A Better Chance

A BETTER CHANCE 2017 ANNUAL REPORT FAR-REACHING IMPACT. LIFE-ALTERING CHANGE . FAR-REACHING IMPACT. LIFE-ALTERING CHANGE. Since 1963, A Better Chance has worked tirelessly to make a rigorous education accessible to more and more talented youth of color with big dreams and the dedication to make them a reality. Nearly 16,000 young people across the country have graduated from A Better Chance during our 55-year history, transforming individual lives and entire communities along the way. Truly, our impact is far-reaching and the results are life-altering. A BETTER CHANCE 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from Our President & Board Chair......... 1 Affiliated Colleges............................................. 11 Our Reach: Serving Overlooked Talent ............ 2 Our Supporters ................................................13 Scholars at a Glance ........................................ 3 Effective Fiscal Management: A Far-Reaching Impact Driven by a Small and Statement of Financial Activities ..................21 Mighty Staff ...................................................4 National Board of Directors ........................... 23 2017 Highlights ................................................. 5 National Advisory Council ..............................24 Member Schools ............................................... 7 National Staff ..................................................24 LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIR Dear Friends, Alumni and Parents, 2017 was a remarkable year for A Better Chance. We achieved milestones that will bring far-reaching impact and life-altering change for our promising Scholars. Your generosity provided these talented young people with extraordinary opportunities and critical support services to achieve their potential. Sandra E. Timmons President A Better Chance is a significant contributor to the diverse pipeline of young people of color who compete effectively in schools, colleges and the workplace. In 2017, we placed 553 A Better Chance Scholars, the largest number in our history, into some of this nation’s finest college preparatory schools. Our dedicated staff continues to advocate tirelessly on our Scholars’ behalf, helping to secure admissions and leveraging a record $15 million in financial aid awards from our Member Schools. We also had 99% of our graduating seniors matriculate into this nation’s most selective colleges and universities. They will go on to join our nearly 16,000 Alumni to become innovators, influencers and leaders in their chosen fields and professions. For 55 years, A Better Chance’s mission has been to move talented young people of color into Kurt Van Wagenen positions of responsibility and leadership by helping them gain access to this nation’s most Chair, Board of Directors academically rigorous boarding, day and public schools. Ours is a model of collaboration that reaches deep into communities of color nationwide to find talent that is often overlooked and connect it with life-transforming educational opportunities. Together with our community and school partners, we improve the educational attainment, career prospects and socioeconomic status for these talented young people, their families, communities and ultimately, our world. We dedicate this annual report to our proud Scholars who in the face of great challenges, strive to fulfill their potential and realize their dreams. Your investment in them makes that possible and is reaping tremendous returns. Thank you for helping A Better Chance create future leaders who are changing our world! Sandra E. Timmons Kurt Van Wagenen President Chair, National Board of Directors 2017 Annual Report 1 OUR REACH SERVING OVERLOOKED TALENT A Better Chance is the oldest and only national organization of its kind serving more than 2,100 students chosen for their motivation, academic strength and potential. They were enrolled at 349 of the nation’s most rigorous and prestigious boarding, day and public schools through our signature College Preparatory Schools Program (CPSP). More than 500 students are recruited and placed in outstanding educational opportunities annually. During 2017, we placed Scholars in 219 schools in 25 states. We reach into diverse communities to recruit talented students who might not otherwise be able to access the kind of rigorous, enriching education our Member Schools offer. A Better Chance Scholars represent diversity in every respect: gender, ethnic, socioeconomic, linguistic, and parental education level. We search far and wide—A Better Chance Scholars hail from 27 states and 14 major metropolitan areas throughout the country! Four years ago, I was struggling to survive school in Brooklyn. A Better Chance completely changed my life. Today I’m a confident, outspoken, high-achieving high school graduate with plans to make my voice heard. I have served on the Honor Council; in the Inclusion Society, as a prefect and as an Eco-Action Team Leader. I am a role model for other A Better Chance Scholars and low-income students of color to never stop in the pursuit of their education, regardless of any obstacle or adversity. Before, I had always found math to be a challenge. Now – I can hardly believe it – I’m an award-winning math student who just got an A in Calculus! There’s NOTHING I can’t do! TYLER MILES The Hill School, 2016 Yale University, 2020 2 A BETTER CHANCE | Far-reaching Impact. Life-altering Change. A BETTER CHANCE SCHOLARS AT A GLANCE for academic year 2017 TOTAL ENROLLMENT MEMBER SCHOOLS GENDER 221 Independent Day Schools 57% 107 Independent % Boarding Schools 43 2,100 21 Community Female Male Scholars School Programs ETHNICITY UNDER MEDIAN INCOME HOUSEHOLD 65% Black/African-American 66% Live in a two-parent parent or 40% two-guardian household 15% Latino/Hispanic 12% Multiracial/Biracial 32% Live in a single-parent 8% Asian $ household with a mother or female guardian From household earning less than the national US Median income 2% Live in a single-parent household with a father or ≤ $59,039 male guardian OTHER LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME PARENT(S) EDUCATION LEVEL GEOGRAPHY 35% 36% Bachelor’s degree or higher Predominant languages spoken in household (other than English) 21% LANGUAGES SPOKEN BREAK DOWN (OUT OF 36%) AS FOLLOWS: Some college including SCHOLARS BY REGION: Associate degrees 48% Spanish 22% Mid-Atlantic 17% Other African 4% Midwest 11% French/Creole 10% 17% New York Metro 10% Other Asian 5% Northeast 8% Other High school or high school 18% Northwest 7% Chinese/Cantonese/Mandarin equivalency diplomas only 24% Southeast 10% Southwest 2017 Annual Report 3 A FAR-REACHING IMPACT DRIVEN BY A SMALL AND MIGHTY STAFF A Better Chance is a national organization with an entrepreneurial staff of 25, most of whom are based in our NYC headquarters. Regional program managers are based in five additional cities: Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco/Oakland and Los Angeles. Our proven model is highly cost effective as measured by: • Number and quality of Scholar placements • Grade and geographic span of placements • Member School graduation levels • College enrollment and completion The size and scope of the students and families we serve is often 3x higher compared to organizations doing similar work with similar budget and staff size. Many organizations serving a comparable number of students have budgets and staff levels that are significantly bigger than A Better Chance’s. VOLUNTEERS EXTEND OUR REACH Our success is also due to approximately 700 volunteers, including current Scholars, parents, Alumni, school leaders, community members, corporate leaders and employees who are inspired to help an organization with a record of building future leaders of color. In 2017, our nationwide volunteers helped A Better Chance in many ways – logistical planning; delivery of program events; advocacy within their communities; administrative tasks; fundraising; and serving on advisory panels. Morgan Stanley sponsors the A Better Chance Career Program – a six part webinar series – to our Scholars and Alumni on career and workforce skills. This effort principally uses 3 to 4 member volunteer panels drawn from the corporate and academic worlds. More than 700 attended last year. 4 A BETTER CHANCE | Far-reaching Impact. Life-altering Change. A BETTER CHANCE 2017 HIGHLIGHTS 2017 FINANCIAL AID AND ADMISSIONS STATISTICS $15 million 2,451 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED in financial aid 1,080 STUDENTS REFERRED leveraged for 739 SCHOLARS ACCEPTED our new Scholars. 553 SCHOLARS PLACED 99% of A Better Chance Added 15 new Member Schools Thanks to the generosity of graduating seniors enrolled to our network, resulting in 349 total thousands of donors, it was a directly in college schools. With more schools we can record-breaking year. We are offer our families greater opportunities especially thankful to Boeing, for for placement and financial aid contributing our largest corporate and, ultimately, serve more gift of $500,000 for Alumni students each year! engagement Served Scholars in 14 metropolitan hubs 85% of A Better Chance Alumni graduated from college within Atlanta DC & Suburbs Los Angeles New York Metro (VA & MD) six years compared to just Boston New Haven & North Carolina 57% of all students nationally Chicago Detroit Bridgeport, CT Oakland/San Cleveland Houston New Jersey Francisco Bay Area Philadelphia A Better Chance Alumni are successful in a variety of sectors, including business, medicine, law, public service, journalism, education and the arts 2017 Annual Report 5 A BETTER CHANCE SCHOLAR

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