Evolve502

What Evolve502 does

Evolve502 is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit organization founded in 2018 (rebranded from the predecessor initiative Louisville Promise) that delivers tuition-free college scholarships and wraparound student support services to graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). The organization operates a last-dollar scholarship covering tuition at partner institutions—primarily the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) schools led by Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), Simmons College of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville (via a 2+2 transfer program)—after federal and state aid is applied. Eligible students with household income of $47,000 or below receive an Opportunity Grant of $1,100 per semester, up to $2,200 per year, and an Emergency Fund is available for in-college scholars facing unexpected hardship.

The core delivery model combines a web-based online application portal with in-person outreach: Student Success Coordinators are embedded in every JCPS high school to assist with applications, while Student Support Coaches conduct ongoing check-ins with enrolled scholars at partner colleges. Beyond scholarships, Evolve502 operates community programs including the Summer Backpack League (reaching 12,000+ students in 2023), Community Learning Hub Tutoring (35 sites, 750+ students in 2023–2024), Community and Family Nights, and FAFSA completion workshops. The technology stack is a standard scholarship management platform with student tracking and coordination tools; no proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed.

Evolve502 is funded by foundation grants, corporate donations, and individual giving, with major commitments from the James Graham Brown Foundation ($3 million for Opportunity Grants in April 2021), Humana ($1 million in November 2020), and the One Louisville: Covid-19 Response Fund ($100,000 in July 2020). It operates as a community convenor with more than 15 programmatic partners including JCPS, JCTC, Simmons College of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Louisville Metro Government, Greater Louisville Inc., Metro United Way, YMCA of Greater Louisville, and the National Center for Families Learning. The organization reports 34 employees and is led by Executive Director Marland Cole.

Name

Evolve502

Legal name

Evolve502

Website

https://evolve502.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Evolve502 is a Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit that provides tuition-free, last-dollar college scholarships and student success coaching to Jefferson County Public Schools graduates, partnering with KCTCS, Simmons College of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville, and funded by foundation grants and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Nonprofit Scholarship Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• College scholarship programs
• Tuition-free education
• Educational nonprofit services
• Student support services
• Community education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

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. Foundation Grants: Evolve502 receives major gifts from foundations such as the James Graham Brown Foundation ($3 million for Opportunity Grants) to fund scholarship programs and operational costs.
2. Corporate Donations: Corporate partners contribute significant funding, including Humana's $1 million gift to fund scholarships for JCPS students. Donations support scholarship funding and organizational operations.
3. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its website donation portal to support scholarship programs and operational expenses.
4. Donations: Evolve502 raises funds from donors to provide tuition-free college opportunities and opportunity grants for eligible JCPS graduates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Evolve502 is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit that provides a last-dollar tuition scholarship to eligible Jefferson County Public Schools graduates, covering up to 60 credit hours, an associate degree, or a workforce credential at partner institutions including Jefferson Community and Technical College, other KCTCS schools, and Simmons College of Kentucky. The organization supplements the scholarship with Opportunity Grants of up to $2,200 per year for low-income students, an Emergency Fund for enrolled scholars, and a 2+2 transfer pathway with the University of Louisville, while embedding Student Success Coordinators in each JCPS high school to support applications and ongoing college persistence.

Product overview

Evolve502 is a community-focused nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of scholarship and educational support programs. The core product is the Evolve502 Scholarship, a last-dollar program covering tuition for eligible JCPS graduates at partner colleges (KCTCS institutions and Simmons College of Kentucky). Add-on financial support includes Opportunity Grants for lower-income students and an Emergency Fund. Student support is delivered through Student Success Coordinators (application support) and Student Support Coaches (ongoing scholar support). Beyond scholarships, Evolve502 operates community programs including summer learning (Backpack League), tutoring initiatives (Community Learning Hubs), and Family Engagement Nights. A 2+2 partnership with University of Louisville enables scholars to transfer and complete a four-year degree.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evolve502 Scholarship A last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition costs after federal and state aid, allowing eligible Jefferson County Public Schools graduates to earn an associate degree, workforce credential, or up to 60 undergraduate credit hours tuition-free at KCTCS institutions or Simmons College of Kentucky.
• Impact Scholarship (Jefferson County Impact Scholarship)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 12,000 students reached through Summer Backpack League in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Americana World Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgrammatic partner working collaboratively to identify barriers to success and create systems change in Louisville's education ecosystem.
• Greater Louisville Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization supporting Evolve502's education and workforce development initiatives.
• Jefferson Community and Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner college where Evolve502 scholars enroll to receive tuition-free education. JCTC serves as the main institution for scholarship disbursement.
• Jefferson County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore educational partner whose graduating seniors are eligible for Evolve502 scholarships. Student Success Coordinators are embedded in JCPS high schools.
• Jefferson County Teachers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeachers association partner supporting educational initiatives and student success programs.
• Kentucky Council for Postsecondary EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level postsecondary education authority supporting Evolve502's college access mission.
• La Casita CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center partner providing venue for Family Engagement Nights and community programming.
• Louisville Metro GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government partner supporting Evolve502's education initiatives and community programs.
• Louisville Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil rights organization providing support for Family Engagement Nights and community resource connections.
• Metro United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor nonprofit partner supporting community impact initiatives and resource coordination.
• National Center for Families LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization supporting family learning initiatives and providing resources for Evolve502 programs.
• Out of School Time CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil supporting expanded learning opportunities and summer programs for students.
• Simmons College of KentuckycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically Black college in Louisville where Evolve502 scholars can use their tuition-free scholarship benefits.
• University of LouisvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-year university partner for the Evolve502 2+2 Program, allowing scholars who complete 48 credit hours to transfer and complete a bachelor's degree.
• YMCA of Greater LouisvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting summer learning programs and family engagement activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• El Dorado Promise: Tuition-free scholarship for graduates of El Dorado High School (Arkansas) funded by a corporate donor; shares the tuition-guarantee mechanism and corporate-philanthropy funding approach with Evolve502.
• The College Crusade of Rhode Island: College-access nonprofit providing advising, scholarships, and support services to low-income Rhode Island students; comparable in combining direct scholarships with sustained advising and student success programming.
• Say Yes to Education: National nonprofit operating city-based scholarship and student support partnerships; Louisville's Promise (now Evolve502) was explicitly built in partnership with Say Yes to Education, making it the closest architectural and operational peer.
• Detroit Promise: Last-dollar scholarship for Detroit high school graduates to attend partner Michigan colleges with student support services; operates the same tuition-gap model and similar urban, equity-focused mission as Evolve502.
• Kalamazoo Promise: Place-based, tuition-free scholarship for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools; widely cited model for city-based Promise scholarships and structurally aligned with Evolve502's tuition guarantee for JCPS graduates.
• The Pittsburgh Promise: City-based last-dollar scholarship program for Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates with wraparound supports and a defined partner ecosystem — directly comparable in mission, mechanism, and target population.
• New Haven Promise: Place-based college scholarship and support program for New Haven Public Schools graduates tied to partner institutions; comparable structure of eligibility, scholarship, and in-college supports.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit network of K-12 public charter schools focused on college readiness for underserved students; overlaps in mission (K-12-to-college pipeline for low-income students) and student-success programming though focused on K-12 delivery rather than postsecondary scholarships.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): National scholarship and college-access organization supporting minority students and HBCUs; broader geographic scope than Evolve502 but operates the same fundamental scholarship-plus-support mission and Simmons College of Kentucky is one of its member institutions.

Others

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana: Regional youth-mentoring nonprofit serving the Louisville area; adjacent in mission and geography but focused on mentoring rather than scholarships, illustrating the broader Louisville youth-services ecosystem in which Evolve502 operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Evolve502
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCklNYXQFW5y34JXcbrTD_6w
• Facebookfacebook.com/evolve502
• Instagraminstagram.com/evolve502
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evolve502

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Evolve502