OUR HISTORY

2007-2008

OneGoal starts as an afterschool program called Urban Students Empowered (US Empowered) in Dunbar High School in Chicago.
The office is “headquarted” at a Caribou Coffee in downtown Chicago.
Over the next five years the team works to hone our model and evolve from an afterschool program to the in-school, three-year model that we have today.

FELLOWS: 32

2008-2009

US Empowered partners with Northwestern University’s Chicago Field Studies program to recruit extra manpower/interns to augment our growing movement.
US Empowered hosts our first Graduation Gala at the University Club of Chicago.

Fellows: 93

2009-2010

US Empowered pilots our in-school program model, moving from our original after-school approach in order to serve more students and schools.

Fellows: 214

2010-2011

In August, NBA superstar Dwyane Wade and four of President Obama’s closest friends and basketball buddies, play ball at the East Bank Club with US Empowered supporters and students.
Marty Nesbitt addresses the incoming college graduating Class of 2016 at an annual Launch Conference a UIC.

Fellows: 511

2011-2012

A Better Chicago becomes the first venture philanthropy firm to invest in US Empowered’s Chicago-focused work, and US Empowered joins its grantee portfolio as one of the firm’s first three investments.
The office moves to 215 W. Superior, allowing for expansion.

Fellows: 1,407

2012-2013

Urban Students Empowered becomes OneGoal.
OneGoal expands to Houston.
How Children Succeed written by critically acclaimed NY Times author Paul Tough hits the stands, featuring OneGoal as an example of an intervention that successfully helps students build non-cognitive skills.
OneGoal is featured in national media, including Education Week, Forbes, NPR, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
The first OneGoal baby is born (Emma Rose Nelson).

FELLOWS: 1,983

2013-2014

OneGoal begins work on building an organization that seeks and embraces diversity and fosters an environment of inclusion and cultural competency.
The Michael + Susan Dell Foundation becomes the first national foundation to invests in OneGoal via a multi-year gift.
OneGoal expands to New York.

FELLOWS: 3,001

2014-2015

OneGoal expands to Massachusetts
University of Chicago Evaluation on OneGoal is published
President Obama shares the story of OneGoal Fellow, Caleb, and recognizes the impact and potential of OneGoal in his speech on College Opportunity

FELLOWS: 3,954

2015-2016

Fellows are invited to the White House to attend the inaugural Beating the Odds Summit.
Jeff Nelson shares the story of OneGoal with international leaders in education at the Teach For All Summit.
OneGoal honors former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at our Graduation Gala as our John J. Dugan Award recipient.
First alumnus joins OneGoal’s staff on the Chicago Post-Secondary Team.
OneGoal expands to Metro-Atlanta.

FELLOWS: MORE THAN 6,582

2016 - 2017

OneGoal reaches the end of Phase II, successfully completing its 2017 plan $15M campaign with more than 11 funders committing to multi-year support.
OneGoal staff reaches 100, with 60% of staff members identifying as people of color.
OneGoal works in five regions and selects the Bay Area as our sixth expansion region.
OneGoal completes planning for Phase III and launches our next growth phase to dramatically increase our impact and reach.

FELLOWS: 9,327

Today

OneGoal marks 10 years serving students.
OneGoal kicks-off Phase III to transform our model to be proportional to the depth and complexity of the problem and invest in new delivery systems to enable us to reach exponential number of students.
OneGoal staff reaches nearly 130, with 61% of staff members identifying as people of color.
FELLOWS: nearly 12,000

SMART AND

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

Our work is critical. Our results are tangible. OneGoal’s first two phases were focused on building a best-in-class model and honing our delivery system to grow our reach and increase our impact. Yet, our nation is still not on pace to close the degree divide within our lifetime. And so we begin Phase III focused on innovation and acceleration. LEARN MORE

BUILD THE STARTUP
+ DESIGN THE MODEL

1,400

FELLOWS
[2007 – 2011]

PHASE I
DESIGN

DEMONSTRATE IMPACT,
GROW THE OPERATION
+ EXPAND NATIONALLY

9,300

FELLOWS
[2012-2017]

PHASE II
REPLICATE

BUILD DISRUPTIVE, ENDURING SOLUTIONS + ACCELERATE IMPACT

25,000

FELLOWS
[2018 – 2022]

LEARN MORE

PHASE III
TRANSFORM

REGIONAL

EXPANSION

Since 2012, OneGoal has added a new region each year. Today, we operate in Chicago, Houston, Massachusetts, Metro Atlanta, and New York. We have selected the Bay Area as our sixth region and are laying the foundations in order to begin serving students there in the 2018/19 school year.

What We Look For In Our Regions

THE NEED
What do local college enrollment and persistence numbers look like for students from low-income communities?

COLLEGE ACCESS & SUCCESS MOMENTUM
What current college access and success efforts are in place and what role might OneGoal play in the local landscape?

HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE
Are there a variety of colleges/universities that would be matches for our Fellows based on selectivity, graduation rates, and financial aid?

SCHOOL AND DISTRICT SUPPORT
Do schools share our vision and seek collaboration with a college access and success partner?

FUNDING
Can we secure support from a diverse funding community?

To learn more about what we look for in our regions, or to inquire about bringing OneGoal to your region, please email newsite@onegoalgraduation.org.

“We didn't start this because we want to make 'an impact.' We started OneGoal to solve the problem.”

Jeff Nelson