SEO Selected as Recipient of NBA Foundation Grant

To our SEO Family,

We’re pleased to share some exciting news with you today about the growth of SEO, and in particular, our SEO Scholars program.

We’re happy to report that the SEO Scholars “Opportunity x 2” initiative has been a major success. For those of you who may not know, SEO, with the support of our Board Chairman, Henry Kravis, launched this initiative in 2014 with the goal of doubling the number of students we support through SEO Scholars. Our mission was to increase the SEO Scholars class size from approximately 125 students to more than 250 students. 2021 is the first year that each SEO Scholars class, in NYC high school and college, has a full Opportunity x 2 class.

Through SEO Scholars, we have continued to close the opportunity gap for motivated young people. Over the past seven years, we have succeeded in doubling that impact.

This milestone comes at a time when we are also looking to expand SEO Scholars nationally – something we weren’t sure could be done prior to 2020, given our programming was almost fully based on an in-person model.

The impact of the SEO Scholars program has garnered attention outside of the organization as well. Recently, the NBA Foundation announced that SEO Scholars is a recipient of a one-year grant. Our Scholars program perfectly aligns with the NBA Foundation, whose mission is focused on creating greater economic opportunity and career advancement in the Black community to help close the racial wealth gap.

The NBA Foundation was formed in 2020 to support national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, professional coaching, and pipeline development to foster employment and career advancement for Black youth. SEO is one of 22 recipients selected to receive funding on the first anniversary of the foundation.

Through this partnership, SEO and the NBA Foundation can invest in more individuals and communities that have been historically marginalized. We’re honored to be part of the NBA Foundation’s first year, and together, we will continue to create a more equitable society.