Give Something Back Foundation

The Give Something Back Foundation (GSBF) is an American non-profit whose mission is to provide mentors and scholarships that help Pell Grant-eligible students go to college and graduate in four years debt free.

History

GSBF was established by Bob Carr, a former resident of Lockport, IL. When Bob was accepted as a student at the University of Illinois, he received a $250 scholarship from the Lockport Woman’s Club. The money helped offset some of the costs of college and motivated Bob. He vowed that when he was able, he would give back to the club. Forty years later—on the organization’s 100th anniversary—he presented a check for $100,000 to be used for scholarships. Five students each received $5,000 a year for four years. He continued this program for five years, helping 25 students earn a college education.

Funding the scholars through the Lockport Woman’s Club proved to Bob that students with drive can succeed in college with the help of existing financial assistance programs.

Fuelled by the ever-growing student debt problem and studies that suggest family wealth is the greatest predictor of a child’s likelihood of graduating from college, Bob founded the Give Something Back Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

Approach and success

GSBF is different from other educational philanthropies that write checks in support of education. GSBF works with high school administrators and teachers to identify 9th-grade students who are a good fit for the program—students that possess academic potential and come from families that lack the means to afford college.

GSBF scholars must complete their college degree in four years and 95 percent of our students have done so, compared with a national average of well under 50 percent.

Scope

As of July 1, 2015, the foundation operated in Illinois, New Jersey and Delaware. Initially, it was funded entirely by Bob Carr, but recently it has begun fundraising efforts to support and extend the program. So far, the foundation has an affiliation with the following colleges and universities:

Illinois

• Blackburn College, Carlinville
• Lewis University, Romeoville
• University of St. Francis, Joliet
• Northern Illinois University, DeKalb

New Jersey

• New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark
• The College of New Jersey, Ewing
• Montclair State University, Montclair
• Rowan University, Glassboro
• Saint Peter's University, Jersey City

Delaware

• University of Delaware, Newark

Sources

• "Lockport Woman's Club". lockportwomansclub.org.
• "Indicators of Higher Education Inequity in the United States" (PDF). The Pell Institute. 2015.
• "Federal Pell Grants". ed.gov.
• Lewindec, Tamar (December 1, 2014). "Most College Students Don't Earn a Degree in 4 Years, Study Finds".