What The McLendon Foundation does

The McLendon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1999 and administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). It is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, and operates with approximately 10 employees. The foundation is named after John McLendon, Jr., a basketball pioneer and civil rights figure who was the first African American coach to win a championship at a predominantly white institution and is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Its mission centers on advancing ethnic minority representation in sports administration and athletics.

The foundation's core product is its Postgraduate Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships (typically $10,000) to ethnic minority students pursuing postgraduate degrees in sports administration, athletics, or related fields. Since 1999, it has awarded more than 145 scholarships totaling over $1.5 million. The foundation also operates the McLendon Leadership Initiative (MLI), a selective fellowship program, the McLendon Experience skill-building program, and specialty scholarships including the Fiesta Bowl–McLendon Scholar, the McCormack-McLendon Scholarship at UMass Amherst, and the CIAA Scholarship. Distribution is via a network of 60+ ambassador coaches and partner athletics departments across NCAA institutions.

The foundation's business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven, not revenue-generating. It is funded by corporate sponsorships and individual contributions from partners including the NCAA, NBA, MLB, NFL, NABC, NACDA, McDonald's, Capital One, and the Fiesta Bowl. Cash inflow supports scholarship awards, programming, and a small administrative staff. There is no product pricing or transactional revenue stream.

Name

The McLendon Foundation

Legal name

The McLendon Foundation

Website

https://mclendon-foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The McLendon Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 that awards postgraduate scholarships and leadership fellowships to ethnic minority students pursuing careers in sports administration and athletics, funded by corporate sponsors and league partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship and Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Postgraduate scholarships
• Minority leadership development
• Athletics administration fellowships
• Sports industry mentorship
• Scholarship foundation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlake

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation generates revenue through individual and corporate donations. The website provides a donation portal (pay.paybrightgateway.com/McLendonFoundation) for supporters to contribute to the foundation's mission of creating access and opportunities for historically excluded talent in the sports industry.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The McLendon Foundation is a nonprofit organization that awards postgraduate scholarships to ethnic minority students pursuing advanced degrees in athletics administration and operates the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative (MLI), a year-long fellowship placing emerging leaders at leading athletic departments. Programs include the $10,000 Postgraduate Scholarship, the tuition-free McCormack-McLendon Scholarship at UMass Amherst, the Fiesta Bowl Scholarship for Arizona-based candidates, the CIAA Scholarship, and The McLendon Experience professional development program.

Product overview

The McLendon Foundation is a nonprofit scholarship and leadership development organization, not a technology company. It operates as a unified foundation offering multiple interconnected programs: the McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship Program (awarding $10,000 grants for athletics administration studies), the McLendon Leadership Initiative (a year-long fellowship placing emerging leaders in sports organizations), The McLendon Experience (professional development programming), and specialized scholarships including the Fiesta Bowl Scholarship (Arizona-based candidates) and the McCormack-McLendon Scholarship (tuition-free UMass Amherst sport management degree). The CIAA Scholarship provides additional support for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities. All programs align with the foundation's mission of creating access and opportunities for historically excluded talent in the sports industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative (MLI): A coach-driven fellowship program providing access and opportunity for meaningful employment experience for minority candidates in sports.
• McCormack-McLendon Scholarship
• Fiesta Bowl Scholarship

Products and services

• McLendon Postgraduate Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program awarding eight $10,000 grants to ethnic minority students pursuing postgraduate studies in athletics administration. Over 145 scholarships totaling more than $1.5 million have been awarded since 1999.
• McLendon Leadership Initiative (MLI) A national year-long fellowship program placing MLI Future Leaders in 10-12 month professional development experiences at leading athletic departments and sports organizations. Provides mentorship from 60+ ambassador coaches, corporate mentorship through the Joel Cornette Foundation, and job placement assistance.
• The McLendon Experience A professional development and training program for young professionals seeking careers in sports and entertainment, providing skill-building, networking, and career preparation resources.
• Fiesta Bowl Scholarship A $10,000 annual scholarship reserved for ethnic minority candidates who have graduated from a four-year institution based in Arizona or been accepted to a graduate program in Arizona.
• McCormack-McLendon Scholarship A scholarship partnership with UMass Amherst's Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management providing one ethnic minority student tuition-free enrollment in the master's program along with a graduate assistantship, at the #1 globally ranked sport management department.
• CIAA Scholarship Two annual $10,000 scholarships for ethnic minority or female graduates of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) institutions pursuing sports industry careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 145 scholarships awarded totaling over $1.5 million since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999NACDA created the John McLendon Scholarship Foundation in 1999 to honor McLendon's legacy. NACDA administers the foundation's scholarship program and the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative. The foundation is headquartered at the NACDA office in Westlake, Ohio.
• Fiesta BowlcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Fiesta Bowl provides endowment funding for one annual $10,000 scholarship specifically reserved for a candidate from a four-year academic institution based in Arizona. This partnership expands the foundation's reach in the Southwest region.
• The Joel Cornette FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Joel Cornette Foundation assists MLI Future Leaders with corporate mentorship, professional development, and job placement services. This partnership enhances the career outcomes for MLI program graduates.
• UMass Amherst - Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation partnered with UMass Amherst's Mark H. McCormack Department to create the McCormack-McLendon Scholarship, providing one selected ethnic minority student tuition-free enrollment in the #1 globally ranked sport management master's program. Recipients receive a graduate assistantship at UMass.
• Prodigy SearchmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProdigy Search partners with the McLendon Foundation to provide a turnkey process for host organizations participating in the MLI program. The partnership streamlines the placement of MLI Fellows at athletic departments.
• Underdog Venture TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced October 2022 to expand opportunities for underrepresented communities in the sports industry. Underdog provides expanded marketing, brand development, partnerships, and strategic organizational enhancements.
• McDonald'smajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMcDonald's formed a corporate partnership with the McLendon Foundation in August 2021 to benefit the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative. McDonald's was the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Leadership Weekend in 2020.
• G3 MarketingmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorG3 Marketing handles inquiries for the MLI program. Alex Land manages coach inquiries while Eric Liebler manages corporate partner inquiries for the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative.
• University of KentuckysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity of Kentucky provided support and venue for the inaugural Leadership Weekend in August 2020, hosting over 60 participants from across the country.
• Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIAA partners with the foundation to offer two $10,000 scholarships specifically for ethnic minority or female graduates of CIAA institutions pursuing sports industry careers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Leaders Up: Nonprofit focused on creating career pathways for underrepresented young professionals in the sports and entertainment industries. Comparable to McLendon's MLI fellowship model of placing minority candidates into industry internships and jobs.
• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation: Youth development foundation named after a sports icon, focused on character education and underserved youth through sports-based programming. Comparable to McLendon's sports-legacy branding and youth-focused philanthropy, though focused on youth rather than postgraduate leaders.

Direct peers

• Posse Foundation: Leadership development and scholarship organization identifying and supporting underrepresented student leaders. Comparable to McLendon in scholarship-plus-leadership cohort model, mentorship emphasis, and university partnership-driven placement.
• Women's Sports Foundation: Scholarship and leadership foundation focused on women in sports, including postgraduate scholarships and career development programs. Overlaps directly with McLendon's postgraduate scholarship + leadership development model in the same beneficiary ecosystem.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): The largest scholarship organization for minority students, with deep HBCU and corporate partner networks. Comparable to McLendon in grantmaking-driven education access, donor-funded model, and emphasis on career outcomes for underrepresented populations.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Major scholarship provider for Hispanic students pursuing higher education. Comparable to McLendon as a named-identity-driven, donor-funded scholarship foundation supporting minority graduate students with corporate partner backing.
• RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality): Nonprofit dedicated to racial equity in sports through education, advocacy, and programming. Closely mirrors McLendon's mission of expanding minority leadership in the sports industry and shares corporate partnership and league-level engagement.
• Jackie Robinson Foundation: Scholarship and leadership development foundation for minority students, named after a sports and civil rights icon. Highly comparable to McLendon in mission, scholarship-led model, named-legacy branding, and corporate-partner fundraising approach.

Broad incumbents

• NCAA Foundation: The philanthropic arm of the NCAA supporting student-athlete scholarships, leadership, and education. Overlaps with McLendon's mission around postgraduate scholarships and minority leadership development in collegiate sports at significantly larger scale.
• NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics): Parent association of McLendon and the largest professional body for collegiate athletics administrators. While not a direct program peer, NACDA provides the institutional backbone, network, and member pipeline that funds and feeds McLendon's programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mclendonscholar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mclendon-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The McLendon Foundation