting local Scholars and their families.
• Reyes Coca-Cola BottlingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnered with CCSF for a Minneapolis alumni reception alongside Viking Coca-Cola.
• The Coca-Cola CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coca-Cola Company partnered with Coca-Cola bottlers on May 8, 1986 to create the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation as a gift to honor Coca-Cola's first 100 years. Roberto Goizueta of The Coca-Cola Company helped build this legacy partnership.
• Coca-Cola Bottlers (United States)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1986 by Crawford Johnson III from Coca-Cola United and Coca-Cola bottlers from across the United States to create the scholarship as a gift to honor Coca-Cola's first 100 years.
• Coca-Cola DC OfficeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJim McGreevy and Meg Murphy from the Coca-Cola DC team host annual receptions for Coke Scholars in Washington, DC as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations.
• Corporate SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors support the annual Scholars Banquet during Scholars Weekend. Interested sponsors can contact Ericia Ward-Williams at [email protected].

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Elks National Foundation Scholarship: Large fraternal-organization-sponsored scholarship program distributing millions annually to U.S. high schoolers. Similar domestic, donor-funded, scholarship-focused mission but with broader, less selective applicant base.
• Rhodes Scholarship: Premier, internationally recognized postgraduate scholarship. Competes with CCSF for the same elite 'visionary leader' applicant pool and donor goodwill, though it serves a different educational stage.

Direct peers

• Dell Scholars: Corporate-sponsored (Dell/Michael & Susan Dell Foundation) scholarship program for low-income, college-bound students. Similar in combining financial award with ongoing support services and a lifelong community.
• QuestBridge: Connects high-achieving low-income students with full scholarships at partner colleges. Competes for the same pool of high-achieving U.S. high schoolers and offers a comparable lifetime community/network component.
• Horatio Alger Association: Awards need-based scholarships to high school students who have overcome adversity. Comparable in scale, donor-funded model, and U.S.-only applicant pool to Coca-Cola Scholars.
• Gates Scholarship: Large, highly selective, full-cost scholarship program for high-achieving, minority, Pell-eligible high school seniors. Direct competitor for top-tier U.S. applicants and donor attention among corporate/foundation-sponsored scholarship brands.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Provides multi-year scholarships and comprehensive support to high-achieving students with financial need. Comparable in mission (scholarship plus enrichment) and target applicant profile to Coca-Cola Scholars.

Others

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Iconic corporate-sponsored nonprofit from a fellow global consumer brand. Useful benchmark for how a long-running corporate-backed charitable arm sustains fundraising and community engagement over decades.

Emerging players

• Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship: Corporate-sponsored scholarship for students pursuing computer science. Comparable corporate-brand scholarship model, though narrower in scope (STEM focus) than Coca-Cola Scholars.
• Burger King Scholars: Corporate-sponsored scholarship program awarding significant dollars to high school students. Closely comparable funding model (corporate-backed scholarship foundation) but with less prestigious brand halo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CokeScholars
• Facebookfacebook.com/cocacolascholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coca-cola-scholars-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/cokescholars
• Xx.com/cokescholars

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation