Educational Institutions
HBCU First
College success + career access for Black youth
Mission
HBCU First's mission is to increase college success + career access for Black youth.
Notes from the nonprofit
As America's first & only national HBCU Exploratory Program, we help Black youth navigate the college & career journey and bridge the gap between learning and doing.
Ruling year
2019
Founder
Courtney Gray
Main address
1041 Grand Ave #366
St Paul, MN 55105 USA
EIN
84-3831738
Cause area (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-N.
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Research shows persistent socioeconomic inequality is putting America's future at risk. Our nation's outdated approach to preparing students for success is both an outcome, and driver of this national crisis. We believe America's youth are entitled to a more holistic approach to college & career readiness.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
HBCU Career Talks™
HBCU Career Talks™ provides career insights from industry leaders who understand the challenges of being young, Black, and ambitious. Through virtual, HBCU student led forums, we unpack what it takes to go from college student to high-achieving professional. The goal of our talks is to provide students insight into what to expect as a young professional and what will be expected of them as early Black talent.
Near-Peer Mentoring Program
The HBCU Near-Peer Mentoring Program helps Black students transition to college and develop a plan for success. What is the HBCU Near-Peer Mentoring Program? Developed by HBCU First, the HBCU Near-Peer Mentoring Program is a virtual, student-led, 1:1 mentoring program. Through a 10-week, social-emotional resilience based curriculum, each freshman & upperclassman pair develops a playbook for their college journey and beyond.
HBCU Leadership Incubator™
The HBCU Leadership Incubator™ helps students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) bridge the gap between learning and doing. Developed by HBCU First in 2020, the HBCU Leadership Incubator™ is a remote, part-time, 10-week internship program focused on leadership development and designed for & by Black college students. Through meaningful, research-based projects and weekly growth sessions, student interns gain entrepreneurial skills and professional leadership experience. The HBCU Leadership Incubator™ has three cohorts per year — one during the summer, fall, and spring semesters. Our diverse team of HBCU interns work (remotely) alongside our founder to develop student resources and programs serving their peers, and themselves.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Charting impact
Five powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We aim to help Black youth move America forward — economically and socially. HBCU First's mission is to increase college success + career access for Black youth by helping students to: (1) navigate the college & career journey (2) bridge the gap between learning and doing
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In 2019, HBCU First developed the HBCU Exploratory Framework™. The HBCU Exploratory Framework™ is a college success + career access model for Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students. The program leverages the lived experience of HBCU alums to help Black youth navigate the college & career journey and bridge the gap between learning and doing. To ensure our work has real impact, we enlist the help of the people we serve — Black youth. Through our HBCU Leadership Incubator™, students from America's 101 historically Black colleges help lead everything we do — from program development, to research and marketing.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
HBCU First is uniquely qualified to fulfill our mission and keep our promise: (1) we established the leading student resource (HBCUfirst.com) for Black college information (2) we established America's first & only national HBCU Exploratory Program (3) we have the vision and lived experience required to adapt and get things done
How will they know if they are making progress?
Reach of Our Services (1) Number of students and schools participating in our career talks (2) Number of students and schools participating in our mentoring program (3) Number of students and schools participating in our leadership program Organizational Capacity (1) Number of links and collaborations with organizations that share and/or support our work and goals (2) Diversity and strength of our board of directors (3) Dollars received in sponsorships, grants, and donations Media Traction (1) Number of media mentions and placements (2) Number of website visitors (3) Number of social media followers
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In just two months of operation in 2019, HBCU First had two major accomplishments: (1) Established the leading resource (HBCUfirst.com) for Black college information (2) Launched the HBCU Exploratory Framework™ HBCU First has five big initiatives for 2020: (1) Launching an HBCU internship program training students and building organizational capacity (2) Expanding our online student resource center through a student interview series (3) Building a team of HBCU student mentors in partnership with America's 101 HBCUs (4) Publishing a narrative podcast connecting HBCU First to potential partners and supporters (5) Launching a monthly forum connecting HBCU students to business leaders
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HBCU First
Board of directorsas of 9/22/2020
Courtney Gray
Josh Bruce
Roi Ward
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? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Keywords
college & career readiness, college success, career access, near-pear mentoring, Black youth, students of color, Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Thanks for signing up!
An email has been sent to the address you provided. Click on the link in that email to get more GuideStar Nonprofit Profile data today!
(Don't see an email in your inbox? Click here to resend it.)
GuideStar Pro Reports
Report successfully added to your cart!
Want more data?
A GuideStar Pro report containing the following information is available for this organization:
Download it now for $125.
Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options?Consider a Pro Search subscription.