Achieve Program

What Achieve Program does

Achieve Program (legally Achieve Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 201 Filbert Street in San Francisco, California, that supports underserved high school students from low-income families through a four-year, comprehensive college-preparatory program. Founded in 1998 and currently led by Founder/Executive Director Barbara Bass Bakar, the organization identifies 8th-grade students who demonstrate financial need, a minimum 3.0 GPA, and motivation, then places them at four exclusive partner Catholic private high schools in the Bay Area: Mercy High School (Burlingame), Holy Names High School (Oakland), Archbishop Riordan High School (San Francisco), and Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School (Alameda). The program currently serves more than 80 students across the four schools and has graduated 286 students cumulatively, with 99% matriculating to four-year colleges (95% of students are first-generation college students). Students must apply exclusively to four-year private not-for-profit colleges outside California.

The program's service portfolio spans seven core lines: academic support (tutoring, writing assistance, PSAT/ACT/SAT preparation), need-based four-year renewable scholarships and supplemental funds, cultural excursions to venues including San Francisco Playhouse and UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall, annual 40-hour community service projects at partner agencies in San Francisco and the East Bay, paid five-week summer internships matched to student interests at 20+ corporate, institutional, healthcare, and academic partners, comprehensive four-year college counseling including a junior-year East Coast college tour, and ongoing community-building through mentorship, family meetings, and a 200+ alumni network. The curriculum is human-delivered rather than technology-based; there is no proprietary software product, mobile app, or API.

Achieve Program is entirely donation-funded, with revenue from individual donors, employer matching-gift programs, and in-kind contributions; the organization operates with fewer than 10 employees, holds no patents, has no subsidiaries, has conducted no funding rounds, and has no disclosed M&A activity. It is governed by a board of directors and is recognized as a tax-exempt charitable foundation under California jurisdiction.

Name

Achieve Program

Legal name

Achieve Foundation

Website

https://achieveprogram.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Achieve Program is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides four-year scholarships, academic support, paid summer internships, and college counseling to underserved high school students from low-income families across four Bay Area partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• College access programs
• Scholarship services
• Educational nonprofits
• College counseling
• Student mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

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 organization relies entirely on tax-deductible donations from individuals, employers (matching gifts program), and in-kind contributors. Donations fund four-year tuition grants, summer internship stipends, tutoring, ACT/SAT preparation, college tours, and cultural excursions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Achieve Program is a four-year high school leadership and support program for underserved students from low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program provides need-based, four-year renewable scholarships at four partner private Catholic high schools, paired with academic monitoring and tutoring, paid five-week summer internships, cultural excursions, annual community service projects, and comprehensive four-year college counseling with East Coast college tours.

Product overview

Achieve Program is a four-year high school leadership program for underserved students from low-income families. The program provides a comprehensive suite of services including Academics Support (monitoring, tutoring, test preparation), Financial Aid (need-based scholarships and supplemental funds), Cultural Experiences (theater, performances, excursions), Community Service (annual 40-hour projects), Career Development (paid summer internships), College Counseling (4-year comprehensive guidance with East Coast college tours), and Community Building (mentoring, family meetings, alumni network). The program operates at four partner schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academics Support Academic monitoring, tutoring, writing support, after-school study sessions, and PSAT/ACT/SAT preparatory courses for accepted Achieve students.
• Financial Aid Program Need-based, four-year renewable scholarship awards and supplemental funds to cover uniforms, textbooks, AP exams, and partner school tuition for accepted students on a sliding-scale contribution basis.
• Cultural Experiences Year-round cultural excursions including live theatre at San Francisco Playhouse, musical and dance performances at UC Berkeley Zellerbach Hall, and Broadway productions.
• Community Service Program Annual 40-hour community service projects completed by each student at partner agencies across San Francisco and the East Bay, plus group community service experiences.
• Career Development and Internships Five-week paid summer internships matched to student skill levels and career interests, supplemented by job preparation workshops and resume writing support.
• College Counseling Comprehensive four-year college counseling including one-on-one counseling, writing support, family financial aid workshops, and an East Coast college tour during junior year, focused on out-of-state private non-profit four-year colleges.
• Community Building Regularly scheduled divisional and group meetings with mentoring and support, quarterly family meetings, parent education, and an alumni network of 200+ graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates matriculate to four-year colleges
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercy High School, BurlingamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-girls Catholic college preparatory school serving as a partner institution for Achieve Program. Female students from Achieve attend this school with scholarship support from the program. Located in Burlingame, California.
• Holy Names High School, OaklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-girls Catholic college preparatory school serving as a partner institution for Achieve Program. Female students from Achieve attend this school with scholarship support from the program. Located in Oakland, California.
• Archbishop Riordan High School, San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-boys Catholic college preparatory school serving as a partner institution for Achieve Program. Male students from Achieve attend this school with scholarship support from the program. Located in San Francisco, California.
• Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, AlamedacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-boys Catholic college preparatory school serving as a partner institution for Achieve Program. Male students from Achieve attend this school with scholarship support from the program. Located in Alameda, California.
• San Francisco PlayhouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner providing live theater experiences for Achieve scholars throughout the school year as part of the cultural excursion program.
• UC Berkeley Zellerbach HallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner at UC Berkeley providing musical and dance performances for Achieve scholars as part of cultural excursions.
• SHNSFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner providing 'Best of Broadway' productions for Achieve scholars as part of cultural experiences.
• San Francisco Campus for Jewish LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency in San Francisco where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency in the East Bay where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• Lake Merritt InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency in Oakland where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• Rotary Nature Center FriendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• Sisters of Marian OaksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity service partner agency where Achieve students complete their annual 40-hour community service projects.
• Baker Avenue Asset ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• BRIDGE HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• California Academy of SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• CartierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• Compass Family ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• DFSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• ExploratoriumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• Jewish Community Federation and Endowment FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• Jewish Family & Children's ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023, including YouthFirst Summer Internship Program.
• Jewish Vocational ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• KQEDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• LBA RealtyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• Prado GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• SFMOMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• TEF DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023, providing healthcare research experience.
• UCSF HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film ArchiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• UC Berkeley Haas School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.
• UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer internship provider for Achieve students in 2023.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income high school students to selective colleges through scholarships and admissions support; directly comparable mission to Achieve Program's focus on first-generation, low-income college access.
• College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as near-peer advisors in high schools to support college access for underrepresented students; comparable high school-based college counseling service model.
• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing low-income students with college-educated mentors to support college access and persistence; comparable mentoring-driven college access mission.
• ScholarMatch: Bay Area-based nonprofit matching low-income students with donors and mentors for college access and scholarships; directly comparable regional focus and low-income student mission.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Major scholarship nonprofit serving high-achieving students with financial need from high school through college; closely comparable model of identifying talented low-income students and supporting their path to selective four-year institutions.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing one-on-one college advising and support to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds; comparable target population and college-counseling intensive service model.
• The Posse Foundation: Identifies and supports diverse, high-achieving student cohorts from urban areas for placement at top colleges; comparable cohort-based scholarship model and leadership development focus.
• College Track: College access and success nonprofit supporting low-income and first-generation students from high school through college graduation; directly comparable cohort model and comprehensive support services.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: Large national charter school network serving low-income students through college; comparable underserved-student mission and college matriculation outcomes, though operates schools directly rather than through partnerships.

Emerging players

• Eastside Preparatory School: Independent school serving a predominantly low-income, first-generation student body with a comprehensive support model that includes tuition assistance; comparable in offering wraparound educational services to first-generation students but operates the school itself rather than partnering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/achieve_program
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/achieveprogram

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Achieve Program