CEON Foundation Scholarships + Mentors

200+ RCA alumni are in college right now.

Your gift reaches one of them.

CEON Foundation funds Ron Clark Academy alumni now in college with both a $3,500 to $5,000 scholarship and a senior executive mentor. Most have tuition covered, yet they end up working two jobs to pay for what is not covered.

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Meet the recipients →

90%+ direct to scholarships · 501(c)(3) tax-deductible

10

Scholarships awarded to date

$3,500–$5,000

Per scholarship, paid monthly Jan–May

90%+

of every donation goes to scholarship RECIPIENTS

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Why Ron Clark Trusts This Program With RCA Graduates

“The problem is sometimes our students need help crossing that finishing line, finishing college, taking care of the basic needs that they need in order to get that degree, to go into society and then be able to uplift their communities. We’re so grateful to you for helping us to help our students be who they need to be, to get what they need to get, and to get that degree so they can go into our communities and be outstanding.”

Ron Clark, Founder, Ron Clark Academy

HOW CEON SCHOLARSHIPS WORK

Not like any other scholarship. Every recipient gets a senior executive in their corner.

Traditional scholarships hand the institution a check and wish them well. CEON Foundation pairs every scholarship with a senior executive mentor for the full year. Feedback says the mentor is as valuable as the money and makes an incredible difference.

Dozens+

THE BOTTLENECK ISN’T MENTORS. IT’S FUNDING.

Dozens of senior executives at CEO Netweavers are already signed up to mentor an RCA alumnus.

Each scholarship you fund pulls the next executive off the bench and into a one-to-one relationship that runs for a full year. No scholarship, no pairing.

PART ONE

Financial Support

$3,500 to $5,000 per scholarship, paid in five equal monthly installments beginning January. The award is engineered to close the gaps traditional aid won’t touch:

— Textbooks and course materials
— Transportation to and from campus
— Food, beyond what a partial meal plan covers
— The winter coat in a new city, the spring break flight home

Awarded to RCA alumni attending nationally ranked universities or HBCUs. These are the in-between expenses that quietly make recipients drop classes or pick up extra jobs.

PART TWO

Executive Mentor

A senior executive matched 1:1 with each recipient for the full scholarship year. Mentors come from CEON’s Board and the CEO Netweavers community. They volunteer for the role and stay through the year.

— Monthly one-to-one meetings
— Career navigation and industry introductions
— Personal finance and decision-making guidance
— Steady accountability, without judgment

They show up because they chose to. That choice is the thing that compounds across the recipient’s four years and well beyond.

WHY MENTORSHIP COMPOUNDS

RCA built the foundation. Your gift

gives them the

margin

and the

mentor.

Ron Clark Academy alumni arrive at college with a foundation almost no one else has. Discipline, voice, drive, a sense of who they are. Then two gaps appear that no academic preparation can close on its own.

GAP 1

The in-between costs. Scholarship covers tuition and maybe room and board. They do not cover the textbook that costs more than rent, the bus pass, the groceries when the meal plan runs out, the flight home for the break. These are the small numbers that end college careers.

GAP 2

The navigation gap. Many recipients are the first in their family to attend a university like the one they're in. A scholarship cannot answer “should I take this internship” or “how do I read this offer letter.” A senior executive who has already walked the path can.

The scholarship gives them the margin to focus on school instead of survival. The mentor opens the doors and the conversations a check cannot buy. Together they amplify what RCA started into the kind of trajectory that changes a family for generations.

““

Thank you, Bruce. You made a difference for me when I didn’t know what came next.

Mariah Cooper · to her mentor Bruce Neurohr · 2022 Partnership Celebration

CEON Foundation

×

Ron Clark Academy

THE RON CLARK ACADEMY PIPELINE

Recipients are pre-qualified high performers.

200+ RCA alumni are in college right now. Most arrive with tuition aid in place. What aid does not reach is what stops them: textbooks, food, transportation, the winter coat. CEON Foundation closes that gap. Your gift goes directly to the student.

100%

High school graduation rate

95%

RCA alumni attending college or serving in the U.S. military

407

RCA alumni since 2010, plus 173 students enrolled today

Real Students. Real Colleges.

RCA alumni attend colleges like these.

Harvard · Spelman · Columbia · Howard · Duke · Morehouse

Yale · Georgia Tech · Princeton · NYU

Penn (Wharton) · Rice · Georgetown · Hampton

The George Washington University · Penn State · Florida A&M · North Carolina A&T

Arizona State · LSU · Alabama A&M · Washington University

Where Your Gift Goes

Pick the impact you want to make.

Every CEON scholarship is $3,500 to $5,000 and comes with a senior executive mentor for the full year. Your gift funds the recipient, and the relationship that compounds it.

$500

In-Between Expenses

One semester of books, travel, and food for a recipient. The CEO Netweavers community minimum.

$3,500

Full Scholarship + Mentor

Funds one RCA graduate for a year, with an assigned executive mentor. Default selection.

Most Chosen

$5,000

Top-Tier Scholarship

A full-year top-tier scholarship plus mentor, with room for major-expense coverage.

$25,000

Supports 5 Students

Provides support for five top-tier scholarships plus unlocks five senior executives waiting to mentor those recipients.

90%+

Of every donation goes directly to scholarships.

The Foundation operates lean by design. Our leadership are all volunteers and we use technology extensively for cost efficiency.

Other Ways to Give

Giving flexibility to maximize your impact.

Donor-Advised Fund

Recommend a grant from your DAF to CEON Foundation. Sponsor details in the FAQ below.

Wire Transfer

Email donate@ceonfoundation.org for wire transfer instructions and CEON's bank routing details.

Recurring Monthly

Monthly giving sustains the scholarship program between funding cycles. Select “Give monthly” on the donation form above.

IRA Qualified Distribution

If you're 70½ or older, an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution can be tax-efficient. Email us for details.

Common Questions

What donors usually want to know.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes. CEON Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You will receive an IRS-compliant receipt via email immediately after your gift.

Who chooses the scholarship recipients?

The CEON Foundation Board reviews applications with input from Ron Clark Academy staff, who know the students best. Each applicant submits an extensive written application along with a video application describing their goals, current college experience, and how the scholarship will close specific gaps in their funding.

Where does my money actually go?

Directly to scholarship recipients. CEON Foundation pays $3,500 to $5,000 per scholarship in five monthly installments beginning January, deposited to the student to cover books, food, transportation, and other in-between expenses. The school never receives a check from your gift.

Can I give from a donor-advised fund?

Yes. CEON Foundation accepts grants from donor-advised funds at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and other sponsors. Recommend a grant to CEON Foundation, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our EIN appears in the footer. Email donate@ceonfoundation.org with any questions or for wire details for your DAF sponsor.

What if you raise more than this campaign needs?

It funds more recipients. There is no cap on the runway. 200+ RCA alumni are in college right now, and additional funds let us award scholarships to more of them, each paired with a senior executive mentor.