News

News

NEWS

A NOTE FROM OUR CEO

Last month, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced her latest philanthropic investments in organizations “supporting the voices and opportunities of people from underserved communities.” We are enormously grateful to have received a $7 million gift. It is the largest single gift in our organization’s history, and we are sincerely thankful to Ms. Scott for her belief in our hard-working Scholars and their extraordinary achievements. 

This gift is not only a huge win for our students; it is a powerful validation of our impact on their lives. We are one of a very few organizations in the country exclusively dedicated to championing community college students. In fact, new research from the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab makes clear that what we do works. Scholars who apply to OMD before enrolling in college are 70% more likely to enroll in community college, 94% more likely to persist from fall to spring semester, and 73% more likely to earn a degree than those who did not participate in our program. We know that when given access to holistic wraparound supports like the ones that OMD offers, our students will succeed in education and be well prepared for their careers.

The timing of this gift could not be more fortuitous. We have recently launched a bold plan to grow the number of students we serve and deepen our impact. Ms. Scott’s gifts are unrestricted, meaning we are being trusted to be good stewards of these resources. We appreciate this trust and want to lead with transparency on how we plan to utilize the funds aligned to our plan: 

  • We will be investing $1M into our transformational partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago that we announced last month. This partnership will see all new and re-enrolling degree-seeking students automatically accepted into the OMD program, allowing us to reach 3,000 students annually within four years – up from nearly 900 students today. The City Colleges of Chicago were our very first partners, and their support for the OMD program has been instrumental to our success. We look forward to expanding this partnership.
  • Our scholars and alums tell us that OMD support is not only critical to their success during their community college journey, but also in preparing them for life in the workforce after they’ve earned their degree. We will be utilizing funds from the Scott gift to enhance our program and ensure our Scholars understand how their community college journey fits into their long-term goals, are prepared with the capabilities needed to thrive in their careers, and are exposed to career opportunities as they pursue their education.
  • Partners across the country have taken note of OMD’s work. Our experience and evidence of impact in Chicagoland can be a game changer in driving educational success and economic mobility for community college students across the country. We will invest some of the Scott funds to build a national initiative where we will provide thought leadership and capacity building to organizations serving community college students across the country. 
  • Prior to this transformative gift, though we increased our budget annually, we were still structured like the “little engine that could” –  operating year-to-year financially. We know we are not alone in having had to operate this way as a non-profit. With this gift, we can now ensure we have the flexible working capital we need to not only sustain our operations, but to be responsive to emergent and long-term needs in order to thrive. We will apply some of the Scott grant to our capacity building so we can hire and retain talent and build internal structures to enable excellence in our operations.

Beginning in 2006, our founders were relentless in their focus on ensuring that community college students had access to a community of support. The continued investment of partners like you who believe in our scholars and have stepped up to support them is incredibly humbling. OMD scholar Tomika Bernstein recently shared that “OMD is an amazing organization to have in your corner. I just know I wouldn’t be where I am without them.” Tomika is one of hundreds of scholars who share sentiments like this. Thank you for being in OMD’s corner.

July 15, 2022

One Million Degrees announced as beneficiary of Invest For Kids Conference

OMD has been announced as a beneficiary of Invest for Kids. Invest For Kids is dedicated to supporting highly effective not-for profit organizations that serve Chicago area youth from disadvantaged communities which aligns with OMD’s work within higher education. Their annual investment conference will host industry professionals and allow them to share their best investment ideas. 100% of the proceeds from the conference are donated to the eight non-profits, including OMD, who support Chicago’s young people. Proceeds from this averages $200,000!

OMD was able to share its mission at the conference on November 1. Click here to learn more about Invest For Kids and their work in supporting Chicago’s youth.

July 15, 2022

HOW MENTORING CAN BRIDGE OUR WEALTH AND OPPORTUNITY GAP: OMD OP-ED

It starts with a connection. As a first-generation college student at Kennedy-King, Wanda joined the OMD program for support achieving her goals. She paired with OMD Coach, Don Darling, who not only became a mentor, but became an advocate and friend. Read how mentorship in higher education can increase opportunities for community college students in our CEO’s Crain’s Op-Ed here.

August 17, 2022

ONE MILLION DEGREES RECEIVES $100,000 DONATION FROM MOLSON COORS

As part of their Project Justice Initiative, Molson Coors Beverage Company has dedicated $100,000 to OMD and its mission. Thank you MolsonCoors for supporting our work to accelerate Chicago’s community college students on career pathways to economic mobility. Watch the Fox 32 segment featuring our CEO Aneesh Sohoni and see how Molson Coors plans to serve other Chicago-based nonprofits through their initiative here.

July 15, 2022

ONE MILLION DEGREES PROVIDES BROAD SUPPORT TO HELP LOW-INCOME YOUNG PEOPLE GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE, ACHIEVE PROFESSIONAL DREAMS

CBS 2’s Suzanne Le Mingot spoke with OMD Alumi, LaCrese Smith and Lura Buckley as they shared their OMD journeys. OMD’s CEO, Aneesh Sohoni, highlights how our program looks to build a community of support for scholars and alumni. Read how LaCrese and Lura grew with having wrapround support systems and see what their future plans hold for them. Read their story here or watch here.

March 17, 2022

ONE MILLION DEGREES NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLORADO OFFICE

Today, OMD named Melanie D’Evelyn as its Colorado executive director. As part of her responsibilities, Melanie will lead OMD’s partnership with the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) to implement the Adams county Finish What You Started program for low-income Colorado adults, aged 25+, to to obtain college credentials or degrees. Read more here.

January 25, 2022

OMD FEATURED ON CHICAGO TONIGHT BY WTTW TO DISCUSS STUDENT ENROLLMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC

With fewer Americans enrolling in college since the start of the pandemic, how can education support re-enrollment? OMD’s CEO, Aneesh Sohoni tells WTTW that it’s “vital during the pandemic to provide wraparound ecosystems to students to help them succeed.” 

Watch WTTW’s Chicago Tonight speak about enrollment within higher ed here.