CRAWFORD COLLEGE CONNECTION

What CRAWFORD COLLEGE CONNECTION does

Crawford College Connection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in October 2000 and headquartered in Bucyrus, Ohio, that administers scholarships, grants, and college-access advising for students in Crawford County, Ohio. The organization operates as one of 30 programs in the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) and serves students from the Bucyrus, Wynford, and Colonel Crawford school districts. Over its 25-year operating history, it has distributed scholarships to more than 5,000 recipients, with the first $5,000 in awards distributed on May 13, 2001 to 8 students from Bucyrus and Wynford High Schools. Governance is provided by an Executive Director (Missi Grove), a Treasurer (Terry Gernert), a Secretary (Andrea Schimpf), and approximately five additional board members, with no formal employee count disclosed and an effective operational headcount of approximately 8.

The organization's core offering is a portfolio of named scholarship and grant products — including the Crawford College Connection Grant, Allan Reinhard, Christopher Isaacs, Dick Armbruster, DT Petroleum, King's Daughter, Luther Lust, Margaret Thornton, and Ross Private School Scholarships, along with the Donald Shawk, John and Janet Spreng, and Ramey Memorial Grants — coordinated through a common application process. The Ramey Memorial Grant extends eligibility to non-high-school adults in Crawford County. Supplemental services include one-on-one financial aid advising and college-access counseling. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on a WordPress website (crawfordcollegeconnection.org), JotForm-based online applications, email, telephone, and direct partnerships with school guidance staff. Distribution occurs at school academic awards nights and through mailed or emailed checks to recipients verified to be enrolled with at least a 2.0 GPA at the end of the first term.

Crawford College Connection operates a community-led, free-to-student model with no pricing or fees charged to recipients; all programs and services are provided at no cost to students and families. Revenue consists of grants and tax-deductible donations, including an original start-up grant from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation (May 2001), a planning grant from OCAN (November 2000), and ongoing individual and organizational contributions directed to a P.O. Box in Bucyrus. The organization is developing an endowment fund intended to eventually sustain its scholarship grant budget through ongoing fundraising, indicating a longer-term capital strategy rather than a dependence on annual giving cycles alone.

Name

CRAWFORD COLLEGE CONNECTION

Legal name

Crawford College Connection

Website

https://crawfordcollegeconnection.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crawford College Connection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Bucyrus, Ohio that administers scholarships, grants, and college-access advising for Crawford County students from three local school districts. Founded in 2000 as an OCAN member program, it has served 5,000+ recipients via donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarships and Grants

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• College scholarships
• Education grants
• College access
• Financial aid advising
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bucyrus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Operating budget funded primarily through grants from public and private sources. Received start-up grant from KnowledgeWorks Foundation in May 2001 to plan and implement programs.
2. Donations: Contributions from individuals and organizations to support scholarship funds. Donations sent to P.O. Box 1071, Bucyrus, OH 44820. Contributions are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Endowment Fundraising: Plans to develop an endowment to eventually fund budget for scholarship grants through ongoing fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crawford College Connection distributes named scholarships and grants to Crawford County, Ohio high school students and adult learners pursuing higher education or technical training. The organization specifically serves students from Bucyrus, Wynford, and Colonel Crawford school districts, providing financial aid advising and college access counseling, in addition to monetary grants, at no cost to students.

Product overview

Crawford College Connection is a single, unified scholarship and grant distribution program serving Crawford County, Ohio students. The organization operates as a portfolio of named scholarships and grants—including the Crawford College Connection Grant, Allan Reinhard Scholarship, Christopher Isaacs Scholarship, Dick Armbruster Scholarship, DT Petroleum Scholarship, King's Daughter Scholarship, Luther Lust Scholarship, Margaret Thornton Scholarship, Ross Private School Scholarship, Ramey Memorial Grant, Donald Shawk Grant, and John and Janet Spreng Grant—all coordinated through a common application process. The program also provides financial aid advising and college access counseling services to supplement grant assistance, targeting students who may be first in their family to attend college or technical school in the Bucyrus, Wynford, and Colonel Crawford school districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crawford College Connection Grant Primary grant program providing financial assistance to Crawford County students attending college or technical school, requiring a 2.0 GPA and service commitment. Available to students from Bucyrus, Wynford, and Colonel Crawford school districts.
• Allan Reinhard Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Wynford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Christopher Isaacs Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Wynford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Dick Armbruster Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Wynford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• DT Petroleum Scholarship Scholarship awarded to students through the Crawford College Connection program, funded by DT Petroleum.
• King's Daughter Scholarship Scholarship awarded to students from Wynford and Bucyrus high schools through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Luther Lust Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Wynford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Margaret Thornton Scholarship Scholarship awarded to students demonstrating both merit and need, intended to close the gap between family contribution and financial aid.
• Ross Private School Scholarship Scholarship awarded to Wynford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Ramey Memorial Grant Grant awarded quarterly ($1,250 each) to Crawford County residents who are not currently in high school, administered through digital applications.
• Donald Shawk Grant Grant awarded to Colonel Crawford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• John and Janet Spreng Grant Grant awarded to Colonel Crawford High School students through the Crawford College Connection program.
• Financial Aid Advising Services Advisory services assisting students with the financial aid process and locating scholarships to support higher education access.
• College Access Counseling One-on-one student and parental advising to help students overcome obstacles along the path to post-secondary education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 24 years of continuous operation since October 2000
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Ohio College Access Network (OCAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization is part of OCAN, a statewide network of 30 college access programs in Ohio. Founding members Barbara Holden, Margaret Thornton, and Joy Kaser met through OCAN to establish the Crawford County program.
• Bucyrus School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school district for scholarship distribution. Bucyrus High School students receive Crawford College Connection grants and scholarships. School administrators and guidance personnel support organization goals.
• Wynford School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school district for scholarship distribution. Wynford High School students receive Crawford College Connection grants and scholarships. School administrators and guidance personnel support organization goals.
• Colonel Crawford School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school district for scholarship distribution. Colonel Crawford High School students receive Crawford College Connection grants and scholarships.
• Epworth UMCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the first scholarship reception on May 13, 2001 where first scholarships were awarded. Rev. Sue Chidley was a founding planning team member representing the church.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• College Possible: College Possible provides intensive college access coaching and support to students from low-income backgrounds pursuing higher education. Comparable nonprofit mission of expanding college access for underserved students, though at significantly larger scale.
• Bottom Line: Bottom Line is a national college access nonprofit that provides advising and support to first-generation and low-income students pursuing higher education. Highly comparable mission and service model (free advising + financial aid support) to Crawford College Connection.
• uAspire: uAspire is a national nonprofit focused specifically on financial aid advising and scholarship support for low-income students to make college affordable. Closely aligned with CCC's core service of financial aid advising and scholarship distribution.
• College Now Greater Cleveland: College Now Greater Cleveland provides college access advising, scholarship programs, and financial aid counseling to Northeast Ohio students. Directly comparable as a regional college access nonprofit offering free advising and grant administration, similar to CCC's Crawford County model.

Broad incumbents

• National College Access Network (NCAN): NCAN is the national membership organization for college access programs across the United States. Comparable as the national institutional infrastructure that supports and connects programs like Crawford College Connection at a broader scale.
• Ohio College Access Network (OCAN): OCAN is the statewide umbrella network of which Crawford College Connection is one of 30 member programs. OCAN provides planning grants, training, and coordination for college access programs across Ohio, directly comparable as the parent institutional ecosystem.

Regional players

• I Know I Can: I Know I Can is a Columbus, Ohio-based college access program serving students in the Columbus City Schools district. Directly comparable Ohio-based college access nonprofit providing advising and scholarship support to local high school students.
• Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC): CYC is a Greater Cincinnati nonprofit providing college access and career readiness programming for underserved youth. Comparable Ohio-adjacent college access nonprofit with similar scholarship and advising components.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crawford-college-connection

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CRAWFORD COLLEGE CONNECTION