The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children

What The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children does

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 by Archbishop Peter L. Gerety to provide need-based partial tuition scholarships enabling low-income K-12 students to attend Catholic elementary and high schools within the Archdiocese of Newark. Headquartered at 171 Clifton Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, the organization serves economically disadvantaged families across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Since inception, SFIC has awarded over $55.5 million in partial tuition scholarships and supported more than 62,845 children; for the 2025-2026 school year it is supporting 967 students across 70+ partner schools, with a documented 100% graduation rate among high school senior recipients.

SFIC's core offerings consist of two scholarship programs: the General Fund Program (funded by individual, corporate, and foundation donors) and Donor Sponsored Scholarships (named funds carrying donor-defined criteria such as school focus, grade level, or geographic area). Applications are processed through a Civic Core-powered online portal supporting account creation, save-and-continue, document upload, and status tracking, with award amounts determined by household income, family size, and demonstrated financial need against an annually published income chart. Scholarship funds are paid directly to schools in two installments (50% in January, 50% in June). The technology footprint is deliberately narrow — workflow and form management rather than analytics or AI.

SFIC's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with no fee-for-service or commercial product revenue. Funding sources include individual donors, foundation and corporate grants, planned giving, an employer matching gift program spanning 60+ participating corporations (AIG, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Merck, Pfizer, Prudential Foundation, PSE&G, and others), and a diversified annual event calendar (Annual Gala, Canoe Brook and Arcola Golf Outings, Hoopfest, Irish American Breakfast, Latin American Luncheon, Cardinal Christmas Breakfast, Alumni Fall Event, Family Fun Days). The 7-person staff is led by CEO Dr. Michelle Hartman, and audited financial statements are published for fiscal years 2020-2025.

Name

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children

Legal name

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children

Website

https://sficnj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SFIC is a Newark-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that provides need-based partial tuition scholarships for K-12 students to attend Catholic schools across four New Jersey counties. Since inception, it has supported over 62,845 children with more than $55 million in scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Scholarship fund services
• Nonprofit education funding
• Tuition assistance programs
• Donor sponsored scholarships
• K-12 private school aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions: SFIC is funded entirely through private donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Donors can contribute to the General Fund, establish Named Scholarships, make tribute gifts, or support endowment campaigns. Corporate matching programs amplify donor impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides need-based partial tuition scholarships for K-12 students to attend Catholic and private schools within the Archdiocese of Newark. The organization awards scholarships through a General Fund Program and Donor Sponsored Scholarships, funded entirely by individual, corporate, and foundation contributions, with funds paid directly to participating schools.

Product overview

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) operates as a scholarship assistance organization rather than a technology company. Its core offerings consist of need-based tuition assistance programs: the General Fund Program for students across Catholic and private schools in four New Jersey counties, and Donor Sponsored Scholarships which are named funds with specific donor-defined criteria. SFIC provides these services through an online application portal that includes document upload functionality and application tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Fund Program Need-based scholarship program providing partial tuition assistance to K-12 students attending parochial and private elementary and secondary schools in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties in New Jersey. Funded by individual, corporate, and foundation donors to the General Fund.
• Donor Sponsored Scholarships Named scholarships established by individuals, families, foundations, and organizations with donor-specified criteria including school focus, grade level, geographic area, or student characteristics. SFIC administers the scholarships and identifies eligible students to receive the named awards.
• Online Scholarship Application Portal Digital application platform powered by Civic Core that allows K-12 families to submit scholarship applications online, with Save & Continue functionality, document upload capabilities, and application status tracking. Applications accepted March 1 through May 1 annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 967 students received scholarship assistance in 2025-2026 school year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archdiocese of Newark (RCAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983SFIC operates in partnership with the Archdiocese of Newark Catholic Schools to support access to quality Catholic education. SFIC scholarships are awarded to students in most of the 49 Catholic elementary and 22 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Newark. The partnership enables SFIC to reach eligible families through parish and school networks, with funds paid directly to participating schools. SFIC is headquartered at 171 Clifton Avenue within the Archdiocese Center.
• Employer Matching Program Partners (60+ corporations)minorOthers · 1-01-01SFIC accepts employer matching gifts from over 60 participating organizations including AIG, Bank of America Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Merck, Morgan Stanley, Prudential Foundation, PSE&G, Pfizer Foundation, Verizon Foundation, and many others. Employers match employee donations to amplify impact.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans: Need-based scholarship provider for underserved youth pursuing higher education; comparable in donor-funded scholarship model and focus on financial-need eligibility, though it operates nationally and at the postsecondary level.
• Children's Scholarship Fund: National K-12 need-based scholarship organization providing partial tuition assistance to low-income families for private school choice — directly comparable in product (scholarship) and target segment (low-income families seeking private/parochial education).
• Inner-City Scholarship Fund (Boston): Catholic school scholarship fund for low-income families in Greater Boston, operating an almost identical mission, model, and Archdiocese-aligned structure as SFIC — making it the closest structural analog.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Provides need-based scholarships to high-achieving low-income students from elementary through college — directly comparable on scholarship-as-product, financial-need targeting, and outcome-tracking orientation.

Broad incumbents

• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): Large-scale national scholarship and grantmaking organization for underrepresented students; comparable as a donation-funded scholarship foundation but operates at much greater scale and focuses on higher education rather than K-12.
• Archdiocese of Newark Catholic Schools Office: The institutional sponsor of the 49 elementary and 22 high schools SFIC funds; while not a scholarship competitor, it is the principal ecosystem partner whose tuition policies, enrollment trends, and capacity directly determine SFIC's addressable market.
• KIPP Foundation: National K-12 charter school network serving low-income students; comparable in mission (educational access for low-income families) and outcome-tracking but delivers via direct school operation rather than tuition scholarships.
• The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia: Community foundation raising and deploying charitable funds for Catholic institutions including scholarships; broader scope and different geography but comparable in fundraising mechanisms (donor-advised funds, planned giving, corporate matching) supporting Catholic education.

Regional players

• Malvern Prep's Inner-City Scholarship Program (and similar Catholic secondary school scholarship funds): Individual Catholic secondary schools (e.g., Malvern Prep, Regis, Xavier) operate their own need-based inner-city scholarship funds in other dioceses; functionally comparable scholarship products targeting the same low-income/Catholic school segment but confined to single schools and other regions.

Others

• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform for classroom needs; not a direct competitor but an adjacent donation-driven education-funder demonstrating the broader category of donor-supported K-12 education assistance and serving as a comparable digital fundraising channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SFICNJ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchoFund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-scholarship-fund-for-inner-city-children
• Instagraminstagram.com/sficnj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children