Special Recognition Award
Funding Amount
Not stated
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Other requirements
- Must be member institution of the ATD Network
- Must demonstrate substantive improvements in student outcomes
- Must show evidence of narrowing equity gaps
Overview
Award Type: Recognition award (not a direct grant)
Overview:
Achieving the Dream awards Special Recognition Awards to community colleges reaching new levels of student success with substantive gains in outcomes and narrowing of equity gaps.
Recognition Criteria:
- Substantive improvements in student outcomes
- Continued increases in overall credits completed
- Improvements in fall-to-fall persistence
- Improvements in four-year completion rates
- Narrowing equity gaps for:
- Latinx students
- Students receiving Pell Grants
- Student parents
- Women students
- First-generation students
- Part-time students
- Low-income students
Eligibility:
- Must be member institution of the ATD Network
- Must demonstrate substantive improvements in student outcomes
- Must show evidence of narrowing equity gaps
Recent Recipients:
- 2022: North Central State College (OH) and Grayson College (TX)
What Achieving the Dream Inc actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 12
- Total given
- $363K
- Median grant
- $25K
- Range
- $7,500–$120K
- By dollars: Texas 57%, North Carolina 7%, Washington 7%. Top recipient cities: Austin, TX; Mesquite, TX; Winston-Salem, NC.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 50% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Austin Community College District · Austin, TX
Implementation grants
$120K
Dallas College Eastfield Campus · Mesquite, TX
Implementation grants
$30K
Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston Salem, NC
Implementation grants
$25K
Everett Community College · Everett, WA
Implementation grants
$25K
North Central State College · Mansfield, OH
Implementation grants
$25K
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Prioritizing Adult Community College Enrollment (PACCE) Initiative
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Harvey Lincoln Scholarship Fund
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Leah Meyer Austin Award
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