Apollo Opportunity Foundation commits $1.5 million to Student Leadership Network

Student Leadership Network will receive a $1.5 million grant from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation over the next two years to expand college access, career awareness and workforce pathways for students nationwide. The funding builds on a three-year partnership and comes as the nonprofit looks to broaden programs reaching more than 100,000 students over three decades.

Why it matters: - The $1.5 million, two-year commitment gives Student Leadership Network more room to expand programs that connect students to higher education and employment pathways. - The funding supports career-connected learning, which can shape college access, internships and early workforce exposure for high school and college students. - Multi-year support helps nonprofits plan longer-term, maintain program quality and scale services without losing momentum.

What happened: - Student Leadership Network announced a $1.5 million commitment from the Apollo Opportunity Foundation over the next two years. - The grant will help Student Leadership Network expand the breadth and depth of its programs nationwide. - Apollo Opportunity Foundation launched in 2022 with a $100 million commitment from Apollo Global Management. - The foundation focuses on career education, workforce development and economic empowerment.

The details: - Student Leadership Network has reached more than 100,000 students nationwide over the past three decades. - Yolonda Marshall, CEO of Student Leadership Network, said the AOF partnership adds board service, volunteering, office visits and financial literacy exposure for students. - Marshall also said the partnership gives Student Leadership Network more access to best practices, strategy support and capacity-building across the AOF portfolio and Apollo ecosystem. - Lauren Coape-Arnold, executive director of AOF and global head of citizenship at Apollo, said the partnership has grown over the last three years through events, volunteerism and special projects. - Stephanie Drescher, partner and chief client and product development officer at Apollo and a longtime Student Leadership Network board member, said more than 100 Apollo colleagues volunteered with the nonprofit last school year. - Student Leadership Network’s partnership with AOF is led in part by Apollo employees on the “Deal Team,” who plan student engagement activities and advise on organizational strategy. - The Deal Team created annual signature events including Women in Finance Mentorship Day and Student Leadership at the Workplace. - This year, Student Leadership Network and Apollo launched an initiative to connect college-age alumni from Student Leadership Network schools and programs to Apollo’s talent pipeline. - Tatiana Economopoulos, an Apollo associate and Deal Team member, led the inaugural Internship Sneak Peek for students. - Economopoulos said the event was designed to make the internship process feel less intimidating and to widen access to a pipeline of talent. - Student Leadership Network’s Young Women’s Leadership model is now in 25 schools nationwide. - Student Leadership Network’s CollegeBound Initiative is now in 42 schools nationwide.

Between the lines: - The grant deepens a partnership built around employee engagement, not just check-writing. - Apollo’s employee-driven model gives the nonprofit access to volunteers, mentoring and corporate expertise that can supplement funding. - The focus on internships and career awareness suggests both organizations are trying to move students from college access into concrete job pathways.

What's next: - Student Leadership Network will use the grant to grow key initiatives, including career awareness programming. - The nonprofit plans to continue expanding career-connected learning for high school and college students. - Student Leadership Network said it expects the partnership to support continued impact in the years ahead. - For corporate partnership inquiries, Student Leadership Network listed Matthew Chacko at mchacko@studentleadershipnetwork.org.

The bottom line: - Apollo Opportunity Foundation is extending a years-long partnership into a larger, two-year bet on Student Leadership Network’s ability to move more students into college and careers.