College Summit increases the college enrollment rate of talented low-income students by putting college access "know-how" and support within the reach of every student

Synopsis:

College Summit has begun building out the DC operations and programs of their very successful national model and recently completed business planning.

Key Accomplishments:

Partnerships with five key universities and seven schools around the region (including three VPP investment partners) have paved the way for quick growth in the number of children served-doubling from 400 to 800 in one year.

Other noteworthy accomplishments that will contribute to increased effectiveness and improved capacity include:

• Planning and Focus: Completed business planning in February 2006, facilitated by Monitor Group, resulting in a well-defined plan that describes relationship between the local and national operations and management.

• Human Capital-Board and Senior Management: : Hired executive director after long recruitment period to complete six-member local staff team. Significant progress building new board-recruited five of eight needed members.

• Operational Effectiveness: Business planning helped College Summit gain greater clarity to move the organization to a higher level of impact by:

  • Shifting to a "geographic" model for all sites that calls for tighter calibration across site-specific program, sales, and development strategies;

  • Redesigning criteria for selecting strategic partners (schools and school districts). Criteria designed around research-based principles that must be in place for the College Summit program to be successful.

• Local Fundraising: Secured 50% of total fundraising needed for DC Metro Region build-out.

Key Information

Date, years, and stage of VPP Investment:	December 2004; 1 year (early stage; partially funded)
Capital committed and disbursed by VPP:	$740,000 committed; $631,000 disbursed
Estimated children to be served in 2010:	4,000
Revenue increase & % budget growth:	DC FY 04-05 budget $360 thousand to DC FY 05-06 budget $689 thousand - 91% increase in one year
Leveraged funding:	N/A
Expansion to new places and coverage:	Five new high schools and three new universities in Virginia, Maryland, and the District