Georgia First Generation Foundation Corp
Making the first generation the next generation.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Roughly one-third of incoming freshmen are First-Generation college students. First-generation students are disproportionately overrepresented among most disadvantaged groups, leading to a higher chance of delayed college entry, remedial coursework, and dropping out of college. For first generation students, college affordability is the priority. First generation students tend to apply and attend less selective schools that are closer to home. Also, first-generation students tend to work while in college so that they would be able to afford college. This is because they tend to know the least about the price of attending college and all of the applications and requirements of officially being a part of a university.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Georgia First Fellowship
The Georgia First Fellowship is the premier mentorship program of Georgia First Generation Foundation. Students apply for the Fellowship and if accepted, are matched to top mentors who have applied and interviewed for their positions. These mentors serve as leaders of their school; showcasing outstanding academic and professional performance and making them well-equipped to serve as mentors.
Georgia FirstGen Leadership Summit
The FirstGen Summit is the premier event for improving first-generation education and discovering new approaches for enhancing the approach to the college experience. This conference brings together first-generation high school students and some of the most innovative professionals in higher education and professional fields to share and celebrate creative solutions for improving student success.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of graduates enrolled in higher learning, university, or technical/vocational training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
The Georgia First Generation Foundation serves all first generation students in the state who do not have the fundamental knowledge of college success and application. With the integrative and engaging plans tailored to each student's intended majors, the program will teach students the skills and ideas that they have not acquired from either past experiences or their high school. We are conscious of the changing demographics in our center's service area and are committed to growing and adapting our center to meet the emerging needs.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To meet the objectives, the following methods will take place over the course of the academic year.
1. Workshops
a. Monthly workshops will be presented to students about varying college preparation needs. These topics will include but are not limited to the following themes:
i. SAT tips and tricks (to include SAT fee waivers, sending scores to schools, etc.)
ii. How to successfully complete the FAFSA
iii. What is a holistic college application?
iv. Online presence and your college acceptance.
b. These workshops will be held at the respective schools and coordinated with faculty and staff to ensure the best opportunities for students to attend these sessions.
2. Training
a. There will be opportunities where students can work on different parts of the application process, or become familiar with the Georgia First Generation’s goals and join the organization at their respective schools.
b. By joining the school chapters that are implemented, this will not only bring together the culmination of work that faculty and staff at the schools and at Georgia First have completed over the course of their time, but also advocate for preparing more students to participate as well.
c. Training would also be implemented into assisting students complete scholarship applications as well.
3. The Georgia First Leadership Summit
a. This is the culmination of all the different aspects of Georgia First by preparing and executing the first annual Georgia First Leadership Summit
b. The Leadership Summit will allow participants to meet students from different schools and work together to tackle leadership exercises and discuss how they all could benefit from the preparation of college success.
4. Mentorship
a. Linking current high school students to college students through mentorship is the focus of this action item
b. Funding networking opportunities so that students can hear first-hand from college students and learn from these first-hand experiences about college processes and college life.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Georgia First Generation Foundation’s competitive advantage over competitors is that the organization is founded by first generation scholars; students who know from personal experiences the challenges that many students could be or are facing as a result of being in the position of a first generation student applying to college. None of the other competitors have the same level of knowledge towards the dedication and rigor required to master the skills that are needed to become college bound and funded. The Georgia First Generation Foundation has other advantages to competitors. These benefits include engaging and tailored strategic plans for the different majors offered at universities across the state. Another advantage is that the founders of the non-profit are current first generation students who can develop workshops, seminars, and strategic plans that are on the same timeline as the high school students. Compared to other founders who are not students at a college currently, the founders of the Georgia First Generation Foundation have more experience and are still experiencing the situations and scenarios that high school students may face when applying to colleges as a first generation student. We have seen measurable success and we are now seeking to expand our Georgia First Initiative Project to address the needs of first generation students in other high schools across Gwinnett County.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
As we begin our pilot program this coming August, we will provide more information about the success of this Fellowship. However, in the time of our formation, we have been recognized by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce as a Nominee of the IMPACT Regional Business Awards in the Nonprofit category.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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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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.
Georgia First Generation Foundation Corp
Board of directorsas of 03/12/2022
Charbel Aoun
Diana Feng
Emory University Hospital
Durrel Parker
National University
Sami Tabbaa
Tabbaa Law
Valerie Cadet
PCOM Georgia
Michael Feng
Georgia First Generation Foundation
Bobby Gueh
Gwinnett County Public Schols
Ana Villegas
Deloitte
Leri Argueta
Georgia Institute of Technology
Charbel Aoun
Georgia First Generation Foundation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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? Yes
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
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/12/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.