The Bonner Network

What The Bonner Network does

The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, operating as The Bonner Network, is a private nonprofit foundation founded in 1990 and headquartered at 10 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey. Its flagship offering, the Bonner Program, is a service-based scholarship embedded at 65-70+ U.S. colleges and universities that provides financial support to low-income and diverse students in exchange for at least 1,800 hours of community service and structured leadership development over four undergraduate years. Adjacent programming includes Bonner Career Connections (launched March 2025 with eight sector pathways), the annual Summer Leadership Institute, the Bonner Alumni Network, the Student Impact Survey, and initiatives spanning food security, community-based research, capacity-building, and capstone projects.

The foundation does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Program delivery relies on partner-institution staff, a network site being transitioned from BonnerConnect to LinkedIn, Notion for center operations, and GivePulse as a volunteer-hours technology partner. There are no AI modalities or in-house ML capabilities disclosed. Revenue is sourced from the foundation's endowment and private donations, which are distributed downstream as scholarships and program grants to partner campuses and to the community organizations that host service placements. Pricing is non-transactional: students receive scholarships, and graduate-school partners (e.g., W&L Law offering $10,000/year, Clinton School offering $5,000+) extend fee waivers and scholarships to Bonner alumni.

Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven. Colleges formally adopt the Bonner Program and commit campus staff; students apply through campus-based selection; alumni are engaged through networking, graduate-school pathways, and a recurring pipeline of prestigious external recognitions (Newman Civic Fellowship, Truman, Fulbright, Watson, Gates Cambridge, White House Fellowship). The 35th anniversary was celebrated at the University of Richmond in June 2025, with the 2026 Summer Leadership Institute hosted by Rutgers University New Brunswick, illustrating the network's continuing rotation of flagship events across partner institutions.

Name

The Bonner Network

Legal name

The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation

Website

https://bonner.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation (The Bonner Network) is a Princeton-based private nonprofit, founded in 1990, that funds service-based scholarships and leadership development for low-income students at 65-70+ U.S. colleges and universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Service-Based Scholarship Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)

Keywords

• Service-based scholarship programs
• Community engagement programs
• Higher education access programs
• Civic leadership development
• Community-based learning initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation operates as a private foundation that provides scholarships and program support to partner colleges and universities. The foundation funds Bonner Programs at participating institutions and provides professional development, networking, and resources to students and staff across the network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Bonner Network funds and operates the Bonner Program, a multi-year, cohort-based scholarship program that provides financial aid to low-income and diverse college students in exchange for sustained community service (at least 1,800 hours), leadership development, and a capstone project. The foundation partners with 65+ U.S. colleges and universities to embed Bonner Programs on each campus and supports students, staff, and alumni through national events, career resources, and an alumni network.

Product overview

The Bonner Network (The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation) operates the Bonner Program, a scholarship and service-based scholarship program funding community-engaged learning at over 65 colleges and universities. The core offering is the Bonner Program, which combines financial support for diverse, low-income students with structured community service requirements and leadership development. Supporting programs include Bonner Career Connections with its eight career sector pathways, the annual Summer Leadership Institute, and the Bonner Alumni Network. Additional initiatives cover Food Security, Capacity-Building Projects, Community-Based Research, Capstone Projects, Policy Research, Social Action, and Training/Education/Reflection activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Bonner Program A multi-year scholarship and service-based program providing financial support to low-income, diverse college students at 65+ partner institutions, combined with required community service (at least 1,800 hours), leadership development, and a capstone project. Targeted at undergraduate students admitted to partner campus programs.
• Bonner Career Connections A career-readiness initiative providing students, staff, alumni, faculty, and career services professionals with structured career resources including sector pathways, alumni networking, and connections to professionals across eight career sectors. Available to Bonner students, alumni, and the broader campus community.
• Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) An annual multi-day leadership conference and convening for Bonner students, staff, alumni, and national partners featuring workshops, networking fairs, and professional development focused on civic engagement and community service. Open to network participants and partner organizations.
• Bonner Alumni Network An ongoing national network connecting Bonner alumni for engagement, mentorship, and continued participation in Bonner initiatives. Open to graduates of the Bonner Program across the country.
• Student Impact Survey A network-wide measurement instrument administered across the 65 partner institutions to assess Bonner student outcomes and program effectiveness in community engagement and student development. Used by the foundation, campus staff, and partner institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of low-income students have gained access to higher education through the Bonner Program since 1990.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington & Lee School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2019One of only three law schools partnering with the Bonner Foundation. Offers application fee waiver to all Bonner alumni and $10,000 annual scholarship for each of three years of law school upon admission. Also features programs like the Immigrant Rights Clinic and Black Lung Clinic for community engagement.
• Clinton School of Public Service at the University of ArkansascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2019Graduate school partnership offering Bonner alumni at least $5,000 merit-scholarship for either the in-person Masters of Public Service (MPS) or 100% online Clinton School Online (CSO) degree. The Clinton School also offers up to $5,000 employer-match funding for the CSO program.
• Street Medicine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization dedicated to facilitating and enhancing direct provision of healthcare to unsheltered individuals. W&L Bonner students created the first international database of street medicine providers (nearly 2,000 providers globally) as a GIS-mapped resource on the organization's website.
• Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partner organization that participated in the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute networking fair, offering students opportunities related to voter engagement and democracy.
• Tilting FuturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partner that participated in the 2025 Summer Leadership Institute networking fair, offering fellowship opportunities to Bonner students.
• Brown School at Washington University in St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate school partner that participated in the 2025 SLI networking fair, offering scholarship and fellowship opportunities for Bonner alumni.
• Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate school partner that participated in the 2025 SLI networking fair, offering graduate program opportunities for Bonner alumni.
• School of International Service at American UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate school partner that participated in the 2025 SLI networking fair, offering international affairs and public service graduate programs.
• Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit day camp and nature center located near University of Lynchburg that serves as a Bonner service site where Olivia Upton developed an environmental education curriculum for her capstone project.
• Campus CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that administers the Newman Civic Fellowship and works to advance the public purposes of higher education. Multiple Bonner students are nominated for Newman Civic Fellowship annually.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization co-sponsoring the Frederick Douglass-Daniel O'Connell Global Internship program for Bonner students to gain international experience in Dublin, Ireland.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AmeriCorps: Federal service program providing education awards and stipends in exchange for community service. Comparable as a federally-backed scholarship-for-service model, though much larger in scale and scope.
• City Year: National service program placing young adults in schools for a year of structured community service. Comparable target demographic (young civic-minded individuals) and cohort-based service model.
• Gates Cambridge Scholarship: Endowed scholarship program sending graduates to Cambridge. Comparable scholarship-plus-leadership development model, though focused on a single elite graduate institution rather than a multi-campus undergraduate network.
• Teach For America: Recruits recent graduates into teaching roles in low-income communities. Operates a similar 'service-plus-leadership-development-for-young-adults' model, but at significantly larger scale and with a focus on K-12 education.
• Peace Corps: Federal international service program with post-service educational benefits. Comparable as a service-for-scholarship/benefits model targeting civic-minded young adults.

Direct peers

• Davis United World College Scholars Program: Scholarship program for graduates of United World Colleges attending partner universities. Comparable as a multi-institution scholarship network funded by a private foundation with cohort-based community service expectations.
• Truman Scholarship Foundation: Federal scholarship foundation for college juniors pursuing public service careers. Comparable as a foundation funding scholarships tied to civic-engagement and public-service leadership.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Private foundation offering scholarships to high-achieving low-income students. Comparable funding model (private foundation/endowment), target population (low-income high-achievers), and mission of expanding educational access.
• Campus Compact: National coalition advancing civic engagement across U.S. higher education. A core Bonner partner (administers Newman Civic Fellowship), making it the most directly comparable organization on mission, audience, and operating model.

Emerging players

• Atlas Corps: Fellowship program placing nonprofit professionals (including U.S. alumni) into international service roles. Comparable alumni-engagement and civic-leadership-development mission but with a narrower, professional-track focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bonner-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bonner Network