ACCESS Awarded Out of the Blue Grant

June 19, 2008 –  ACCESS has been awarded a $75,000 Out of the Blue grant by the Boston Foundation in recognition of “exceptional leadership” in the Boston nonprofit sector. On a quarterly basis, the Boston Foundation awards an Out of the Blue grant – unsolicited and unrestricted – to a single area nonprofit.

“We are honored and incredibly grateful for the Boston Foundation’s belief in our organization and its investment in our mission of helping every young person in Boston reach and complete higher education,” ACCESS Executive Director Bob Giannino-Racine said.  “Over the last three years, we have worked very hard to grow ACCESS into the kind of organization that is worth of this kind of recognition – and with this support, ACCESS will be able to help even more Boston students’ college dreams come true.

Since its founding in 1985, ACCESS has been an important partner to youth, families, and schools in ensuring that all young people in Boston have the financial information and resources they need to reach college. Over the past three years, ACCESS has tripled the amount of financial aid secured by ACCESS advisees – from $8.3 million to $26 million – and tripled the number of one-to-one advising sessions held with high school seniors.

“What ACCESS has achieved in recent years is nothing short of extraordinary, and the work they do is so important,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “ACCESS puts the idea of college into the minds of Boston students as a necessary and achievable goal, and then provides the critical support to make that goal a reality. I am delighted to be able to recognize this exemplary organization in this way.”

In the past year, ACCESS has seen strong growth and expansion of its programming.  In fall 2007, ACCESS expanded financial aid advising services to three new schools.  Construction is now nearly complete on the ACCESS Advising Center, which will provide support to all Boston students and families who dream of higher education. Additionally, a recent strategy planning session has resulted in a bold new approach to ensuring that every young person in Boston reaches his or her fullest potential by graduating from college, regardless of the family’s financial resources or college experience. 

The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation, with assets of over $964 million.  In 2007, the Foundation and its donors made more than $92 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $155 million.  The Foundation is made up of some 850 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes.  The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, provider of information, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives designed to address the community’s and region’s most pressing challenges.

___________________
ACCESS is Boston’s leading provider of financial aid advising and scholarships. Since 1985, ACCESS has provided financial aid advising to nearly 40,000 Boston students and awarded millions of dollars in scholarships. These services are free of charge and provided to students from every public high school and neighborhood in Boston. By removing financial barriers, providing personal support and advocacy and staying with students throughout their college careers, ACCESS has put tens of thousands of young people on the path to success.