Mission
HBCU First is a student-led community on a mission to increase college and career success for Black youth. As the nation's leading HBCU internship and mentoring program, we leverage relationships with 70+ HBCUs to help Black youth navigate the college-to-career journey.
Notes from the nonprofit
67% of gross receipts are paid directly to students in cash.
Ruling year
2019
Managing Founder
Courtney Gray
Main address
244 Madison Ave #227
New York, NY 10016 USA
EIN
84-3831738
NTEE code
Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)
Cultural, Ethnic Awareness (A23)
Youth Development Programs (O50)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We have a global work crisis that’s twofold. Professional jobs are increasing faster than we can fill them, and most of us — from senior executives to college interns — feel undervalued, overworked, and uninspired. This deficit in skills and morale is driven by the adoption of new technology, socioeconomic inequality, and our outdated approach to education and training.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
HBCU Day-One-Ready Program
HBCU Day-One-Ready is a college-to-career navigation program driven by near-peer mentoring and student-led workshops & events.
Students attending America's 100+ HBCUs pair up to build skills and grow their network. This remote, 10-week internship program is paid and open to HBCU students.
Equity in Data & Research (EDRP)
Equity in Data & Research (EDRP) is a student-led, research & development program on a mission to make data analytics and primary research more accessible relevant to Black youth.
HBCU students leverage education & training from industry leaders to close critical skills and data gaps. This hybrid program is paid and open to elite HBCU students.
HBCU Exploratory Program
Current HBCU students called "HBCU Student Advocates" lead choice-focused workshops helping college-bound Black youth navigate the high-school-to-college journey. This hybrid program is open to HBCU and high school students.
HBCU YSE STEM
HBCU Youth Social Entrepreneurship (YSE) STEM is an experiential learning program helping Black youth foster a social entrepreneur mindset through STEM skill mastery.
Leveraging the YSE Choice-Based Learning Framework, the Program provides K-12 students hands-on STEM experiences and a pathway to STEM-based careers.
HBCU Leadership Incubator
The HBCU Leadership Incubator is a hands-on, 11-week leadership development program helping Black college students bridge the gap between classroom learning and business-world doing.
Students gain leadership know-how by developing and managing an HBCU First program. This hybrid program is paid and open to elite HBCU students.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of program graduates
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollars paid directly to students
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of career events produced and hosted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of corporate speakers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of partner Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, People of African descent, Students
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
HBCU First aims to:
• Develop a dynamic channel of HBCU talent with high-demand, transferable skills
• Transform America's approach to educating and training Black youth
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We believe bringing together our most resilient community (Black youth) and our most resourced community (industry leaders) is key to transforming America's approach to educating and training Black youth. We focus on helping Black youth (1) navigate the college-to-career journey and (2) bridge the gap between learning and doing. Our strategy is driven by our student-led internship programs: HBCU Near-Peer Mentoring Program, Equity in Data & Research (EDRP), HBCU Exploratory Program, and the HBCU Leadership Incubator.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
HBCU First is uniquely qualified to fulfill our mission and achieve our goals for 2 reasons:
• we built America's most elite community of diverse HBCU students
• we have the vision and lived experience required to adapt and get things done
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
KEY FACTS
• 670 HBCU students completed our programs
• $350,000+ in cash stipends paid to students
• 175 career events produced & hosted
• 350+ corporate speakers at our events
• 70+ partner HBCUs
• 1+ million views of our map of HBCUs
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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HBCU First
Board of directorsas of 05/08/2023
Courtney Gray
Josh Bruce
Discover
Dwight Howell
Target
Carlton Tiolo-Sapp
Northwestern Mutual
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
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