Ann Mullin | Executive Vice President; Program Director, Public Education

The George Gund Foundation is one of the founding partners of Say Yes Cleveland, supporting both scholarships and school support services. Recently, Say Yes issued a report: Six Years of Progress. A Lifetime of Impact, a comprehensive review of the scholarship program and the impact Say Yes has had on more than 4,600 scholars who have benefitted from scholarships, mentorship, and on-campus coaching since its 2019 launch.

Say Yes! Cleveland Six Years of Progress. A Lifetime of Impact.

Say Yes guarantees every eligible Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and partnering charter school graduate a tuition scholarship to attend a four- or two-year college or university or accredited training program. Over $108 million has been raised for the scholarship fund thus far, which is invested in such a way as to provide tuition scholarships over the next 25 years—affecting two generations of Clevelanders.

The report articulates how the scholarship program has evolved to better understand and meet the needs of scholars to help them get to graduation, including policy changes and additional funding support. These investments have proven pivotal, as evidenced by several encouraging takeaways for the first graduating classes:

Enrollment: Postsecondary enrollment among CMSD graduates initially rose by 7 percentage points from the 2018 baseline—the largest first-year gain in the Say Yes network. Despite Covid-19’s negative effect in the years following, overall postsecondary enrollment is now 4 points above baseline. Students are also choosing four-year colleges at higher rates: 69 percent of enrolled students from the class of 2024 chose a four-year program, up 7 points from baseline.

Persistence: Overall, 64 percent of Say Yes scholars returned for a second year of postsecondary studies: 1 point above baseline. Persistence rates at four-year institutions have increased by 6 points since the launch of Say Yes, from 70 percent to 76 percent in 2023. In some cases, Say Yes students are now persisting at higher rates than a college’s overall student body.

Completion: Since 2019, 713 Say Yes scholars have graduated, earning 1,077 degrees and certificates—many with multiple credentials. On-time completion for the first Say Yes class of 2019 held steady at the 30 percent baseline (38 percent at four-year institutions). Among graduates from that same class, 71 percent earned a bachelor’s degree, up from 68 percent in 2018.

The Foundation is proud to help open the door for thousands of CMSD students to pursue postsecondary studies each year and increase college completion among our graduates.

At its November meeting, The George Gund Foundation Board of Trustees voted to approve a slate of 135 grants, with a commitment totaling $16,900,308.

• Cleveland Public Theatre Inc.: Operating support and community ensembles. | $250,000 over 2 years | Creative Culture and Arts
• College Now Greater Cleveland Inc.: Say Yes Cleveland Scholarship postsecondary coaching support. | $810,000 over 3 years | Public Education
• Institute for Conservation Leadership: Operating support. | $525,000 over 3 years | Climate and Environmental Justice
• The Marshall Project Inc.: Local newsroom in Cleveland. | $750,000 over 3 years | Thriving Families and Social Justice
• Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland: Operating support. | $100,000 | Creative Culture and Arts
• NuPoint Community Development Corporation: Operating support. | $500,000 over 2 years | Economic Justice and Community Power
• Presidents’ Council Foundation Inc.: Operating support. | $350,000 over 2 years | Economic Justice and Community Power
• Rails to Trails Conservancy: Operating support. | $300,000 over 2 years | Climate and Environmental Justice
• Say Yes Cleveland Operations: Administrative support. | $500,000 over 2 years | Public Education