Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO)

What Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO) does

Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in November 2008 in Sisters, Oregon, that operates as the only community organization dedicated exclusively to developing and administering post-secondary education financial support for Sisters High School (SHS) graduates. The organization was created by eight co-founders after community members began informally supporting SHS graduates in 2006, formalizing the effort with IRS nonprofit status and later relieving the Sisters School District of growing scholarship administrative burden. Sisters GRO serves current and recent SHS graduates pursuing college, university, or vocational training programs, with alumni outcomes spanning four-year universities, community college EMT/paramedic programs, and U.S. Air Force commissioning.

Sisters GRO's core product is end-to-end scholarship management services: collecting donor funds, administering a fair selection process, disbursing awards, and maintaining accounting. Operationally, the organization runs on the AwardSpring online application platform (implemented in 2020), coordinates volunteer selection committees, and hosts an annual Senior Celebration where every senior applicant is individually recognized. It maintains the Sisters GRO Endowment for Dreams, established in 2011 with the Oregon Community Foundation, alongside individual, business, and community donations, including a "Spread Process" option introduced in 2013 that enables donors to distribute awards across more applicants.

The business model is donations- and endowment-funded. There are no products sold and no services priced; contributions as low as $25 are accepted to the general fund or existing scholarships, and donors can also establish named scholarships, recurring gifts, endowments, or planned giving arrangements. As of 2026, Sisters GRO has disbursed over 1,600 scholarship awards and more than $3.4 million in cumulative student financial aid, with a record $385,000 raised in 2026 supporting 68 graduating seniors. The organization is volunteer-governed, with Regan Roberts serving part-time as the sole staff member since 2024 as Executive Director.

Name

Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO)

Legal name

Sisters Graduate Resource Organization

Website

https://sistersgro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sisters GRO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 in Sisters, Oregon, that administers donor-funded scholarships exclusively for Sisters High School graduates pursuing post-secondary education, having disbursed over $3.4 million across 1,600+ awards to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship Administration

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Scholarship administration
• Nonprofit scholarship management
• Post-secondary education funding
• Donor fund management
• Community scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sisters

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 Fundraising: Individual and community donations to general fund and specific scholarships. Includes recurring donations, endowments, and planned giving options for sustained funding.
2. Scholarship Endowment: Sisters GRO Endowment for Dreams established with Oregon Community Foundation for long-term sustainable funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sisters GRO is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with local donors and Sisters High School to provide post-secondary education financial support for SHS graduates. It manages the full scholarship lifecycle including collection, selection process administration, disbursement, and accounting of scholarship funds, and coordinates an annual Senior Celebration where awards are presented.

Product overview

Sisters GRO operates as a single-service nonprofit organization focused exclusively on scholarship management for Sisters High School graduates. The organization provides end-to-end administrative support including scholarship collection, disbursement, selection process management, and accounting services. Key service components include an online application process implemented in 2020, the Spread Process option for distributing awards across more applicants, and coordination of the annual Senior Celebration. The organization partners with the Oregon Community Foundation for its endowment fund (Sisters GRO Endowment for Dreams).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Management Services End-to-end administrative services for managing the selection process, collection, disbursement, and accounting of scholarship funds awarded to Sisters High School graduates pursuing post-secondary education and vocational training.
• Online Scholarship Application Process (AwardSpring) Online application portal where students apply for scholarships and where donors can create and manage scholarship funds, replacing previous paper-based processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 scholarship awards disbursed to date
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Sisters High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner; school administers scholarship programs and hosts selection committees. Principal Steve Stancliff serves as Ex-Officio Board Member.
• Oregon Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to establish Sisters GRO Endowment for Dreams in 2011, providing long-term sustainable funding for scholarships.
• Local DonorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual and business donors who establish and fund scholarships for Sisters High School graduates; donors include community members, businesses, and organizations in the Sisters area.
• Sisters School DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partners with Sisters GRO to support graduates; district originally managed scholarships before GRO was established to handle administrative needs.

Scale indicators5 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Community Foundation: The Oregon Community Foundation is Sisters GRO's actual endowment partner and runs scholarship programs for Oregon students. It is a direct comparable as a regional community foundation administering donor-directed scholarship funds.
• The Foundation for Sisters: A local Sisters, Oregon community foundation supporting the same geographic community as Sisters GRO. It is a direct peer serving the same donor base and Sisters-area nonprofits, often channeling charitable giving in the region.

Regional players

• Beaverton Education Foundation: A Beaverton, Oregon-based education foundation raising and distributing funds for K-12 and post-secondary scholarships. It is comparable as a regional community foundation with a similar donor-supported, school-partnered scholarship model.
• Hillsboro Schools Foundation: A community education foundation supporting Hillsboro, Oregon K-12 students with scholarships and school funding. It is a regional peer sharing the model of a local nonprofit partnering with a school district to disburse post-secondary aid.
• Central Oregon Community College Foundation: The foundation arm of Central Oregon Community College, supporting local students with scholarships. It is a regional peer that serves a similar Central Oregon student population, including Sisters High School graduates pursuing community college pathways.

Emerging players

• QuestBridge: A national nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income high school students with college scholarships and aid. It is an emerging/niche player that overlaps with Sisters GRO's mission of expanding post-secondary access for graduates from smaller communities.
• College Success Foundation: A nonprofit providing scholarships, mentoring, and support to low-income and first-generation students pursuing post-secondary education. It is comparable in combining scholarship administration with mentoring and student support services similar to Sisters GRO's ASPIRE integration.

Broad incumbents

• National Merit Scholarship Corporation: A national nonprofit administering merit-based undergraduate scholarships to high school students. It is a broad incumbent with a comparable mission of disbursing donor-funded scholarships to graduating high schoolers nationwide.
• Scholarship America (Dollars for Scholars): Scholarship America is the largest U.S. nonprofit scholarship management organization, operating the local-chapter Dollars for Scholars network. It is comparable as it administers community-level scholarship funds using similar application infrastructure (also powered by AwardSpring) at much greater scale.
• Horatio Alger Association: A national nonprofit providing need-based scholarships to high school students pursuing post-secondary education. It is a broad incumbent operating at national scale with a similar donor-funded, student-focused scholarship mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SistersGRO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sistersgro
• Instagraminstagram.com/sistersgro_or

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO)