Boston Higher Education Resource Center

Name

Boston Higher Education Resource Center

Legal name

The Boston Higher Education Resource Center

Website

https://bostonherc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Access and Postsecondary Persistence Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM), Adult Learner Support Services (Advising, Case Management, Wraparound Supports) (EDAAABAJ)

Keywords

• College access programs
• First generation student support
• Education nonprofit services
• College readiness coaching
• Postsecondary persistence programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time or recurring gifts from individual donors made via credit card or bank transfer through GiveCampus platform. Donation tiers include $50 for college trips, $100 for community meals, $250 for student care packages, $500 for laptops, $1,000 for a year of programming, and $2,500 for campus tours.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Event sponsorships for the annual Journey to Greatness Celebration with tiers from $500 (Friend) to $20,000+ (Visionary). Includes tickets, logo placement, verbal recognition, and marketing exposure to an audience of over 5,000 individuals.
3. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts through estate planning to provide long-term support for first-generation students.
4. Donor-Advised Funds: Tax ID (EIN): 82-3215739. Donors can recommend grants from DAF providers.
5. Stock Gifts and Non-Cash Assets: Appreciated stock donations and in-kind gifts including laptops and school supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Boston HERC delivers free, cohort-based coaching and mentorship programs that support first-generation students from 7th grade through postsecondary graduation and into their careers. Through its Passport to College Program (grades 7-12) and Alumni Success Program (postsecondary), it provides near-peer 1:1 coaching, college application and financial aid navigation, academic tutoring, summer melt prevention, career exploration, and internship support, delivered primarily through partner schools in Boston, Chelsea, and Revere and through community-based afterschool programs.

Product overview

Boston HERC operates as a dual-program organization offering two integrated programs: the Passport to College program (serving 7th-12th grade students) and the Alumni Success Program (serving students through postsecondary graduation). Together, these programs create a seamless 6-10 year system of support, with Passport providing college readiness preparation and application support, and Alumni Success extending coaching through college completion and into career launch. Passport Coaches and Alumni Success Coaches (almost all first-generation graduates themselves) provide near-peer mentorship and holistic support throughout students' educational journeys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passport to College Program Flagship program serving 7th to 12th grade first-generation students at non-exam high schools in Boston, Chelsea, and Revere. Provides cohort-based workshops, 1:1 coaching, academic coaching, college visits, and career exploration to equip students with 21st-century skills and guide them through the college application process. Service is delivered free of charge to students and families, with operational funding from donations and corporate sponsorships.
• Alumni Success Program Postsecondary support program for Passport Program graduates continuing through college and career. Provides summer melt prevention, personalized coaching, academic and financial aid navigation, career connections, internship opportunities, professional development workshops, and access to an alumni network to ensure college completion and career launch. Service is delivered free of charge to students.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Barnes and Thornburg LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor hosting Career Exploration Day at their workplace for Passport and Alumni Success students interested in law careers. In partnership with Lawyers for Civil Rights. Staff also assembles care packages annually for Boston HERC students in college and sponsors the annual fundraising event.
• Anchor ChurchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerChurch sponsor providing monthly gifts, assembling care packages for college students, sponsoring career networking and back-to-school events, offering space for staff retreats, and welcoming students to participate in college student nights, job opportunities, and mission trips.
• State StreetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerServed as host sponsor for the 2026 Journey to Greatness Celebration annual fundraising event.
• Partner Schools (Boston, Chelsea, Revere)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston HERC partners with 12 non-exam middle and high schools including Boston Arts Academy, Chelsea High School, Charlestown High School, East Boston High School, Fenway High School, Dr. Albert D. Holland High School of Technology, Josiah Quincy Upper School, New Mission High School, Margarita Muñiz Academy, Revere High School, Ruth Batson Academy, and Snowden International School. Counselors and administrators collaborate with Coaches to identify students and align supports.
• Congregation Lion of JudahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe founding church of Boston HERC. The organization was founded in 1999 by first-generation Latino community members from this Spanish-speaking church in Roxbury.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults from low-income backgrounds with career training and corporate placement; broader in scope but addresses the same first-gen, low-income demographic during the postsecondary-to-career transition.
• National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National membership and advocacy organization supporting college access programs; broader in scope (membership/policy) but represents the macro category in which Boston HERC operates.

Direct peers

• uAspire: Boston-based nonprofit focused on college affordability and advising for low-income and first-generation students; shares target population, geography, and the through-college coaching orientation.
• College Possible: National nonprofit delivering college access and success coaching via AmeriCorps near-peer coaches; overlaps closely on first-gen student focus and near-peer coaching model, with broader geographic reach.
• iMentor: National mentoring nonprofit pairing low-income students with college-educated mentors for long-term college access and persistence — directly comparable on long-horizon, relationship-based college success.
• College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as near-peer advisers in underserved high schools — directly comparable on near-peer, school-based college advising delivery model.
• OneGoal: National nonprofit supporting low-income and first-generation students through college and into career; comparable multi-year programming with emphasis on postsecondary persistence.
• Bottom Line: National nonprofit providing one-on-one college access and success coaching to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds — the closest direct comparable to Boston HERC's Passport + Alumni Success model.
• Let's Get Ready: Nonprofit providing college preparation coaching and SAT tutoring to low-income and first-generation students, primarily in the Northeast; comparable on cohort-based, near-peer-delivered college prep.

Emerging players

• Posse Foundation: Identifies and supports underrepresented students (often first-gen) into top colleges via leadership scholarships and cohort support; partial overlap with Boston HERC alumni outcomes and scholarship support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bostonherc
• Facebookfacebook.com/boston.herc.7
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-herc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Boston Higher Education Resource Center