Waterbury Promise

Name

Waterbury Promise

Legal name

Waterbury Promise

Website

https://waterburypromise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Access Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

Keywords

• College scholarship program
• Last-dollar scholarship
• College access services
• College success coaching
• Nonprofit education funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterbury

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: Waterbury Promise is funded by the City of Waterbury and private support from families, individuals, corporations, and foundations from Greater Waterbury and beyond. Payments to colleges are made through the Connecticut Community Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Waterbury Promise delivers a city-backed, last-dollar scholarship of up to $5,000 per year (up to $20,000 total over four years) to qualifying Waterbury high school graduates attending accredited Connecticut colleges and universities. The scholarship is layered with an Integrated College Success support model that provides mentoring, peer-to-peer networks, college navigation support, and internship opportunities for enrolled scholars. Scholarship funds are paid directly to each scholar's college Bursar's Office, after all other financial aid is applied.

Product overview

Waterbury Promise is a non-profit scholarship organization offering a single unified program built around its Integrated College Success Model. The core offering is the Waterbury Promise Scholarship (a last-dollar scholarship providing up to $20,000 over four years), supplemented by direct support services including the Promise Scholar Resources program (mentoring, peer support, navigating college resources, internships), and two structured donation programs (Adopt-A-Scholar and Adopt-A-School) that enable community members to directly fund student education. Together, these components provide financial assistance and ongoing support services designed to increase college completion rates among Waterbury high school graduates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waterbury Promise Scholarship: The organization's scholarship program providing financial assistance and support services to Waterbury students attending Connecticut colleges and universities.

Products and services

• Waterbury Promise Scholarship A last-dollar scholarship of up to $5,000 per year (up to $20,000 total over four years) for qualifying Waterbury high school graduates attending accredited Connecticut colleges and universities; funds are paid directly to the college Bursar's Office after all other grants and financial aid have been applied. Class of 2022: up to $1,250/year; Class of 2023: up to $2,500/year; Class of 2024: up to $3,750/year; Class of 2025 and beyond: up to $5,000/year.
• Promise Scholar Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 scholars served in fall 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Albertus Magnus CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Albertus Magnus College provides Promise Scholars a tuition scholarship of up to $25,000 and formally partnered with Waterbury Promise on April 28, 2026.
• University of BridgeportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026University of Bridgeport offers Promise Scholars a tuition scholarship of up to $25,000, making it one of the most generous partner matches and announced a formal partnership on February 26, 2026.
• Saint Mary's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Saint Mary's Hospital launched the Waterbury Promise Plus Mentorship Program on February 26, 2026, providing mentorship services to help scholars succeed academically and professionally.
• Quinnipiac UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2025Quinnipiac University provides a full $5,000 scholarship match for Promise Scholars admitted to the university, enhancing the total award available to Waterbury students.
• Western Connecticut State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024Western CT State University (WCSU) provides on-campus support services for Promise Scholars and formally partnered with Waterbury Promise on October 8, 2024.
• Post UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2023Post University provides a scholarship match of up to $5,000 for Promise Scholars (does not apply to online enrollment). Sandra D. Wilson, JD, Board Chair of Waterbury Promise, is Interim-Provost/Assistant Provost at Post University.
• Eastern Connecticut State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2022Eastern CT State University matches Promise Scholarships up to $5,000 for admitted Waterbury Promise Scholars, making college more affordable and accessible.
• University of ConnecticutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUConn provides a full scholarship match of up to $5,000 for Promise Scholars. This match does not apply to transfer students. UConn has been a partner since the program's founding.
• University of New HavencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of New Haven provides a minimum $25,000 tuition scholarship to Promise Scholars, significantly reducing the financial burden of college attendance.
• Southern Connecticut State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Connecticut State University provides on-campus support services to support Promise Scholars and their success, complementing the scholarship with wraparound student services.
• EversourcecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEversource is the title sponsor of the Hartford Marathon, with Waterbury Promise selected as an official Gold-level Charity Partner to help raise awareness and funding for its college access and success program. The race is on October 10, 2026 with a $26,200 fundraising goal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tennessee Promise: A state-funded last-dollar scholarship for Tennessee high school graduates attending community or technical colleges. Comparable in funding mechanism (government-backed), last-dollar structure, and target population of high school graduates.
• El Dorado Promise: A community-funded last-dollar scholarship for El Dorado, Arkansas graduates attending in-state colleges. Comparable in scholarship structure, funding model (community + corporate donors), and emphasis on college access in a single city.
• Pittsburgh Promise: A last-dollar scholarship program for Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates. Operates the same core model — municipal-backed scholarship plus scholar support — and is one of the most established city-based Promise programs in the U.S.
• Kalamazoo Promise: The original and most widely-cited universal city-based Promise scholarship, providing tuition support to graduates of the Kalamazoo Public Schools. Comparable to Waterbury Promise in scholarship-plus-support model and city-wide mission.
• Denver Promise: A Denver-based college access and success program providing scholarships and support to Denver Public Schools graduates. Directly comparable in target audience (city public school graduates) and integrated coaching model.
• Bottom Line: A nonprofit focused on college access and success for first-generation students from under-resourced communities, providing advising and wraparound support. Closely comparable to Waterbury Promise's Integrated College Success model and first-generation college student focus.
• New Haven Promise: A city-backed last-dollar scholarship and college success program for New Haven, Connecticut public school graduates attending Connecticut colleges. This is the closest direct analogue to Waterbury Promise in terms of geography (CT), scholarship structure, and scholar support services.
• Say Yes to Education: A national nonprofit providing last-dollar scholarships and wraparound supports to graduates of partner public school districts. Overlaps with Waterbury Promise on college access, scholarship structure, and integrated student support services.
• Knoxville Promise: A community-driven scholarship and college success program for Knox County Schools graduates. Comparable in model, target population, and emphasis on mentorship and wraparound support alongside scholarship dollars.

Broad incumbents

• College Promise: A national advocacy and support organization that helps communities design and launch Promise scholarship programs. Comparable as the broader ecosystem/category builder for the type of program Waterbury Promise operates; relevant for understanding replication potential and industry context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/waterbury_promise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterbury-promise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Waterbury Promise