Breakthrough Atlanta
Breakthrough Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that delivers a six-year, tuition-free college readiness program to underserved Metro Atlanta public school students while simultaneously training the next generation of teachers through paid undergraduate Teaching Fellow residencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Breakthrough Atlanta does
Breakthrough Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1996 (originally as Summerbridge Atlanta) and headquartered on The Lovett School campus at 4075 Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta. It delivers a six-year, year-round, tuition-free college readiness pathway for highly motivated, underserved students recruited from public schools in Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb counties, with programming hosted at The Lovett School and Emory University campuses. The program combines summer academic enrichment (rising 7th–9th graders, ~300 scholars in 2025), school-year Super Saturdays, and a College Prep Program for 9th–12th graders (~100 students in 2025) covering SAT/ACT prep, college counseling, financial aid workshops, campus visits, and scholarship matching. Reported outcomes include a 77% college graduation rate versus a 29% Metro Atlanta average, a 100% high school graduation rate, and 80%+ college enrollment among participants.
The organization operates a dual-mission model that simultaneously develops the next generation of educators through an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow residency (~300 service hours, $5,100 stipend), an Instructional Coach program for experienced educators, and a Summer Leadership Institute Fellowship for undergraduates pursuing education-adjacent careers; 76% of Teaching Fellows pursue education careers. Breakthrough Atlanta became a self-sustaining independent nonprofit in 2020 after separating from The Lovett School, and is one of 25 affiliates in the national Breakthrough Collaborative network.
Revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations and grants: individual giving, corporate and foundation sponsorships across tiered levels (Valedictorian $100K+, Salutatorian $50K–$99K, down to Honor Roll $1K–$2.4K), special event fundraising (notably the annual Fund-A-Scholar gala, ~$460K raised at the 7th event in 2022, and a record-breaking 10th event in 2025), and federal AmeriCorps funding — which was terminated in 2025 ($355K loss), forcing a one-week curriculum reduction and adjustments to Teaching Fellow stipends. The organization employs an estimated 51–100 staff led by CEO Monique Shields.
Breakthrough Atlanta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Breakthrough Atlanta
- Legal name
- Breakthrough Atlanta
- Website
- https://breakthroughatlanta.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Breakthrough Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that delivers a six-year, tuition-free college readiness program to underserved Metro Atlanta public school students while simultaneously training the next generation of teachers through paid undergraduate Teaching Fellow residencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Breakthrough Atlanta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Summer School & Extended-Year Academic Catch-Up (EDANAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Extended Learning Time Programs (After-School/Summer Intervention) (EDAJAGAK), Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students) (EDAIAIAD)
Keywords
Where Breakthrough Atlanta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Breakthrough Atlanta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting the organization's life-changing programs. Gifts can be made as one-time or monthly recurring contributions.
- Corporate and Foundation Support: Funding from corporations and foundations at various sponsorship levels (Valedictorian $100K+, Salutatorian $50-99K, Magna Cum Laude $10-19K, Cum Laude $5-9K, Dean's List $2.5-4.9K, Honor Roll $1-2.4K). Major supporters include AmeriCorps, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Natural Gas, United Way of Greater Atlanta, and 40+ other organizations.
- AmeriCorps Grants: Federal AmeriCorps funding that supported Teaching Fellow stipends and education awards. In 2025, $355,000 in AmeriCorps funding was lost due to federal cuts, significantly impacting the program.
- Special Event Fundraising: Annual Fund-A-Scholar gala raising critical funds. The 10th annual event in 2025 brought together supporters to celebrate student achievements. Pickleball Tournament also generates fundraising revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Tuition-free program - no cost to students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Breakthrough Atlanta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Breakthrough Atlanta provides tuition-free, multi-year college readiness and academic enrichment programming for Atlanta-area middle and high school students. Its model pairs middle school "scholars" with high school student-teachers and AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows, supported by Instructional Coaches, and runs both summer and school-year components culminating in college preparation and access.
Product overview
Breakthrough Atlanta is a nonprofit educational organization offering a comprehensive six-year, tuition-free, year-round college readiness program for Atlanta's middle and high school students. The core offerings include the High School Readiness Program (for rising 7th-9th graders) featuring summer programming and Super Saturdays, and the College Prep Program (for 9th-12th graders) providing college counseling, workshops, and test prep. Complementing student programs are the AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow Program, Instructional Coach Program, and Summer Leadership Institute Fellow Program—all designed to inspire and develop the next generation of educators. Annual fundraising events include the Fund-A-Scholar gala and Pickleball Tournament.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Six-Year Year-Round Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 77% college graduation rate (vs 29% for Metro Atlanta average)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Breakthrough Atlanta
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Breakthrough Atlanta technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Breakthrough Atlanta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- The Lovett SchoolcoreThe Lovett School hosts Breakthrough Atlanta's year-round programming on its campus. This hosting relationship has been fundamental to the organization since its founding in 1996 as Summerbridge Atlanta. The partnership enabled Breakthrough to become a self-sustaining nonprofit in 2020 while Lovett continues as a critical resource.
- Breakthrough CollaborativecoreNational network of 25 affiliates working to increase academic opportunity for underserved students and develop future teachers. Each year Breakthrough connects 10,000 students with 1,100 teaching fellows in 25 cities across the country.
- Hands On AtlantamajorVolunteer coordination partnership for Super Saturdays mentoring program. Volunteers register through Hands On Atlanta's platform to provide group mentoring and academic enrichment to 7th-9th grade students.
- Emory UniversitymajorSummer Leadership Institute program conducted on Emory University campus in addition to The Lovett School location.
- Atlanta Pickleball CenterminorVenue partner for Breakthrough Atlanta's annual Pickleball Tournament fundraiser.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Breakthrough Atlanta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Breakthrough Collaborative: National network of 25 Breakthrough affiliates serving 10,000 students and 1,100 Teaching Fellows annually. Most direct peer as the umbrella organization for Breakthrough Atlanta; uses the same students-teaching-students model and shared curriculum framework across all affiliates.
- College Possible: National nonprofit providing intensive college access coaching, ACT/SAT prep, and near-peer mentorship for low-income high school students. Closely comparable mission (college readiness for underserved students) with a similar AmeriCorps coaching model in multiple metros.
- City Year: AmeriCorps national service program placing young adults in schools to support attendance, behavior, and academic performance for underserved students. Direct peer on the AmeriCorps service-year stipend model and near-peer student support model, including an Atlanta site.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing one-on-one college access and success advising for first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Closely comparable to Breakthrough Atlanta's College Prep Program on individualized advising, college match, and persistence support through college.
- Match Education (Match Corps): Boston-based nonprofit combining a charter school with a high-dosage tutoring and near-peer AmeriCorps teaching fellowship (Match Corps). Closely comparable to Breakthrough Atlanta's dual student-success + near-peer teacher-development model, especially the AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow component.
Broad incumbents
- QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income students with full scholarships at top colleges. Comparable on underserved-student college access mission; less comparable on the in-person summer/AmeriCorps teaching model.
- KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National network of public charter schools serving underserved students with a college-prep mission and high near-peer tutoring emphasis. Comparable to Breakthrough Atlanta on student demographic and college-readiness focus, though KIPP operates schools full-time rather than supplemental enrichment.
- AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): School-system college-readiness program serving underrepresented students with year-round academic support and near-peer tutoring elements. Comparable on the college-readiness mission and school-year enrichment design (e.g., Super Saturdays).
- Posse Foundation: National college access and leadership nonprofit sending diverse cohorts of underserved students to selective colleges as supportive 'posses.' Comparable on college access for underserved Atlanta-area students, though differs in cohort-based delivery model.
Others
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National foundation providing scholarships and college access programming for high-achieving, low-income students. Comparable on the college-access-for-underserved-students theme, though positioned as a funder/scholarship provider rather than direct service operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Breakthrough Atlanta social profiles
Digital presenceBreakthrough Atlanta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Breakthrough Atlanta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Breakthrough Atlanta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Breakthrough Atlanta 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 Breakthrough Atlanta
What does Breakthrough Atlanta do?
Breakthrough Atlanta provides tuition-free, multi-year college readiness and academic enrichment programming for Atlanta-area middle and high school students. Its model pairs middle school "scholars" with high school student-teachers and AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows, supported by Instructional Coaches, and runs both summer and school-year components culminating in college preparation and access.
Is Breakthrough Atlanta a public or private company?
Breakthrough Atlanta is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Breakthrough Atlanta founded?
Breakthrough Atlanta was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Breakthrough Atlanta based?
Breakthrough Atlanta is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Breakthrough Atlanta make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Support, ameriCorps Grants and special Event Fundraising.
Who are Breakthrough Atlanta's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Breakthrough Collaborative, College Possible, City Year, Bottom Line and Match Education (Match Corps). Broad incumbents are QuestBridge, KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and Posse Foundation. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is listed as an others.
Does Breakthrough Atlanta have an API?
No public API is recorded for Breakthrough Atlanta.
What industry is Breakthrough Atlanta in?
Breakthrough Atlanta's product category is Youth Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAJAH, Summer School & Extended-Year Academic Catch-Up, with a secondary code of EDAJAGAK, Extended Learning Time Programs (After-School/Summer Intervention). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.