Bound for College
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersDelray Beach, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bound for College does
Bound for College is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 (originally as Delray Students First) and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, that delivers a free, multi-year college readiness program to economically disadvantaged high school students across Palm Beach County. The organization identifies motivated low-income students early in their high school years at partner public schools and provides after-school ACT/SAT tutoring delivered by certified teachers for an average of two years, college tours to Florida public universities, scholarship and application support, and enrichment workshops. Services are entirely free to students and families, with operations funded through individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.
The organization delivers its programming on-site at six Palm Beach County public high schools: Atlantic High School and Village Academy in Delray Beach, Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach Community High School, Santaluces High School in Lantana, and Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach (launched Fall 2025). The technical footprint is intentionally minimal — the organization does not develop proprietary technology and instead leverages standard educational tools and a Student Resources Portal that curates third-party platforms such as Brainfuse HelpNow, LearningExpress Library, and the College Board BigFuture School app. The organization reports over 1,000 students served since 2022, 22 college tours conducted with 45–50 students per trip, and an outcome where more than 90% of program graduates complete college, with the majority attending Florida public universities or top-tier private colleges debt-free.
The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than revenue-generating. Bound for College is governed by a Board of Directors and Advisory Committee and holds a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency and a four-star Charity Navigator rating. Following the death of founder Mark Sauer in May 2025, leadership transitioned to his wife Donna M. Sauer as CEO, with Dr. Shannon Solis serving as Chief Program Officer after being appointed Executive Director in 2021. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no institutional investors; growth is funded through the cumulative contributions of more than 30 named partner foundations, corporate sponsors, and community organizations.
Bound for College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bound for College
- Legal name
- Bound for College, Inc.
- Website
- https://weareboundforcollege.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bound for College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Readiness Programs
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)
Keywords
Where Bound for College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delray Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bound for College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Bound for College is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates entirely on donations and grants. All services are provided free of charge to students and families. Revenue comes from individual donors, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Free college readiness program for economically disadvantaged students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Bound for College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bound for College operates a free, multi-year College Readiness Program for economically disadvantaged high school students in Palm Beach County, Florida. The program delivers certified-teacher ACT/SAT tutoring over an average of two years, college tours to Florida public universities, scholarship and college application support, and enrichment workshops. All services are provided free of charge through on-site delivery at six partner public school campuses and a curated online Student Resources Portal.
Product overview
Bound for College operates as a single, unified nonprofit college readiness program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is a College Readiness Program that combines ACT/SAT tutoring by certified teachers, college tours to Florida universities, enrichment workshops, and scholarship/application support services—all provided free of charge to economically disadvantaged students in Palm Beach County. The organization also maintains a Student Resources Portal that curates free external academic tools including Brainfuse HelpNow, LearningExpress Library, and College Board's BigFuture School app to extend support beyond direct programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- College Readiness Program A comprehensive after-school college readiness program that delivers certified-teacher ACT/SAT tutoring over an average of two years, college application support, scholarship assistance, and enrichment workshops for motivated low-income students in Palm Beach County, Florida. Provided free of charge.
- ACT/SAT Test Preparation After-school ACT/SAT tutoring sessions delivered by certified teachers over an average of two years, with multiple test-taking opportunities to maximize score improvement for low-income students.
- College Tours Program Guided college tours to Florida public universities and colleges that give students firsthand exposure to higher-education environments, with 22 tours conducted and 45-50 students per trip since 2022.
- Scholarship and Application Support One-on-one guidance through college and scholarship application processes, including financial aid planning and assistance, helping students access funding opportunities and apply to colleges matching their academic abilities.
- Student Resources Portal Online portal providing free academic resources including Brainfuse HelpNow live tutoring, LearningExpress Library practice tests, BigFuture School app, scholarship search tools, and FAFSA planning checklists for Palm Beach County students.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 90% college graduation rate among program participants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Bound for College
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Bound for College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bound for College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Atlantic High SchoolcorePartner school in Delray Beach where Bound for College provides after-school ACT/SAT tutoring, college readiness workshops, and enrichment programs for students.
- Village AcademycoreOriginal partner school where Bound for College (then Delray Students First) first launched. The organization began as an after-school program at Village Academy under founder Mark Sauer.
- Boynton Beach High SchoolcorePartner school in Boynton Beach providing Bound for College's college readiness program including tutoring, mentorship, and college tours.
- Olympic Heights High SchoolcorePartner school in Boca Raton where Bound for College provides after-school tutoring and college preparation services.
- Santaluces High SchoolcorePartner school in Lantana where Bound for College delivers its comprehensive college readiness curriculum.
- Forest Hill High SchoolcorePartner school in West Palm Beach where Bound for College was launching in Fall 2025, expanding its reach to a sixth school.
- Take Stock in Children Palm BeachcorePartner nonprofit organization focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through mentorship and college scholarships for at-risk youth in Palm Beach County.
- School District of Palm Beach CountycoreThe public school district enabling Bound for College's programs at six partner schools across Palm Beach County.
- Palm Beach State CollegecoreLocal community college partner that provides dual enrollment opportunities for Bound for College students, allowing them to earn college credits while in high school.
- Florida Atlantic UniversitycoreState university partner providing college tour destinations and destination college for many Bound for College alumni. Students visit FAU as part of the college tour program.
- AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)minorCollege readiness program partner whose methodology aligns with Bound for College's approach to helping students prepare for higher education.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bound for College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing one-on-one college advising and mentorship to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Direct peer: similar one-on-one advising model, same end-to-end college access focus, and similar outcome metrics around college persistence and graduation.
- Take Stock in Children: Florida-based nonprofit providing mentorship and college scholarships to at-risk and low-income youth. Direct peer: same geography (Palm Beach County is an active chapter), same target population (low-income high school students), and even listed as an active Bound for College partner organization.
- College Advising Corps: Nonprofit placing recent college graduates as full-time college advisors in underserved high schools. Direct peer: directly comparable in-school college advising delivery model and same target population of students with limited family college experience.
- OneGoal: Nonprofit delivering a multi-year college readiness and persistence program in low-income high schools. Direct peer: same in-school delivery model, same multi-year student engagement, and same focus on college matriculation and graduation outcomes.
- AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): Nonprofit college readiness system delivered through partner schools. Direct peer: same school-based delivery model, same college readiness curriculum, and already a named Bound for College partner organization operating within the same partner schools.
- College Possible: National nonprofit deploying near-peer coaching to help low-income students prepare for and complete college. Direct peer: same college-access coaching model, same target demographic (low-income, often first-generation students), and same ACT/SAT and application-support curriculum.
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with adult mentors for college access and persistence support. Direct peer: mentorship-anchored college readiness model, comparable high-school student demographic, and similar multi-year engagement structure.
Broad incumbents
- KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National network of college-preparatory charter schools serving low-income students. Broad incumbent: serves an overlapping demographic with a college-readiness mission but operates K-12 schools rather than a supplemental nonprofit program, making it a much larger and broader-scope peer.
Others
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit operating after-school and college/career readiness programming. Other / ecosystem peer: similar nonprofit funding model, overlapping youth-development mission, and shared donor pool, but broader scope and not a direct competitor in college readiness specifically.
Emerging players
- Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults from low-income backgrounds with pathways to professional careers. Emerging player: shares the disadvantaged-youth-to-career mission but focuses on post-secondary workforce entry rather than pre-college readiness, making it a thematically adjacent rather than directly competing peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bound for College social profiles
Digital presenceBound for College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Bound for College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bound for College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Bound for College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bound for College 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 Bound for College
What does Bound for College do?
Bound for College operates a free, multi-year College Readiness Program for economically disadvantaged high school students in Palm Beach County, Florida. The program delivers certified-teacher ACT/SAT tutoring over an average of two years, college tours to Florida public universities, scholarship and college application support, and enrichment workshops. All services are provided free of charge through on-site delivery at six partner public school campuses and a curated online Student Resources Portal.
Is Bound for College a public or private company?
Bound for College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bound for College founded?
Bound for College was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bound for College based?
Bound for College is headquartered in Delray Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bound for College make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Bound for College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bottom Line, Take Stock in Children, College Advising Corps, OneGoal, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), College Possible and iMentor. KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) is listed as a broad incumbent. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is listed as an others. Year Up is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bound for College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bound for College.
What industry is Bound for College in?
Bound for College's product category is College Readiness Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAJAA, University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs. Its NAICS code is 6117 and its SIC code is 8200.