Say Yes Syracuse

What Say Yes Syracuse does

Say Yes Syracuse is a Syracuse, New York-based nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization that provides full-tuition scholarships to graduates of the Syracuse City School District and Syracuse charter schools through partnerships with more than 100 public and private colleges and universities nationwide. Founded in 2008 as the first community chapter of the national Say Yes to Education model (originated by George Weiss in Philadelphia in 1987), the program operates a community-led go-to-market that reaches students via direct school-based outreach, guidance counselors, community organizations, and family networks, with a multilingual website supporting ten languages to serve Syracuse's diverse population. Its core offering combines the tuition scholarship itself with structured application support, a searchable college finder tool, college-preparation resources, and a Post-Summer Program at Onondaga Community College that enables eligible students to earn up to seven transferable college credits with tuition, fees, and books covered. Wraparound services — including legal assistance through the Volunteer Lawyers Project and Onondaga County Bar Association, and school-based mental health support through the Promise Zone program operated by Coordinated Care Services Inc. — address non-academic barriers to persistence.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial: Say Yes Syracuse does not generate revenue through product or service sales but funds scholarships and operations through contributions from corporations (Lockheed Martin, M&T Bank, Wegmans, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, SRC Inc., Raymour & Flanigan, O'Brien & Gere, Syracuse Research Corporation), foundations (Ford Foundation, American Institutes for Research, CNYCF, Winnieck Family Foundation), government (City of Syracuse, Onondaga County), and individuals. Since July 1, 2020, the program has been independently governed by the Central New York Community Foundation following the decentralization of the national Say Yes to Education network, with other chapters now operating in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Greensboro (Shift_Ed). Cumulative outcomes include 6,665 scholars enrolled in higher education since 2009, $16.9M in Say Yes-funded scholarships distributed, $223.4M in cumulative external aid awarded, and measurable district-wide gains including an SCSD graduation rate increase from 45% in 2010 to 73% in 2024 and a 69% second-year college persistence rate for Say Yes scholars compared with 36% for SCSD students overall. There is no underlying technology platform; the organization operates as a scholarship coordinator and community-based program administrator.

Name

Say Yes Syracuse

Legal name

Say Yes Syracuse

Website

https://sayyessyracuse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Say Yes Syracuse is a nonprofit scholarship program providing full-tuition scholarships and wraparound support to Syracuse City School District and charter school graduates through a network of over 100 partner colleges and universities. Governed by the Central New York Community Foundation since 2020, it has served 6,665 scholars since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarship and College Access Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAE

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• College scholarship programs
• Tuition scholarship funding
• Educational support services
• College access programs
• Student success services

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Say Yes Syracuse is a nonprofit organization that funds its scholarship programs through donations from corporations, foundations, individuals, and government entities. The organization does not generate revenue through product or service sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Say Yes Syracuse provides full-tuition scholarships at over 100 public and private college and university partners to eligible graduates of Syracuse City School District and Syracuse charter schools. In addition to the scholarship itself, the organization offers application guidance, college preparation resources, a college finder tool, a Post-Summer Program at Onondaga Community College, and wraparound support services including free legal aid and school-based mental health services for students and families.

Product overview

Say Yes Syracuse is a scholarship and educational support program that provides full-tuition scholarships through partnerships with over 100 public and private colleges and universities. The core offering consists of the scholarship program itself, combined with application support services, a college finder tool, and comprehensive wraparound services including legal aid (via the Volunteer Lawyer Project), mental health support (Promise Zone), and summer college preparation programs. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a nonprofit scholarship coordinator connecting students with educational opportunities and support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Tuition Scholarships Full-tuition scholarships provided through partnerships with over 100 public and private colleges and universities for eligible Syracuse City School District and Syracuse charter school graduates.
• Scholarship Application Support Guided support through the college scholarship application process for students and families, including help with enrollment at partner colleges and financial aid applications.
• College Finder Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,665 total scholars enrolled in higher education since 2009
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• Syracuse City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Primary educational partner providing access to students and families. The district is the core beneficiary of the Say Yes Syracuse scholarship program.
• Syracuse UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Major educational partner and donor, offering scholarships to Say Yes students. One of the flagship destination colleges for Say Yes scholars.
• Onondaga Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Key community college partner offering the Post-Summer Program where eligible students can take up to seven transferable college credits with tuition, fees, and books covered.
• Central New York Community FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Since July 1, 2020, CNYCF assumed governance of Say Yes Syracuse scholarships and staff, officially establishing the Say Yes Syracuse program. Lead organizational sponsor and manager.
• Say Yes to Education (National)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008National parent organization that originated the Say Yes model in 1987. Provided founding support and ongoing partnership until July 2020 decentralization.
• American Institutes for ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Research partner and major donor supporting the Say Yes Syracuse initiative and scholarship fund.
• Over 100 Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Nationwide network of public and private colleges and universities offering full-tuition scholarships to eligible Say Yes Syracuse graduates.
• City of SyracusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Municipal partner supporting the Say Yes Syracuse initiative.
• Onondaga CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008County government partner supporting the Say Yes Syracuse initiative and providing services through Promise Zone mental health program.
• Syracuse Teachers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Teachers union partner supporting the educational mission of Say Yes Syracuse.
• Syracuse Administrators and Supervisors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008School administration partner supporting the Say Yes Syracuse initiative.
• Volunteer Lawyers Project and Onondaga County Bar AssociationsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2008Provide free legal assistance to families during the school year to address legal issues that may impede children's academic success. Areas include child support, custody, housing, government benefits, bankruptcy, immigration, divorce, and domestic violence.
• Promise Zone (Coordinated Care Services Inc.)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2008School-based mental health program addressing emotional and behavioral needs of students through effective interventions, skill development, and increased engagement in learning time through a multi-tiered system of support.
• Say Yes Buffalo, Say Yes Cleveland, Shift_Ed (Greensboro)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Other Say Yes chapter affiliates created after the July 2020 decentralization, representing the expansion of the Say Yes model to other communities.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Major national scholarship provider funding high-achieving low-income students through college; comparable scholarship-granting mission at larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• Bottom Line: College-access nonprofit delivering one-on-one coaching to low-income students from college application through graduation — comparable mission with focus on advisory support rather than direct tuition funding.
• College Possible: Nonprofit providing near-peer coaching to low-income students on college applications and persistence — similar target population and college-success outcomes, without a direct tuition scholarship.

Direct peers

• QuestBridge: National nonprofit that connects high-achieving low-income students with full-tuition scholarships and admissions opportunities at partner colleges — comparable mission and target population.
• TheDream.US: National scholarship nonprofit providing college tuition awards to undocumented students and other underserved populations through partner colleges — similar scholarship-as-pipeline model.
• Say Yes Cleveland: Cleveland-area Say Yes chapter offering full-tuition scholarships and wraparound supports to Cleveland Metropolitan School District students, a direct replication of the Say Yes Syracuse model.
• Shift_Ed (Greensboro, NC): Greensboro, NC chapter of the Say Yes network providing full-tuition scholarships and college-access support to Guilford County Schools students using the same community-wide model.
• Say Yes to Education (National): The national parent organization from which Say Yes Syracuse was spun off in July 2020. Operates the same college-access scholarship model in other communities and shares the founding brand and methodology.
• Say Yes Buffalo: Sister Say Yes chapter serving Buffalo Public Schools students with the same full-tuition scholarship and wraparound support model, formed after the 2020 decentralization.

Others

• Central New York Community Foundation: Governing parent organization of Say Yes Syracuse since July 2020 and major funder. Not a direct peer but the closest institutional sponsor and operational host for the program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SayYesSyracuse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sayyessyracuse4137
• Facebookfacebook.com/SayYesSYR
• Instagraminstagram.com/sayyessyr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/say-yes-to-education-syracuse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Say Yes Syracuse