UP Partnership
UP Partnership is a San Antonio-based nonprofit backbone organization that coordinates a collective impact initiative across 120+ institutional partners to increase postsecondary enrollment and advance equitable opportunities for young people ages 0-24 in Bexar County, Texas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UP Partnership does
UP Partnership is a San Antonio-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that serves as the backbone organization for the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, a collective impact initiative uniting 120+ institutional partners and 175 total partners across K-12 districts, higher education institutions, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and business. The organization coordinates shared data, aligns programmatic pathways, and advances policy change through four equity pillars — Healing, Access, Voice, and Systems Support — with a North Star goal of increasing postsecondary enrollment among Bexar County high school graduates from approximately 50% to 70% by 2030. As of the Class of 2024, postsecondary enrollment reached 64%, ahead of the planned trajectory.
The organization's portfolio spans three networks (Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio, Diplomás, My Brother's Keeper San Antonio), three continuous improvement collaboratives (Excel Academy, Restorative Practices Academy, Equitable Enrollment Collaborative), and direct youth programs including the UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship and the former Our Tomorrow (now Youth Leaders of Tomorrow) civic engagement program. Notable operational infrastructure includes the FutureReadySA.org digital badging platform, an annual Future Ready Week community convening, the Network Support Pilot (a capacity-building co-investment program with Catalyst Exchange at $30,000 per participating youth development organization), and a Communications Council coordinating messaging across partner organizations.
UP Partnership generates no commercial revenue. Its operating model is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by philanthropic grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Charles Butt Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, and StriveTogether, plus corporate contributions from USAA, 3M, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and Corporate Partners for Racial Equity, alongside government funding from the City of San Antonio Department of Human Services and Educate Texas. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is led by CEO Dr. Cathy Jones, Ph.D., who assumed the role in July 2025 following a national search.
UP Partnership firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UP Partnership
- Legal name
- UP Partnership
- Website
- https://uppartnership.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- UP Partnership is a San Antonio-based nonprofit backbone organization that coordinates a collective impact initiative across 120+ institutional partners to increase postsecondary enrollment and advance equitable opportunities for young people ages 0-24 in Bexar County, Texas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UP Partnership industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Collective Impact Youth Development Coordination
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Educational Services (611), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)
Keywords
Where UP Partnership is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
UP Partnership business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Philanthropic Funding: UP Partnership receives funding from multiple foundations including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Charles Butt Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, StriveTogether, and others. The organization serves as a backbone organization providing space for collaboration, centralized support for data collection, communications, and policy advancement.
- Corporate and Business Funding: Funding from corporate partners including USAA, 3M, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and Corporate Partners for Racial Equity. USAA provided a $350,000 grant for the Strengthening Workforce Pathways: CTE and P-TECH project.
- Government Funding: Funding from City of San Antonio's Department of Human Services and Educate Texas (a public-private initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas).
- Donations: Individual and organizational donations accepted through PayPal and other channels to support the Future Ready Bexar County Plan work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels14 records
UP Partnership product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UP Partnership is a San Antonio-based nonprofit backbone organization that coordinates a collective impact initiative called the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, aligning 120+ cross-sector institutions (school districts, higher education, nonprofits, government, philanthropy, and business) around shared data and four equity pillars (Healing, Access, Voice, and Systems Support) to increase postsecondary enrollment of Bexar County high school graduates from approximately 50% to 70% by 2030. The organization delivers this through networks, collaboratives, fellowship programs, and capacity-building pilots.
Product overview
UP Partnership is a nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways, and promotes policy change to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. Rather than a single product, UP Partnership operates a portfolio of interconnected networks, programs, and collaboratives unified under the Future Ready Bexar County Plan. The core strategic framework includes four equity pillars (Healing, Access, Voice, Systems Support) and aims to increase postsecondary enrollment to 70% by 2030. Key networks include Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio, Diplomás, and My Brother's Keeper San Antonio. Direct youth programs include Our Tomorrow/Youth Leaders of Tomorrow and the UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship. Professional development offerings include Excel Academy, Restorative Practices Academy, and the Equitable Enrollment Collaborative. The organization also supports capacity building through the Network Support Pilot and maintains a digital badge platform at FutureReadySA.org.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Our Tomorrow (now Youth Leaders of Tomorrow): A youth-driven agenda and civic engagement program led by youth for youth, helping young people find their voices and build their futures through policy advocacy and leadership development.
- My Brother's Keeper San Antonio
- Diplomás
- Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio
- Restorative Practices Academy
- Excel Academy
- Equitable Enrollment Collaborative
- UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship
Products and services
- Future Ready Bexar County Plan Strategic collective impact plan that unites 120+ cross-sector organizations around a shared North Star goal of 70% postsecondary enrollment by 2030, anchored in four equity pillars: Healing, Access, Voice, and System Supports. Provided free to institutional partners.
- Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio Network of out-of-school time organizations delivering youth development programs and opportunities for young people in San Antonio.
- Diplomás Network
- My Brother's Keeper San Antonio
- Our Tomorrow (Youth Leaders of Tomorrow)
- Equitable Enrollment Collaborative
- Excel Academy
- Restorative Practices Academy
- UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Nine-month paid fellowship for young people ages 16-24 focused on leadership development, civic engagement, and systems-level change, with a $2,500 stipend.
- FutureReadySA.org Digital Badge Platform
- Network Support Pilot (NSP)
Quantifiable outcome
- Postsecondary enrollment increased from 50% to 64% for Class of 2024, ahead of the 70% by 2030 goal trajectory
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use UP Partnership
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
UP Partnership technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
UP Partnership partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- My Brother's Keeper Alliance / Obama FoundationflagshipMBK San Antonio, convened by UP Partnership, was selected as one of five MBK Accelerator Communities nationwide. The three-year partnership includes MBK Alliance coaching, funding, evaluation support, and peer-to-peer learning to deepen partnerships and track progress toward population-level impact on completing postsecondary education for boys and young men of color.
- greater:SATX Regional Economic PartnershipcoreUP Partnership and greater:SATX received $350,000 from USAA to evaluate Bexar County's CTE and P-TECH environment. The partnership includes Alamo Colleges District and seven Future Ready school districts to strengthen workforce pathways for high school students and ensure economic mobility through high-wage, high-demand careers.
- Alamo Colleges DistrictcorePartner in CTE/P-TECH evaluation project; provides High School Programs connecting secondary and postsecondary education through P-TECH and continuing education programs with local school districts and industry partners.
- Search InstitutecoreCollaboration since 2019 to expand Developmental Relationships Framework throughout Bexar County. Partnered with Templeton Foundation's Character Through Community Grant to study and strengthen Excel Academy's Community of Practice model. Search Institute supports evaluation and curriculum development for Excel Academy.
- Quantum PossibilitiescoreThird-party facilitator for racial equity journey in Excel Academy, bringing wisdom and capacity to transform structures that shape relationships and practices within youth-serving organizations.
- Catalyst ExchangecoreNational nonprofit providing organizations across education and social sector with tools, expertise, and hands-on support. Led the Network Support Pilot co-investing $30,000 per YDO in capacity-building projects for 10 Future Ready Youth Development Organizations.
- CAST Schools NetworksupportingCo-organized the inaugural Future Ready Bexar County Youth-Led Mayoral Candidate Forum and Resource Fair with 10 of 27 mayoral candidates participating.
- Futuro San AntoniosupportingCivic organization co-organizing youth-led mayoral forum.
- San Antonio Youth CommissionsupportingCity government body representing youth voice, co-organizing mayoral forum.
- League of Women Voters San AntoniosupportingCivic engagement organization serving as community partner for youth mayoral forum.
- Youth Do VotesupportingYouth civic engagement organization co-organizing mayoral forum and voter education efforts.
- NXT Level Path BuilderssupportingYouth development organization co-organizing mayoral candidate forum.
- Project Worth Teen AmbassadorssupportingCity of San Antonio teen ambassador program co-organizing mayoral forum.
- UT Austin Annette Strauss Institute for Civic LifesupportingUniversity partnership for Speak Up! Speak Out! civics fair program where students in grades 3-12 identify community problems and craft solutions.
- Say SisupportingArts organization partnership for Intergenerational Conversations podcast featuring youth voices and storytelling.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UP Partnership competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Blue Meridian Partners: National funder of place-based, scalable solutions for children and youth in poverty. Included as a meaningful ecosystem participant and current UP Partnership funder, though not a peer in service delivery.
Direct peers
- StriveTogether: National network supporting cradle-to-career collective impact partnerships in local communities. Directly comparable to UP Partnership's backbone model, and StriveTogether is also a current funder of UP Partnership.
- Living Cities: Collaborative of major foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in US cities. Comparable as a multi-sector backbone organization pursuing equity-focused collective impact.
- Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink: Operates the federal Promise Neighborhoods model of cradle-to-career services in distressed communities. Comparable as a backbone-focused organization pursuing measurable cradle-to-career outcomes for youth.
- Communities In Schools: National organization placing site coordinators inside K-12 schools to integrate student supports and improve graduation and postsecondary outcomes. Operates at comparable scale to UP Partnership's 175-partner model with a strong K-12 focus.
- Coalition for Community Schools: National network advancing the community schools strategy of integrating academic, health, and social supports for students. Comparable in promoting cross-sector coordination to improve youth outcomes.
- Harlem Children's Zone: Place-based cradle-to-career pipeline serving children and families in a defined geography with measurable education and postsecondary outcomes. A canonical precedent for the kind of neighborhood-level collective impact UP Partnership is scaling at the county level.
- Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions: Operates the Ascend Network and similar place-based collective impact frameworks focused on youth opportunity and postsecondary success. Comparable as a national convener of local cradle-to-career backbone organizations.
Regional players
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County: Largest local funder and convener in the same Bexar County geography as UP Partnership. Comparable as a community backbone and collective impact convener, though broader in scope beyond youth.
Emerging players
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit that has shifted toward measurable postsecondary outcomes. Comparable mission focus on youth opportunity, though delivery model (1:1 mentoring) differs from UP Partnership's backbone coordination model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UP Partnership social profiles
Digital presenceUP Partnership financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UP Partnership leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
UP Partnership funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UP Partnership 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 UP Partnership
What does UP Partnership do?
UP Partnership is a San Antonio-based nonprofit backbone organization that coordinates a collective impact initiative called the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, aligning 120+ cross-sector institutions (school districts, higher education, nonprofits, government, philanthropy, and business) around shared data and four equity pillars (Healing, Access, Voice, and Systems Support) to increase postsecondary enrollment of Bexar County high school graduates from approximately 50% to 70% by 2030. The organization delivers this through networks, collaboratives, fellowship programs, and capacity-building pilots.
Is UP Partnership a public or private company?
UP Partnership is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was UP Partnership founded?
UP Partnership was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is UP Partnership based?
UP Partnership is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does UP Partnership make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are corporate and Business Funding, government Funding and donations.
Who are UP Partnership's main competitors?
Blue Meridian Partners is listed as an others. Direct peers are StriveTogether, Living Cities, Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink, Communities In Schools, Coalition for Community Schools, Harlem Children's Zone and Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County is listed as a regional player. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is listed as an emerging player.
Does UP Partnership have an API?
No public API is recorded for UP Partnership.
What industry is UP Partnership in?
UP Partnership's product category is Collective Impact Youth Development Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 81341 and its SIC code is 8600.