WOODWARD HINES EDUCATION FOUNDATION

What WOODWARD HINES EDUCATION FOUNDATION does

Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) is an endowed Mississippi-based 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation operating since the mid-1970s (rebranded to its current name in 2017) from its headquarters in Jackson, MS. The foundation's mission is to expand postsecondary education access and attainment in Mississippi, anchored by three strategic pillars: Research & Learning, Policy & Systems Change, and Equitable Access. Its flagship operating program is Get2College, which provides free, personalized college planning services — including ACT prep, FAFSA assistance, admissions counseling, and financial aid guidance — delivered through three physical centers (Metro Jackson, Gulf Coast, North Mississippi), a statewide virtual channel, and a mobile college access center launched in 2025. WHEF also hosts the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP), administers the IMPACT grant program, and supports the statewide Ascent to 55% initiative to raise working-age postsecondary attainment from 48.8% to 55% by 2030.

WHEF operates as a community-led, grantmaking and direct-service hybrid. All services are provided free of charge to Mississippi students, families, and educators; the foundation funds operations through its endowment and restricted grants from philanthropic partners including the Mellon Foundation, FirstGen Forward, the Public Education Forum, Lumina Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and the federal GEAR UP program. Underwriting technology includes a website (get2college.org), the 24/7 Cha-Ching chatbot, online scheduling, virtual counseling, the Mississippi Skills Navigator, and a virtual reality application supporting the GEAR UP partnership. WHEF coordinates with Mississippi's 32 colleges and universities, the Mississippi Department of Corrections, AccelerateMS, and the Mississippi Business Alliance, and has contributed to Mississippi ranking #1 nationally in FAFSA completion (73.4% of 2025 graduates).

The foundation is led by President and CEO Jim McHale (since December 2015, previously a 20-year senior leader at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation), with a leadership team including a Chief Operating Officer/Controller, Chief of Staff, and program directors across MCHEP, Get2College, and external training. WHEF employs an estimated 11-50 staff, has added headcount consistently through 2022-2026, and underwent an internal restructuring in September 2025 to align with a new strategic plan. Outputs include 45,000+ Mississippians served annually, 3,600+ in-center students/families, 12,000+ statewide outreach contacts, and training for 1,600+ educators per year.

Name

WOODWARD HINES EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Legal name

Woodward Hines Education Foundation

Website

https://woodwardhines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Woodward Hines Education Foundation is an endowed Mississippi non-profit providing free college access services, strategic grantmaking, and policy advocacy to expand postsecondary attainment, primarily serving first-generation, rural, adult, military-connected, and justice-impacted learners through its Get2College program and statewide initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support Platforms (EDAFAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF)

Keywords

• College access services
• Education grantmaking
• Postsecondary attainment
• FAFSA assistance
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Endowments: WHEF is an endowed Mississippi non-profit organization that operates through strategic grantmaking funded by its endowment and external foundation grants. Revenue supports college access programs, policy initiatives, and institutional partnerships focused on increasing postsecondary attainment.
2. Philanthropic Grants: Major grants from foundations including the Mellon Foundation ($1 million for MCHEP over three years) support specific program initiatives and consortium operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WHEF provides free college access services, grantmaking, research, and policy advocacy aimed at increasing postsecondary education attainment in Mississippi. Its flagship Get2College program offers ACT prep, FAFSA assistance, admissions counseling, and college planning through three physical centers, virtual services, and a mobile unit. The foundation also administers strategic grant programs (including IMPACT grants), funds higher education in prison through MCHEP, and leads the statewide Ascent to 55% attainment initiative.

Product overview

Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) is a non-profit foundation operating as a unified organization with interconnected programs rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings center on Get2College (the flagship college access program providing free college counseling and FAFSA assistance through physical centers and mobile services), a Grantmaking Program (strategic investments including IMPACT grants), Research & Learning (data-driven research initiatives), and Policy & Systems Change (advocacy work). Major initiatives include MCHEP (Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison) and the Ascent to 55% statewide attainment goal. The foundation also partners on GEAR UP Mississippi and supports FirstGen Forward to expand first-generation student success programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Get2College: Flagship college access program providing free, personalized support including ACT prep, FAFSA help, admissions counseling, and college planning
• Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP)
• Ascent to 55%
• Mississippi Skills Navigator

Products and services

• Get2College Mississippi's most impactful college access program providing free, personalized support to students and families navigating the complex steps to higher education, including ACT prep, FAFSA help, admissions counseling, and college planning. Operates through three in-person centers (Metro Jackson, Gulf Coast, North Mississippi) and statewide virtual services reaching 45,000+ Mississippians annually.
• Grantmaking Program Strategic grantmaking program focused on expanding access to education, improving student outcomes, and strengthening systems that shape postsecondary success. Funds campus-level innovations, policy initiatives, and community-based programs across Mississippi.
• Research & Learning Funds applied research and connects data with lived experience to drive decisions, inform practice, shape policy, and strengthen outcomes across Mississippi's postsecondary ecosystem. Includes commissioned research such as the Ithaka S+R economic impact study.
• Policy & Systems Change Aligns institutions, policies, and partners to better support learners and the workforce Mississippi needs. Works to change the systems behind programs through advocacy, coalition-building, and policy initiatives.
• Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MCHEP) Statewide collaborative dedicated to increasing access to high-quality postsecondary education for justice-impacted learners. Brings together community colleges, universities, state agencies, and reentry partners to deliver college-level instruction in Mississippi's correctional facilities.
• IMPACT Grants Portfolio of grants designed to accelerate progress toward Ascent to 55%, supporting peer tutoring, academic coaching, curriculum redesign, and innovative advising models at Mississippi colleges and universities.
• Get2College Mobile College Access and Planning Center Mobile van providing on-site college planning services, FAFSA assistance, and financial aid support to underserved rural communities across Mississippi.
• Mississippi Skills Navigator Tool to help Mississippians navigate education and career pathways across the state.
• GEAR UP Mississippi Partnership Seven-year federal GEAR UP partnership with Mississippi State University providing targeted college access services to students in Greenville, McComb, and Meridian public school districts, including ACT prep, virtual reality app for exploring Mississippi universities and industries, and statewide outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73.4% of Mississippi's 2025 high school seniors completed their FAFSA, ranking #1 nationally
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• FirstGen ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026$1.5 million five-year grant to support FirstGen Forward's expansion in Mississippi from 4 to 23 institutions by 2030. Supports institutional transformation through expert guides, data systems, regional learning communities, and advocacy efforts.
• Ithaka S+RstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2023Commissioned research report on economic impact of postsecondary investment in Mississippi, titled 'Strengthening Mississippi's Economic Future Through Postsecondary Investment.'
• Public Education Forum (PEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2022$1 million four-year grant ($250,000 annually) to support Mississippi's Ascent to 55% attainment goal through public awareness campaigns, partnerships with state and industry leaders, data collection, and coordination with state education officials.
• Mississippi Education Achievement CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Established Ascent to 55% goal in October 2020; WHEF led conversations with state leaders to establish this statewide postsecondary attainment goal.
• Mississippi State University (GEAR UP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019$28 million seven-year GEAR UP grant awarded to Mississippi State University with Get2College as key partner. Provides targeted college access services in Greenville, McComb, and Meridian school districts, ACT prep, and statewide outreach.
• Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in MCHEP consortium; received $1.13 million Mellon Foundation grant and serves as pass-through for consortium funding.
• Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in MCHEP consortium; provides access to correctional facilities for postsecondary education programs.
• Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MCHEP consortium; represents the state's community colleges implementing prison education programs.
• Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MCHEP consortium; represents Mississippi's four-year universities in prison education initiatives.
• Accelerate MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce development agency; key partner in Ascent to 55% initiative. CEO Dr. Courtney Taylor stated WHEF is vital partner in advancing state's attainment goal.
• Mississippi Business AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState chamber of commerce affiliate; partner in Ascent to 55% strategy alignment and workforce development initiatives.
• Mississippi Economic Council (MEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState chamber of commerce; has vested interest in workforce development. President & CEO Scott Waller contributed to economic impact report and supports Ascent to 55%.
• Mississippi Community College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus of FirstGen Forward expansion to 15 institutions in the MCCB system by 2030.
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Mississippi HBCUs targeted for FirstGen Forward expansion by 2030 as part of institutional transformation initiative.
• HCM StrategistssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvided subject-matter expertise and meeting facilitation for Mississippi State Financial Aid Task Force examining financial aid redesign.
• National College Attainment Network (NCAN)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization tracking FAFSA completion; Bill DeBaun, Senior Director, has praised Mississippi and WHEF's Get2College as a model for achieving high FAFSA completion statewide.
• ACTsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEAR UP grant partner providing assessment support for college and career readiness.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• College Board (BigFuture): National organization running BigFuture, a major college access and FAFSA completion platform serving millions of students; competes for the same student attention WHEF's Get2College targets, though at much greater scale.
• Lumina Foundation: Major national foundation setting the postsecondary attainment agenda (Goal 2025/2030) that WHEF's Ascent to 55% initiative aligns with. Provides data and strategic support that WHEF builds on, and is a current WHEF funder.
• Kresge Foundation: Major national foundation with significant education-focused grantmaking; awarded WHEF the 2017 Kresge Foundation Award for innovative college access programming, indicating direct operational comparability in education philanthropy.

Direct peers

• Complete College America: National nonprofit focused on increasing postsecondary completion rates through state-level policy and institutional change; operates in the same state-attainment-goal space as WHEF's Ascent to 55% initiative.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): National education philanthropy supporting college access and success for underrepresented students including HBCUs; WHEF specifically targets Mississippi HBCUs through FirstGen Forward, putting UNCF in directly comparable mission space.
• National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National organization that tracks and promotes FAFSA completion and college access; directly partners with WHEF and recognizes its Get2College program as a national model. Operates in the same college access advocacy space.
• ECMC Foundation: National foundation focused on college access and career readiness for underserved students; provides grants and program support to state-level college access initiatives comparable in structure and mission to WHEF.
• FirstGen Forward: National network supporting first-generation student success at colleges and universities; current WHEF grantee ($1.5M five-year) expanding from 4 to 23 Mississippi institutions, operating in directly comparable first-generation college success space.
• Public Education Forum (Mississippi): Mississippi-based education advocacy organization; current WHEF grantee ($1M four-year) supporting the same Ascent to 55% goal, making it a direct operational peer in Mississippi's college access ecosystem.

Others

• State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO): Association supporting state-level postsecondary policy leaders; adjacent ecosystem player that coordinates statewide attainment data and policy work comparable to WHEF's research and policy functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WoodwardHines
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WHEF
• Facebookfacebook.com/WoodwardHines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-services-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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