POINT FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIP & SCHOLAR SUPPORTAS OF JUNE 2025, POINT FOUNDATION (POINT) HAS AWARDED 4,347 SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $64 MILLION IN OUR LGBTQ+ AND ALLY SCHOLARS.POINT FOUNDATION CURRENTLY AWARDS FOUR TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS: OUR TRADITIONAL FLAGSHIP SCHOLARSHIP, COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP, ACCESS SCHOLARSHIP, AND PERSISTENCE SCHOLARSHIP. ALL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THE FLAGSHIP, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND ACCESS SCHOLARSHIPS INCLUDE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS. SCHOLARS BENEFIT FROM A COMMUNITY OF LGBTQ+ AND ALLY STUDENTS AND ALUMNI, LEADERSHIP TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. BY PROVIDING LGBTQ+ AND ALLY STUDENTS WITH THE RESOURCES TO SUCCEED IN HIGHER EDUCATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS BUILDING A GENERATION OF LGBTQ+ AND ALLY LEADERS WITH THE SKILLS TO ADVANCE REPRESENTATION IN THEIR CHOSEN FIELDS AND ACROSS SOCIETY.DURING THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, POINT FOUNDATION SUPPORTED 779 STUDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, POINT PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY FUNDING TO 22 SCHOLARS. AS A CHAMPION FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS PROUD THAT 52 PERCENT OF OUR SCHOLARS ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE.POINT'S INTERNSHIP & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LGBTQ+ AND ALLY STUDENTS' PARTICIPATION IN HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ENHANCE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND EARLY CAREER OUTCOMES. AWARD FUNDS MAY BE USED TO COVER LIVING EXPENSES AND OTHER OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INTERNSHIP OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THIRTY-TWO STUDENTS EARNED THE INTERNSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD THIS YEAR. AWARDED STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN INTERNSHIPS, ATTENDED ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES, CONDUCTED SUPERVISED ACADEMIC RESEARCH, AND TOOK PART IN OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES RELEVANT TO THEIR CAREER GOALS.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: POINT PROVIDED A BLEND OF IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PROGRAMMING IN 2024-2025. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS YEAR'S IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WAS THE 3-DAY NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (NLC) IN WASHINGTON D.C. THE NLC BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 100 POINT STAFF, SCHOLARS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING 85 SCHOLARS AND ALUMNI TO PARTICIPATE IN KNOWLEDGE SHARING PANELS, WORKSHOPS, AND FIELD TRIPS ALL CENTERED AROUND THE THEME CAPITALIZE THE MOMENT: LGBTQ LEADERSHIP FOR TODAY & TOMORROW. THE NLC THEME EMPHASIZES THE URGENCY OF THE MOMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPOWERING LGBTQ+ AND ALLY LEADERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EVENT INCLUDE PANELS AND TALKS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LGBTQ LEADERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND PEER SCHOLARSHIP ORGANIZATIONS. NLC ALSO ORIENTED THE FLAGSHIP SCHOLARS TO THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDED AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM THEM OF THEIR SCHOLARSHIP EXPECTATIONS AND RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO NLC, POINT CONTINUED OUR CAREER EXPOSURE PROGRAMMING EFFORTS BY BRINGING SCHOLARS TO MEET IN-PERSON WITH CORPORATE PARTNERS, LEARN ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, DEVELOP NETWORKING SKILLS, AND GATHER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THEIR CAREER GOALS. IN THE FALL, WE BROUGHT 10 SCHOLARS TO CHICAGO TO MEET WITH CORPORATE PARTNERS AT CBRE AND CNA AND IN THE SPRING, WE BROUGHT 9 SCHOLARS TO NEW YORK CITY TO MEET WITH WELLS FARGO AND APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT.ONLINE PROGRAMMING IN 2024-2025 KICKED OFF WITH A PANEL WITH THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION AND CONTINUED ONWARD WITH FIVE EVENTS WITH CORPORATE PARTNERS CBRE, SALLIE MAE, DISNEY, EIGHT ELEVEN GROUP, AND SYNCHRONY, RESPECTIVELY, TO CONNECT SCHOLARS TO PARTNERS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. POINT ALSO HOSTED A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONFERENCE IN THE FALL THEMED EMPOWER & ELEVATE: COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT SUCCESS. THIS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE INVITED COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS TO MEET TO WITH POINT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTNERS DURING THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS: SKILL BUILDING WITH PHI THETA KAPPA'S CEO & PRESIDENT, DREAM IT REAL ROAD MAPPING WITH THE COACH FOUNDATION, AND A KEYNOTE BY POINT'S BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S CO-VICE CHAIR. LASTLY, WE COLLABORATED WITH PROJECT BASTA TO OFFER A PORTFOLIO OF CAREER READINESS TOOLS AND WORKSHOPS TO SCHOLARS, WITH TWO EVENTS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR POINT SCHOLARS ACROSS AWARDS.ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF PROGRAMMING WAS OUR MENTORING EFFORTS. RESEARCH FROM THE NATIONAL MENTORING RESEARCH CENTER PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT AFFIRMING MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS PROMOTE POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR LGBTQ+ AND ALLY YOUTH. A TOTAL OF 22 VOLUNTEERS WERE ASSIGNED AS MENTORS TO FLAGSHIP AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS. IN AGGREGATE, MENTORS HAD MORE THAN 120 MEETINGS WITH SCHOLARS TO PROVIDE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. GROUP MENTORING SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: AUTHENTIC NETWORKING, CAREER EXPLORATION, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.THESE OPPORTUNITIES HAD A NOTABLE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOLARS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO SUCCEED PROFESSIONALLY, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUTHENTIC NETWORKING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR, OUR PRIORITY IS SERVING OUR STUDENTS, ENABLING THEM TO FULFILL THEIR ACADEMIC GOALS, AND BECOMING LEADERS OF TOMORROW.