HBCU Endowment Fund

Name

HBCU Endowment Fund

Legal name

HBCU Endowment Fund, Inc.

Website

https://hbcuendowmentfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit HBCU Scholarship and Student Endowment Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Scholarship fund services
• Student emergency aid
• Higher education support
• Nonprofit endowment management
• Scholarship administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrenceville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors supporting HBCU scholarships and programs. Monthly giving program (Hope Circle) at $25/month provides predictable revenue stream.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership tiers from Community Partner ($1,000-$4,999) to Visionary Partner ($25,000+) providing brand visibility, scholarship opportunities, and co-marketing with major corporations.
3. Student Ambassador Program: Alumni and student volunteers who recruit peers, spread awareness, and fundraise. Ambassadors raise $100K+ through community engagement.
4. Internship/Job Posting Fees: Fee-based employer services for posting internships ($0-$599) and jobs ($0-$799) targeting HBCU talent, with featured placement options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The HBCU Endowment Fund operates a donation and student-support platform that funds scholarships, emergency financial aid, mental health services, technology access, mentorship, and career development for students enrolled at the 107 accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Donors contribute through one-time gifts, the Hope Circle $25/month recurring program, corporate partnership tiers, and named scholarships starting at $25,000, with 100% of donations directed to student services. The organization also runs an employer-facing internship and job posting portal serving companies seeking HBCU talent.

Product overview

The HBCU Endowment Fund operates as a comprehensive scholarship and student support platform rather than a single product. The core offerings center around scholarship programs including the Hope Circle monthly giving program and the Jesse L. Jackson 'Keep Hope Alive' Scholarship ($5,000 awards). Major initiatives include the Innovation Incubator (AI, STEM & Entrepreneurship Initiative with $100M goal) and the $1M Scholarship Campaign. Student support services include Emergency Financial Aid ($250-$2,500 grants), a Free Laptop Program (launching Fall 2026), Mental Health Support (free teletherapy), the Internship Placement Program (75% placement rate), Mentorship Program (AI-matched with 500+ mentors), Professional Development Workshops, and Career Fair & Networking Events. The platform also includes Corporate Partnership Programs, an HBCU Alumni Network (2,500+ members with AI career tools), and a Student Ambassador Program (200+ ambassadors). Technology features include an AI Scholarship Matching Tool, Ask Hope AI chatbot, and an upcoming Mobile App. All services are integrated through a student/ donor portal with Stripe-powered payment processing supporting multiple payment methods including PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, Cash App, and cryptocurrency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hope Circle Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program where individual donors contribute $25/month (with recognition tiers from $10 to $1,000+/month) to sustainably fund the Jesse L. Jackson 'Keep Hope Alive' Scholarship for HBCU students. Includes digital membership, monthly impact updates, donor wall recognition, and exclusive event invitations.
• Jesse L. Jackson 'Keep Hope Alive' Scholarship $5,000 renewable scholarship awarded to HBCU students demonstrating academic excellence, financial need, community leadership, and perseverance, named in honor of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.'s civil rights legacy.
• Innovation Incubator: AI, STEM & Entrepreneurship Initiative $100 million campaign funding AI research labs, maker spaces, entrepreneurship incubators, AI training, startup mentorship, and STEM scholarships at HBCUs.
• Emergency Financial Aid Rapid-response financial grants of $250-$2,500 for HBCU students facing unexpected crises including medical emergencies, housing issues, technology failures, and food insecurity, with 48-72 hour review and funds disbursed in 5-7 days.
• Free Laptop Program Free laptops distributed to HBCU students without computers, equipped with Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processors, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Microsoft Office 365, and a 3-year warranty, with 500+ units planned in Year 1 (launching Fall 2026).
• Mental Health Support Services Free, confidential teletherapy for HBCU students including up to 12 therapy sessions per year, 24/7 crisis hotline, support groups, stress management workshops, mindfulness app subscriptions, and culturally competent Black therapists.
• Internship Placement Program Connects HBCU students with paid internships at Fortune 500 and partner companies, offering a 75% placement rate, resume review, interview coaching, professional networking, and $2,000 stipends for unpaid positions.
• Mentorship Program One-on-one mentoring connecting HBCU students with 500+ industry professionals via AI matching, including career guidance, resume review, interview prep, and quarterly check-ins.
• Professional Development Workshops Monthly virtual and in-person workshops on career readiness including resume writing, interview skills, networking, LinkedIn development, salary negotiation, leadership development, and financial literacy.
• Career Fair and Networking Events Annual HBCU Career Expo with 50+ employers featuring on-site interviews, resume reviews, professional headshots, and networking, complemented by virtual and regional quarterly events.
• Corporate Partnership Program Strategic partnership program for companies to support HBCU education through workplace giving, corporate matching, sponsorships, and employee engagement, with structured tiers from $1,000 to $25,000+ providing brand visibility, social media spotlight, VIP event invitations, and scholarship recognition.
• HBCU Alumni Network Free alumni portal with AI-powered career tools, mentorship matching, exclusive job board, regional chapters, events, and alumni directory, with 2,500+ members across 107 HBCUs.
• Student Ambassador Program Student-led advocacy program with 200+ ambassadors across 50+ HBCUs who recruit peers, host campus events, fundraise, and share stories, requiring a 3-5 hour per month commitment with training and resources provided.
• Fund-a-Scholarship (Named Endowed Scholarship) Named endowed scholarship program allowing donors to create legacy scholarships starting at $25,000 minimum, with customizable selection criteria, named recognition, ability to meet scholars, and personalized impact reports, with payment plans available over 1-5 years.
• Employer Internship Posting Portal Self-serve employer portal for posting paid or unpaid internships at $0-$599, with featured placement, email digest inclusion, social media promotion, and analytics. Featured listings receive 5-10x more views and reach 2,000+ students in the weekly digest.
• Employer Job Posting Portal Self-serve employer portal for posting entry-level and professional jobs at $0-$799, with featured placement, multi-post packages, enterprise bundles at $1,499+ for 5+ posts, and analytics.
• HBCU Impact Mobile App Upcoming iOS/Android mobile application enabling one-tap donations, real impact stories, multiple payment methods, and HBCU event discovery, with early access signup currently available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% graduation rate among scholarship recipients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WalmartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting HBCU education and student scholarships. Listed among trusted partners on website with logo prominently displayed. Partnership provides brand visibility and scholarship support opportunities.
• Target CorporationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner investing in HBCU students and institutions. Listed among trusted partners supporting HBCU education. Partnership supports scholarships and student success initiatives.
• The Coca-Cola CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner investing in HBCU students. Listed among trusted partners with logo displayed. Partnership supports educational initiatives and scholarship opportunities.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner empowering HBCU students through technology and scholarships. Featured as trusted partner. Microsoft provides technology solutions, potential cloud credits, and software support for innovation programs.
• IBMmajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner listed for Innovation Incubator: AI, STEM & Entrepreneurship Initiative. IBM expertise in AI, cloud computing, and enterprise technology could support innovation labs.
• Thurgood Marshall College FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for HBCU initiatives. The Thurgood Marshall College Fund supports HBCUs and could partner on scholarships, advocacy, and institutional capacity building.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bold.org: Digital-first scholarship platform where donors fund named scholarships and students apply. Closely comparable in tech-enabled, donor-experienced approach to scholarship funding, though operates more as a marketplace than a mission-driven endowment.

Direct peers

• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that channels individual donations to public school teachers and students. Comparable digital-first donation model with strong storytelling and donor transparency, though focused on K–12 rather than higher education.
• National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME): Scholarship and support provider focused on increasing representation of underrepresented minorities in STEM. Directly comparable in scholarship-plus-career-support model, particularly given HBCU Endowment Fund's Innovation Incubator AI/STEM focus.
• American Indian College Fund: Provides scholarships and programmatic support for Native American students, with a model combining individual giving, corporate partnerships, and named scholarships — structurally very similar to HBCU Endowment Fund's multi-channel approach.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Largest Hispanic-focused scholarship provider with corporate partnerships, mentorship, and career services. Comparable in operating model (community-driven scholarship nonprofit with multi-product student support) but serves a different demographic.
• Jackie Robinson Foundation: Provides multi-year scholarships, leadership development, and career support to high-achieving minority students. Similar mission focus (educational equity, scholarship + mentorship + career pipeline), with a named-scholarship model like HBCU Endowment Fund's Fund-a-Scholarship.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): The largest and longest-standing national fundraiser for HBCUs and minority-serving institutions, administering scholarships, internships, and institutional capacity-building. Directly comparable to HBCU Endowment Fund in mission (HBCU scholarships and student support) but operates at vastly greater scale and institutional maturity.
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund: National organization supporting HBCUs and Predominantly Black Institutions through scholarships, leadership development, and career placement. Listed by HBCU Endowment Fund as a strategic partner and is one of the most directly comparable peers in the HBCU scholarship ecosystem.

Others

• GoFundMe: Major donation/crowdfunding platform that powers some individual HBCU student fundraisers. Indirectly comparable as donation infrastructure that addresses the same 'students dropping out for money' pain point, though operates as a horizontal platform rather than HBCU-mission-driven.

Broad incumbents

• Scholarship America: One of the largest national scholarship administration nonprofits, managing employer- and donor-funded scholarship programs across many student demographics. A broader incumbent operating in the same scholarship administration space with significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhbcuendowmentfund.org%2Fresources
• Xx.com/fundhbcu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhbcuendowmentfund.org%2Fresources
• Instagraminstagram.com/hbcuendowmentfund

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 HBCU Endowment Fund