TheCenterforAdvancingOpportunity
FactSheet
TheThurgoodMarshallCollegeFund(TMCF)ispartneringwiththeCharlesKoch
FoundationandKochIndustriestoestablishtheCenterforAdvancingOpportunity,
whichwillsupportHBCUfacultyandstudentsinterestedinremovingbarriersto
opportunitiesinfragilecommunitiesthrougheducationalprogramsandresearch.
Thepartnershipwillcatalyzeanexchangeofideaswithinandaboutthese
communitiesthatdeliversevidence-based,research-informedsolutionsgroundedin
mutualbenefit.
PartnershipInformation
Donor:CharlesKochFoundationandKochIndustries
TotalGiftAmount:$25.6Million
InitialGiftPeriod:5Years
AbouttheCenter
TheCenterforAdvancingOpportunityexpandseducational,social,andeconomic
opportunitiesinournation’smostfragilecommunitiesthroughoriginalresearch,
educationalprograms,anddirectengagementwithresidents.Bylisteningto
differentcommunityvoicesandsupportingscholarsandstudentspassionateabout
makingapositivedifference,weworktoempowerpeopleeagertoputideasinto
actionanddiscovermutuallybeneficialsolutionstobolsterfragilecommunities
acrossthecountry.
HeadquarteredinWashington,DC,theCenterforAdvancingOpportunityisa
researchandeducationinitiativebornoutofapartnershipwiththeThurgood
MarshallCollegeFund,theCharlesKochFoundation,andKochIndustries.The
CentersupportsstudentsandfacultyatHistoricallyBlackCollegesandUniversities
(HBCUs)aswellasothermajoritycollegesanduniversitiestodevelopresearchbasedsolutionstothemostpressingissuesinfragilecommunities.
CenterComponents
•
OriginalResearch:SupportingfacultyatHBCUsworkingtodevelopresearch
centersstudyingcriticalissues.
o Thesecampusresearchcenterswillhelpbringtogethermultiple
facultymembersinterestedineducation,criminaljustice,and
entrepreneurship.
o Supportforthecampusresearchcenterswillincludefundingfor
researchinitiativesandundergraduatestudentsstudyingthese
topics.
•
Scholarships:AwardingscholarshipstoHBCUstudentspursuingcareersin
education,sociology,economics,andcriminaljusticeresearchandawarding
fellowshipsthatwillallowgraduateresearcherstostudyandresearchissues
relatedtobarrierstoopportunity.
•
On-CampusProgramming:SupportingHBCUfacultyworkingtobring
speakerssuchasentrepreneurs,educators,andeconomiststocampusto
facilitateconversationsforstudentsaboutremovingbarriersandadvancing
opportunity.
•
ResearchandPolling:PartneringwithGalluptocreateanopportunityindex
thatwillcapturerealsentimentsofindividualslivinginfragilecommunities
andfosterpublicdialogue.
•
TheStateofOpportunityinAmericaForum:ConveningannuallyHBCU
researchersandothernationalthoughtleaderstoexamineresearchfindings
anddevelopsolutions.
ThurgoodMarshallCollegeFund
TheThurgoodMarshallCollegeFund(TMCF)isa501(c)(3)tax-exempt,charitable
organizationnamedfortheU.S.SupremeCourt’sfirstAfricanAmericanJustice,
ThurgoodMarshall.TMCFistheonlynationalorganizationthatsupportsall
HistoricallyBlackCollegesandUniversities(HBCUs)withmember-schoolsincluding
the47publicly-supportedHBCUs.Sinceitsinceptionin1987,TMCFhashelped
studentsacquireahigh-qualitycollegeeducationatanaffordablecost,developed
leadersoftomorrow,andconnectedhigh-performingstudentswithtoptier
employmentopportunities.
TMCFmember-schoolsremainavitalsourceofhighereducationforallstudents;
and,approximately80%ofallstudentsenrolledinHBCUsattendTMCFmemberschools.Todate,TMCFhasawardedmorethan$250millioninassistancetoits
studentsandmember-schoolsandwecontinuetodirect98%ofallrevenuedirectly
toHBCUstudentsandschools.
CharlesKochFoundation
Formorethan50years,CharlesG.Kochhassupportedstudentsandscholarswho
arefocusedonimprovingpeople’slives.TheCharlesKochFoundationwascreated
tocontinuethissupportthroughacademicgrantsandeducationalinitiatives.The
Foundationworkstoadvanceanunderstandingofthebenefitsoffreesocietiesby
supportingeducationandresearchthatfacilitatesdialogue,sparksinnovation,and
createsopportunitiesforpeopletothrive.
KochIndustries
BasedinWichita,Kansas,KochIndustries,Inc.isoneofthelargestprivate
companiesinAmericawithestimatedannualrevenuesashighas$100billion,
accordingtoForbes.Itownsadiversegroupofcompaniesinvolvedinrefining,
chemicals,biofuelsandingredients;forestandconsumerproducts;fertilizers;
polymersandfibers;processandpollutioncontrolequipmentandtechnologies;
electroniccomponents;commoditytrading;minerals;energy;ranching;glass;and
investments.Since2003,Kochcompanieshaveinvestedabout$80billionin
acquisitionsandothercapitalexpenditures.Withapresenceinmorethan60
countries,Kochcompaniesemploymorethan100,000peopleworldwide,with
about60,000ofthoseintheUnitedStates.FromJanuary2009topresent,Koch
companieshaveearnedmorethan1,000awardsforsafety,environmental
excellence,communitystewardship,innovation,andcustomerservice.
TheCenterforAdvancingOpportunity
FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Q:Howdidthispartnershipcomeabout?
A:TwoyearsagoTMCF’sPresident&CEO,JohnnyC.Taylor,Jr.,heardMr.Koch
doinganinterviewonTVabouteliminatingbarrierstoopportunityandhesenthim
aletteraboutanewpartnershipidea.48hoursafterreceiptoftheletter,the
CharlesKochFoundationcalledJohnnybacktosetupameeting.Thisrelationship
hasgrownsincethatinitialmeeting.
Q:WhatisthevisionoftheCenterforAdvancingOpportunity?
A:Ourvisionisfocusedonadvancingopportunity.TheCenterbelievesthebestway
todothatincludeslisteningtoindividualsinfragilecommunities,supportingthe
researchersbestpositionedtoexplorecommunities’mostpressingissues,andusing
thosefindingstoinformsolutions.
Q:Whatisafragilecommunity?
A:TMCFdefinesafragilecommunityascommunitieswhereresidents—nomatter
theirraceorethnicity—facesignificantbarrierstoopportunity.Thesecommunities
arecharacterizedbyhighcrime,lackofqualityeducationaloptions,andseverely
limitedeconomicandsocialupwardmobilityopportunities.
Q:WhatisanHBCU?
A:AnHBCUisacongressionallydefinedtermthatmeansHistoricallyBlackCollege
andUniversity.InorderforaschooltobeconsideredanHBCUitmustmeetthree
criteria.Itmustbe:
1. Anaccreditedinstitutionofhigherlearning;
2. Establishedbefore1964;and
3. CreatedwiththeprincipalmissionofeducatingblackAmericans.
HBCUsarehistoricallyblackbutnotexclusivelyblack.HBCUsoffereducational
opportunitytoallstudents,regardlessofrace.Ofthe101HBCUs,53arepublicand
48areprivate.
Q:Whatisthesizeofthegift?
A:It’sa$25.6milliongiftoverafive-yearperiod.
Q:HowlongwilltheCenterforAdvancingOpportunitylast?
A:TheCenterforAdvancingOpportunityisadynamicinitiative.We’reworkingfor
thenextfiveyears,andinthattime,we’lllearn,we’llevolve,andwe’llbebetter
positionedtosupportfacultyandthecommunitiestheyserveintheyearsbeyond.
Q:Howmuchmoneyfromthisgiftgoestoeachuniversityresearchcenter?
A:TheCenterforAdvancingOpportunitywilltailorgrantstouniversityfacultybased
ontheproposedresearchandprograms.
Q:HowmanyHBCUcampusresearchcenterswillbefundedandwherewillthey
be?
A:Thecampusresearchcenterswesupportwillbedeterminedbytheproposalswe
receive.Welookforwardtoreviewinggrantrequestsfrommanyresearchers
workingtoexpandtheirworkinissuessuchaseducation,criminaljustice,and
entrepreneurship.
Q:WhatisthedifferencebetweentheWashington,DCcenterandthecampus
researchcenters?
A:TheheadquartersCenterforAdvancingOpportunity,locatedinWashington,DC,
servesastheadministratorofgrantsandthecoordinatingbodyforallprojects
underthecenter–suchastheannualresearchwithGallupandthestudent
scholarships.Campus-basedcentersarefaculty-drivenandarefocusedontheir
individualresearchpriorities,suchaseducation,criminaljustice,and
entrepreneurship.
Q:HowcanIgetmoreinformationabouttheannualStateofOpportunityin
AmericaForum?
A:Asdetailsarefinalizedduringtheplanningstagesoftheprogram,wewillprovide
additionalinformationabouttheforumonoursite:
http://www.advancingopportunity.org/
Q:Willthefocusbemoreoveralloncriminaljusticereform,educationreformor
entrepreneurship?
A:Ultimately,thefocuswillbedependentonthefindingsoftheindependent
researchconductedateachofthecampusresearchcenters.
Q:DoesCharlesKochhaveahistoryofsupportingHBCUsbeforethisgift?
A:Yes.In2014theCharlesKochFoundationandKochIndustriesInc.provideda
grantforascholarshipprogramtotheUNCF.Additionally,someHBCUcampuses
have—likemanyofthemorethan300otherschoolstheCharlesKochFoundation
hassupported—hostedreadinggroups,helpedfundstudenttravel,andexpanded
othereducationalopportunities.
Q:Whatwouldthepartnershipseeasthebestoutcomefromthisgift?
A:TheCharlesKochFoundation,KochIndustriesandtheThurgoodMarshallCollege
Fundexpecttoempowerfacultytouncovernewdiscoveriesthatcandramatically
expandopportunitiesinfragilecommunities.
Q:Whatarethemajorcomponentsofthecenter?
A:Thecenterisresponsibleforthefollowingitems:
• OriginalResearch:SupportingfacultyatHBCUsworkingtodevelopresearch
centersstudyingcriticalissues.
o Thesecampusresearchcenterswillhelpbringtogethermultiple
facultymembersinterestedineducation,criminaljustice,and
entrepreneurship.
o Supportforthecampusresearchcenterswillincludefundingfor
researchinitiativesandundergraduatestudentsstudyingthese
topics.
• Scholarships:AwardingscholarshipstoHBCUstudentspursuingcareersin
education,sociology,economics,andcriminaljusticeresearchandawarding
fellowshipsthatwillallowgraduateresearcherstostudyandresearchissues
relatedtobarrierstoopportunity.
• On-CampusProgramming:SupportingHBCUfacultyworkingtobring
speakerssuchasentrepreneurs,educatorsandeconomiststocampusto
facilitateconversationsforstudentsaboutremovingbarriersandadvancing
opportunity.
• ResearchandPolling:PartneringwithGalluptocreateanopportunityindex
thatwillcapturerealsentimentsofindividualslivinginfragilecommunities
andfosterpublicdialogue.
• TheStateofOpportunityinAmericaForum:ConveningannuallyHBCU
researchersandothernationalthoughtleaderstoexamineresearchfindings
anddevelopsolutions.