Three Big Milestones for COOP

I wanted to be the first to share an exciting article about COOP published by Bloomberg this morning. The article coincides with three major milestones — milestones we could only reach together.

This year marks our tenth anniversary. Over the last decade, COOP has developed a unique method to help first-gen grads secure their first good job, powered by peer cohorts and alumni captains. Our method reflects the powerful role of relationships in the labor market and the three qualities every job seeker needs: head, heart, and hustle.
In February, COOP welcomed more than one thousand first-gen and low-income grads into the flagship program, our biggest semester yet. (I vividly remember starting with just a dozen of you back in 2014!) We’ll finish our anniversary year with over seven thousand alumni in New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
On the very same day in February, COOP officially received a $12 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, one of the great philanthropists of our time. We are floored by this incredible act of generosity and so grateful for Ms. Scott’s singular vote of confidence. (Learn more about her giving pledge and the inspiring group of nonprofits we now join.)

So what does this all mean for COOP?

Screenshot of Bloomberg article highlighting COOP's 10-year anniversary, featuring milestones such as a $12M gift from MacKenzie Scott and significant expansion plans.

Ms. Scott’s contribution is equal to COOP’s annual budget, immediately strengthening our financial foundation and giving us room to innovate and invest in the years ahead. (Imagine a winning lottery ticket worth one year of salary: that’s how this feels for our organization.)

Fortunately, this opportunity strikes at just the right moment. COOP has spent the last year planning for the next decade of our journey — a plan we can now pursue with more confidence and momentum. In the years ahead, COOP will invest in infrastructure (including a brand-new learning platform), innovation (with new roles focused on design and evaluation), and integration (with long-time college partners).

Through all this change, COOP will continue to center the three elements that have always made us special: cohorts, captains, and a focus on full-time jobs. Every year, roughly half a million first-gen and low-income grads become trapped in long-term underemployment. We have a solution — now we have the chance to make it scale.

And we have this chance because of you. Thank you for investing in yourselves and in each other. Thank you for paying it forward, again and again. Thank you for sharing your power.

With gratitude and pride,

Kalani