OneGoal – Massachusetts recognized by New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund
Inaugural grantees receive funding to further the New Commonwealth Fund’s mission of eliminating systemic racism and racial inequity in Massachusetts.
BOSTON, August 5, 2021 – OneGoal – Massachusetts, an organization dedicated to closing the degree divide in the Commonwealth, has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF).
OneGoal – Massachusetts is one of 40 organizations to receive a grant in this inaugural round of funding, which totalled $2 million. In November 2020, NCF gave $1 million in grants to 20 organizations as a pilot funding round.
“We are honored to join this powerful community of leaders,” said Amanda Hillman Seider, Executive Director of OneGoal – Massachusetts. “The New Commonwealth Fund is catalyzing an important force for change in Massachusetts. In addition, their generous financial support will allow us to continue our important work on postsecondary equity across the state. We are proud to be a part of this critical movement for racial and social justice.”
A postsecondary credential is necessary for a life of opportunity, choice, and economic mobility. According to the US Census Bureau, individuals with a four-year degree earn 84% more annually than those with a high school diploma. However, Massachusetts students do not have equitable access to postsecondary education. A 2020 Brown University study reported that only 18% of low-income students in Massachusetts who begin college complete their degrees, and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reports that Black and Hispanic students have half the rate of access to earning a degree as white students. The New Commonwealth Fund’s support is helping OneGoal in its mission to end this disparity by closing the degree divide.
About The New Commonwealth Fund
The New Commonwealth Fund is a coalition of Black and Brown executives in Massachusetts who came together amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd by police and other horrific racially charged incidents in this country. They identify and support community groups and coalitions fighting systemic racism and racial inequity and raise funds, as well as technical assistance and other support, from individuals and corporations who are invested in this critical mission. You can learn more about NCF here, and see its founding group here.
About OneGoal
OneGoal is a leading college access and success organization that works to close the degree divide and create a more equitable future for students. We partner with schools in low-income communities across the country to ensure postsecondary planning, preparation, and support are no longer extracurricular luxuries but integral components of the high school experience. OneGoal is a three-year program that starts as a class in students’ junior and senior years of high school and continues during the critical transitional period through their first year of college or other postsecondary path. 86% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution and 76% of those who enroll persist one year after high school.
OneGoal launched in Massachusetts in 2015, and currently serves approximately 900 students in 15 high schools in Attleboro, Boston, Fall River, Fitchburg, Lawrence, Lynn, Milford, New Bedford, Revere, Southbridge, and Webster. OneGoal – Massachusetts also works with 12 postsecondary institutions to ensure that students are supported through the transition to their postsecondary pathways, with the skills, mindsets, and network of support needed to persist through graduation. You can learn more about OneGoal – Massachusetts here.
For More Information
Cori Mykoff, OneGoal – Massachusetts, cori.mykoff@onegoalgraduation.org, (617) 319-3454