Point Foundation

TO GRANT SCHOLARSHIPS TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) STUDENTS OF MERIT.

SCHOLARSHIP & SCHOLAR SUPPORT: AS OF JUNE 2022, POINT FOUNDATION (POINT) HAS AWARDED OR WILL AWARD 1481 SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $47 MILLION IN OUR LGBTQ SCHOLARS. POINT FOUNDATION CURRENTLY AWARDS FOUR TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS: OUR TRADITIONAL FLAGSHIP SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS PURSUING BACHELOR'S, GRADUATE, OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREES, COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, BIPOC SCHOLARSHIPS (SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR) AND OPPORTUNITY GRANTS. ALL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THE FLAGSHIP, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND BIPOC SCHOLARSHIPS INCLUDE PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS BY PROVIDING A COMMUNITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS AND ALUMNI, A MENTOR OR COACH, AND COMPREHENSIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING. BY ENSURING THESE LGBTQ STUDENTS HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, COMMUNITY, AND GUIDANCE TO SUCCEED IN HIGHER EDUCATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS BUILDING A GENERATION OF LEADERS COMMITTED TO BOTH PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND INCREASING ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING ACROSS SOCIETY.DURING THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR, POINT FOUNDATION SUPPORTED 403 STUDENTS INCLUDING 59 POINT FLAGSHIP SCHOLARS, 58 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, 236 BIPOC SCHOLARS AND 102 OPPORTUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS. AS A CHAMPION FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS PROUD THAT MANY POINT SCHOLARS ARE FROM GROUPS TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. OF THE 403 POINT SCHOLARS: 84% IDENTIFY AS A RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP OTHER THAN WHITE; 24% IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER OR NON-BINARY; AND 55% ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE.RESEARCH FROM THE NATIONAL MENTORING RESEARCH CENTER PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT AFFIRMING MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS PROMOTE POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH. POINT'S COMMITMENT TO OFFERING OUR SCHOLARS ACCESS TO MENTORING AND COACHING STARTS WITH PROVIDING FACILITATED TRAINING ON BEST PRACTICES IN LGBTQ MENTORING AND COACHING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND YEAR-END TRAININGS ABOUT DEEPENING THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP WITH CONTINUING SCHOLARS OR SHIFTING TO AN INFORMAL MENTORING RELATIONSHIP WITH GRADUATING SCHOLARS.ALL 59 FLAGSHIP SCHOLARS WERE MATCHED WITH INDIVIDUAL MENTORS IN RELEVANT ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL FIELDS. IN AGGREGATE, MENTORS AND SCHOLARS MET AN ESTIMATED 700 TIMES. ALL 58 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS WERE MATCHED WITH INDIVIDUAL COACHES TO SUPPORT THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TRANSFER APPLICATIONS (AS APPROPRIATE). IN AGGREGATE, 232 COACHING SESSIONS TOOK PLACE IN 2021-22. THROUGH AN EXCLUSIVE ONLINE PORTAL, POINT PROVIDES ITS BIPOC SCHOLARS AND OPPORTUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS WITH YEAR-ROUND ACCESS TO A GROUP OF LGBTQ PROFESSIONALS AND ALLIES WHO SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS, TIPS FOR SUCCESS, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. BIPOC SCHOLARS ALSO BENEFITTED FROM TWO EXPERT COACHING PANEL DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON THE INTERSECTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQ BIPOC STUDENTS. ONE SESSION OFFERED STRATEGIES FOR NAVIGATING ACADEMIC SPACES AND THE SECOND PROVIDED RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: WHILE POINT CONTINUED TO UTILIZE ZOOM TO PRESENT MOST PROGRAMMING IN 2021-2022, THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO HOST THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN PERSON. 64 FLAGSHIP SCHOLARS JOINED POINT ALUMNI, BOARD MEMBERS, AND STAFF IN LOS ANGELES FOR THE TWO-DAY NLC THEMED "BUILDING COMMUNITY, RISING TOGETHER." FACILITATED SESSIONS INCLUDED GROUP ACTIVITIES CLARIFYING SCHOLARS' INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP VALUES; HOLISTIC SELF-EXPLORATION OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH STRUCTURED REFLECTION ON WELLNESS IN FIVE DIFFERENT DOMAINS; RETHINKING EXPERIENCES OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND GENERATING HEALTHY RESPONSES AND SOLUTIONS; AND A QUEER CAREER ROUNDTABLE SESSION ALLOWING SCHOLARS TO LEARN FIRST-HAND FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF POINT ALUMNI IN THE FIELDS OF LAW AND POLICY, MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS, AND ACADEMIA.ALONG WITH VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON ORIENTATIONS, ONE-ON-ONE STAFF CHECK-IN MEETINGS WITH ALL CURRENT SCHOLARS, OTHER LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING INCLUDED THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONFERENCE WHERE 33 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS CONVENED VIRTUALLY WITH SEASONED EXPERTS THAT SHARED CRITICAL SKILLS TO HELP STUDENTS TRANSFER TO A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY AND NAVIGATE THE JOB MARKET. SESSIONS INCLUDED TRANSFER 101, UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL AID, PERSONAL STATEMENT WRITING, EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING, AND RESUME WRITING 101. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FEATURED A SCHOLAR BOOK CLUB FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING LGBTQ BOOKS; AN ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR IN LOS ANGELES FOR POINT ALUMNI TO RECONNECT WITH EACH OTHER; AND A VIRTUAL "COLLEGE READY" WORKSHOP FOR COLLEGE-BOUND LGBTQ HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR OUR PRIORITY IS SERVING OUR STUDENTS, ENABLING THEM TO FULFILL THEIR ACADEMIC GOALS AND, RECOGNIZING THAT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN LEADERSHIP ROLES IN ALMOST EVERY INDUSTRY, BECOME THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW.

SCHOLAR SELECTIONS:THE FLAGSHIP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPENED NOVEMBER 1, 2021, AND CLOSED JANUARY 24, 2022. WE RECEIVED 1,668 APPLICATIONS. OF THESE, 731 ADVANCED TO THE SEMIFINAL ROUND AND WERE ASKED TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL MATERIALS. 83 SEMIFINALISTS WERE INVITED TO INTERVIEW, AND 54 CANDIDATES ADVANCED TO THE FINAL ROUND. FINALISTS SUBMITTED TWO RECORDED PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THEIR ACADEMIC INTERESTS, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE. ULTIMATELY, 42 CANDIDATES WERE SELECTED AS POINT SCHOLARS (26 UNDERGRADUATE AND 16 GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL). THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPENED MARCH 1, 2022, AND CLOSED MAY 9, 2022. WE RECEIVED 181 APPLICATIONS. OF THESE, 118 ADVANCED TO THE FINAL ROUND. FINALISTS SUBMITTED A RECORDED PRESENTATION OF THEIR PASSIONS AND ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS. ULTIMATELY, 80 CANDIDATES WERE SELECTED AS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARS.WE RUN TWO SELECTION CYCLES PER YEAR FOR THE BIPOC SCHOLARSHIP. THE FIRST CYCLE OPENED OCTOBER 1, 2021, AND CLOSED NOVEMBER 10, 2021. WE RECEIVED 332 APPLICATIONS. OF THESE, 96 ADVANCED TO THE FINAL ROUND. FINALISTS SUBMITTED A RECORDED PRESENTATION OF THEIR PASSIONS AND ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS. ULTIMATELY, 81 CANDIDATES WERE SELECTED AS BIPOC SCHOLARS.THE SECOND CYCLE OPENED APRIL 1, 2022, AND CLOSED MAY 11, 2022. WE RECEIVED 500 APPLICATIONS. BASED ON EVALUATION OF PAST CYCLES, WE DECIDED TO PILOT A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE PROCESS, INCORPORATING A BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY INTO THE APPLICATION AND ELIMINATING THE FINALIST PRESENTATION. RECIPIENTS WERE SELECTED BASED ON APPLICATION RATINGS. ULTIMATELY, 106 CANDIDATES WERE SELECTED AS BIPOC SCHOLARS.OPPORTUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS DO NOT APPLY; INSTEAD, WE SELECT HIGHLY RATED FLAGSHIP AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE APPLICANTS THAT ADVANCED TO THE SEMIFINALIST AND FINALIST ROUNDS BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ONE OF THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS. WE AWARDED 118 OPPORTUNITY GRANTS IN TOTAL: 38 FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE APPLICANT POOL AND 80 FROM THE FLAGSHIP POOL.