Rob Knox, TMCF Senior Director of Strategic Communications | October 5, 2022
TMCF Empowering The Next Generation With A Focus on Economic Mobility.
Shown in Photo: TMCF President and CEO, Dr. Harry L. Williams with students at the 2022 Leadership Institute in New York
鈥淭o Change the World鈥ne Leader at a Time鈥 is the ambitious vision of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). TMCF builds on the legacy of Justice Marshall by providing access to opportunity. Created in 1987, TMCF has provided scholarships to students attending 精东影业鈥檚 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).听 Since its founding, the organization has awarded over $500 million in scholarships and leadership development.
Public Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been disproportionally underfunded compared to other publicly funded institutions.听 TMCF鈥橲听听 support to these institutions provides its students with supplemental programs focused on STEM, entrepreneurship, and leadership.听 Additionally, TMCF extends its financial resources to students by providing scholarships that give students the financial freedom to explore development opportunities to upskill and hone their talents.听
鈥淔inancial barriers clearly impact a student鈥檚 ability to persist toward graduation but it can also prevent students from availing themselves to career development opportunities that help them compete for lucrative careers鈥, said听 TMCF President and CEO, Dr. Harry L. Williams.听 鈥淔or 35 years, TMCF has worked to remove these financial barriers while providing unprecedented access to career development opportunities with Fortune 500 companies. TMCF designs innovative upskilling programs with top companies which has led to more HBCU students being recruited and hired.鈥澨
TMCF corporate partnerships with top companies such as Apple, Boeing, Medtronic, Mondelez, Google. Wells Fargo, John Deere, and others has helped to advance diversity efforts within a cross-section of industries while increasing the profile of prospective talent coming from HBCUs.听
Talent on HBCU campuses has largely gone untapped even though HBCUs produce nearly 20% of all African 精东影业n college graduates while only representing 3% of the higher education landscape.听 Most of the Fortune 500 have limited, if any, recruitment presence at HBCUs.听 Through their work, Thurgood Marshall College Fund provides an essential link between Corporate 精东影业 and HBCU talent.听听 TMCF鈥檚 talent sourcing programs gives qualified students an opportunity to network, interview, and compete for high profile jobs.
Donations听to TMCF support efforts to enhance financial and programmatic resources to more students.听TMCF can听help remove some of the financial burden of college costs听through its scholarship programs. Even with this funding,听there is听a remaining financial need of $12,000 for every student awarded.听
It’s possible that these kinds of听financial gaps听have听contributed to low graduation rates, especially since research has shown that one in three college freshmen drop out of school before their second year.
TMCF鈥檚 mission to carry forward the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall has secured its role as a champion of HBCUs and the talented students who attend them.听听Workplace donations听to TMCF ensures the advancement of its critical work in education, diversity, equity, and inclusion.听
As HBCUs continue to be the听top producers of undergraduates going on to earn doctorates in science and engineering, the work of TMCF has become critical to today鈥檚 and tomorrow鈥檚 workforce. You can help TMCF keep the doors to a college education open for another student, and join the movement to change the world, one leader at a time. 听
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