Thurgood Marshall College Fund facts for kids

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is a non-profit organization. It helps and represents almost 300,000 students. These students attend 55 schools that are part of TMCF. These schools include public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), medical schools, and law schools. The organization is named after Thurgood Marshall. He was the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court.

How the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Started

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund began in 1987. Dr. N. Joyce Payne led its creation. Several companies helped start it, like Miller Brewing Company and Sony Music. The NBA and Reebok also supported its beginning. The main goal was to help public HBCUs.

In 2006, the organization changed its name. It went from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. TMCF works to support higher education at public HBCUs. It has grown a lot since it started.

Supporting Students and Schools

TMCF has raised over $500 million so far. This money helps with programs, building up schools, and giving scholarships. These funds go to its member schools and their students. TMCF focuses on its 55 member schools.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is different from the United Negro College Fund. The United Negro College Fund helps students at many more colleges. TMCF is a special type of charity. This means it does not pay taxes on the money it earns.

Big companies have given money to TMCF. Apple gave $50 million in 2015. The Charles Koch Foundation gave $25.6 million in 2017. The Boeing Company also gave $6 million in 2018.

Helping More Students: The OFC Acquisition

In 2013, TMCF joined with another organization. It acquired the Opportunity Funding Corporation (OFC). This means TMCF became the main organization. Both groups had similar goals. They both wanted to help the HBCU community. They especially focused on finding talented students.

OFC continues to help schools teach about starting businesses. It also finds future business leaders. Then, it connects them with people who can invest in their ideas. This helps young entrepreneurs get a good start.

Leaders of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Many important people have led TMCF over the years.

• Harry L. Williams became the president and CEO in 2018.
• Johnny C. Taylor Jr. was the president and CEO from 2010 to 2018.
• Johnny Parham was the first executive director in 1994.
• Dwayne Ashley was president and CEO from 1999 to 2010. He created the Leadership Institute and the Member Schools Conference.

Types of Member Schools

TMCF supports 55 different schools. Here is a breakdown of the types of schools:

• 42 are 4-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
  • 6 of these are HBCU Law Schools.
  • 1 is an HBCU Medical School.
• 3 are 4-year Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs).
• 7 are Historically Black Community Colleges.
• 1 is a technical college.