Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the annual Scholars Banquet and other Foundation programs. Companies pledge to help make Scholars Weekend an memorable experience.
- 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.
- 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.
- Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers match employee charitable contributions, doubling or tripling support.
- Amazon Smile: Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Foundation when customers link their accounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One-time award | Coca-Cola Scholar Award - $20,000 college scholarship |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Coca-Cola ConsolidatedcoreCoca-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 ProjectminorNonprofit partner for the 2026 Service Summit working with Coke Scholars on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina.
- CASE Consultants InternationalminorPartner organization for the 2026 Service Summit supporting long-term recovery after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, NC.
- Swannanoa Grassroots AllianceminorLocal partner organization collaborating with Coke Scholars at the 2026 Service Summit for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
- Viking Coca-ColaminorPartnered with CCSF for a Minneapolis alumni reception, hosting local Scholars and their families.
- Reyes Coca-Cola BottlingminorPartnered with CCSF for a Minneapolis alumni reception alongside Viking Coca-Cola.
- The Coca-Cola CompanycoreThe 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)coreFounded 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 OfficeminorJim 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 SponsorsminorCorporate 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
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceCoca-Cola Scholars Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation 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 Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
What does Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation do?
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.
Is Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation a public or private company?
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation founded?
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation was founded in 1986. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation based?
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, planned Giving and Bequests, stock Donations, matching Gifts and amazon Smile.
Who are Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Elks National Foundation Scholarship and Rhodes Scholarship. Direct peers are Dell Scholars, QuestBridge, Horatio Alger Association, Gates Scholarship and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Ronald McDonald House Charities is listed as an others. Emerging players are Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship and Burger King Scholars.
Does Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
What industry is Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation in?
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation's product category is Nonprofit Scholarship Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAOAI, Corporate & Employer-Sponsored Scholarships, with a secondary code of EDAIAOAH, Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships. Its NAICS code is 81321.