We believe all people should have access to an excellent education; that a person’s ZIP code shouldn’t define what they can become; and that having the same access and opportunities as their privileged peers guarantees a person an equitable possibility of success.
We believe all people should have access to an excellent education; that a person’s ZIP code shouldn’t define what they can become and that having the same access and opportunities as their privileged peers guarantees an equitable possibility of success.
We open doors for people from resilient communities to realize their full potential and to live safe, successful and fulfilling lives.
TWF Social Impact Leaders
Meet the leaders who are driving success across TWF Social Impact Causes
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Shayne Evans
Founder, Managing Partner
The Academy Group -
Liz Dozier
Founder & CEO
Chicago Beyond -
Melissa Connelly
Chief Executive Officer
OneGoal -
Nichol Whiteman
Chief Executive Officer
LA Dodgers Foundation -
David Kay
Chief Executive Officer
MetroSquash
/ The Academy Group
The Academy Group is an opportunity program. It is committed to closing the opportunity gap — based on the premise that with equal access to resources, students from the most challenging backgrounds will outperform those from the most privileged communities.
The Academy Group works with students starting in fourth grade and supports them throughout their academic careers and beyond. The Academy provides its members with all of the tools they need to succeed in spite of their circumstances.
Members of the Academy receive individualized tutoring, mentoring, counseling, internships and full scholarships for college, trade school or technical school so that our members enter their professional lives with no educational debt. Anyone who completes the program with dedication and stays out of trouble is guaranteed a job.
A Unique Business Model
Stakes in a number of successful and thriving portfolio companies were contributed to Academy Group Capital Holdings (AGCH) principally by the Walter Family. The revenue from the AGCH portfolio companies support the Academy Group by providing a significant portion of the Academy’s operating funds.
But more than that, principals within many of the portfolio companies serve as mentors and advisors to The Academy Group members and the ACGH companies provide internships and jobs to members during college and upon graduation. This innovative structure ensures opportunities for The Academy Group members while leading to a model that, over time, becomes self-sustaining and minimizes the need for continuous philanthropic capital.
The Academy Group Success
Since initiating the model in 2017, the Academy Group’s investment is generating significant returns. When compared to their Chicago Public School peers, Academy Group members see a:
23%
higher graduation
rate
28%
higher grade
point average
46%
higher college
enrollment rate
28%
higher college
persistence rate
The Academy Students
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Yafe
Pomona College
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Antonice
Amplify Program
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A’maree
Kenwood Academy High School
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Kress
Vanderbilt University
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Osvaldo
Brandeis University
/ Chicago Beyond
Believing that hyper-local and specialized solutions can lead to important change, Chicago Beyond invests in an array of programs aimed at fixing systemic problems that prevent children in Chicago from achieving their potential.
A child’s ZIP code is the biggest predictor of life outcomes. Chicago Beyond invests in leaders and organizations that are positioned to disrupt that harsh reality, while simultaneously driving toward systemic change so that ZIP codes are no longer what influences a young person’s fate. Chicago Beyond began in 2016 under the leadership of Fenger High School Principal, Liz Dozier, who was acutely aware of the negative impact all-too-common traumatic events had on her students and felt the need to do something. Together, Ms. Dozier and TWF Social Impact began working with Chicago Public Schools (the nation’s third largest school district) to develop the first-of-its-kind blueprint for trauma support. The approach is holistic.
Chicago Beyond’s Impact
By investing in education, youth safety, community development, health and wellness, Chicago Beyond is positioned to remove the barriers to equity.
300,000
students have addressed and overcome trauma
100 Page
guidebook to fight for youth equity in effective ways written
$30 Million
invested in community-led initiatives and individuals
14 Nonprofit Partners collaborating on youth equity
/ OneGoal
OneGoal’s mission is to close the degree divide in America. Despite decades of work and millions of dollars invested, the degree divide continues to be one of our nation’s most complex and critical injustices.
Only 22% of students from low-income communities earn a postsecondary degree (bachelor’s or associate), compared to 67% of their peers from high-income areas. However, 86% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution and 76% of those persist one year after high school graduation.
OneGoal partners with high schools and colleges in low-income communities to ensure college and postsecondary planning, preparation and support are no longer extracurricular luxuries but integral components of the high school experience for all students.
OneGoal’s Model
Honed over 12 years, the model has three core components:
Rigorous and culturally relevant content and experience that ensures its students (fellows) are affirmed in their identities and understand their why;
Cohorts of students who can support each other over the course of the three year program;
A teacher (program director) who supports their most vulnerable students’ long-term ambitions.
OneGoal starts as a credit-bearing class during students’ junior and senior year of high school. Then, Program Directors bridge the transition from high school to the Fellow’s chosen postsecondary path by continuing individualized support for a full year after high school graduation.
Leveraging technology, OneGoal provides a flexible model that can be delivered in-person, online or through a hybrid structure. It allows Fellows to explore and affirm their individual identities in order to identify postsecondary paths aligned to their personal aspirations.
OneGoal’s Impact
OneGoal has grown from a small after-school program serving just 32 students in Chicago to a nationwide movement that will serve 13,800 students in six communities by the end of the 2021/22 school year.
13,500 Fellows
in OneGoal programs
113 High Schools
participating
84% Enroll
in postsecondary education
75% Persistence Rate
one year after high school graduation
OneGoal’s Fellows
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Mays Al-Maliki
University of Houston – Downtown
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Jonathan Jackson
Farmingdale State College
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Celinette Valentin
Lawrence High School
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Trevon Slaughter
North Park University
/ Supported Causes
TWF Social Impact also plays a significant role in supporting the following organizations:
Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation envisions a city where everyone regardless of ZIP code has the opportunity to thrive. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos.
Through the lens of social justice, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation manages and funds programs to invest in equity and sustainability for the communities it serves. The Foundation’s focus is on education, healthcare, homelessness and youth development. To date, more than $40 million has been invested in local community programs and at least five million Los Angeles area youth have been positively impacted through educational and community-based programs. In addition to its core initiatives, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation awards grants to more than 110 organizations on an annual basis.
MetroSquash
MetroSquash combines academic support, enrichment opportunities and the competitive game of squash to empower students to make their mark on society. The program started in 2005 with just ten fifth graders and has now served more than 400 students who take the lessons learned on the court to excel in educational and business endeavors.
