Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Transforming futures through education.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our mission is to Transform futures through education. We do this by providing Scholar Grants to women from low-income backgrounds over the age of 35 for post-secondary education. By awarding Scholar Grants to these women, we are advancing gender equity, racial equity, and economic justice.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Jeannette Rankin Foundation (JRF) awards Scholar Grants to help women from low-income backgrounds over the age of 35 succeed through post-secondary education. The flexible Scholar Grants can help pay for tuition, as well as rent, child care, transportation, and other living expenses while enrolled in college.
JRF provides a full menu of wrap-around support including Scholar Support Calls, an Emergency Fund, and a program called Compsych that serves as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to provide free mental health counseling for the whole family, along with legal and financial advice and a host of other services.
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Each year, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation awards Scholar Grants to women from low-income backgrounds who are pursuing post-secondary education. Applicants must be age 35 or older, pursuing a technical education, an associate's degree or a first bachelor's degree at an accredited college, and low-income according to the Department of Labor's Lower Living Standard.
Jeannette Rankin Scholars are overcoming challenges such as domestic violence, the death of a spouse, job layoffs, disabilities, and other life-changing circumstances. Each woman has demonstrated her perseverance and willpower to succeed, and every JRF Scholar has clear, achievable goals and a vision for how education will benefit not just herself, but also her family and community. Because of this, each Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grant extends beyond one woman; it touches the lives of countless others.
Where we work
Awards
Scholarship Provider of the Year 2014
National Scholarship Providers Association
Scholarship Provider of the Year 2021
National Scholarship Providers Association
Affiliations & memberships
National Scholarship Provider of the Year 2020
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of entrance scholarships and awards and exit scholarships
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Adults
Related Program
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We embarked on the Montana Tribal Project this year and were able to provide 51 women from Montana Tribal Colleges with Scholar Grants and support in addition to 135 national Scholars.
Number of links and collaborations with external organizations that support student learning and its priority tasks
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups, Social and economic status, Adults
Related Program
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of first-time, full-time, first-year registrants in direct entry programs who graduate within 6 years
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Adults
Related Program
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Persistence Rate 94% women ages 35 years and older (at the time they first enrolled), 31% graduate with a degree or certificate within six years, and 58% leave without a degree.
Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Adults
Related Program
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We provided $485,000 in 2023-2024. We provided an additional $400,000 in Case Management and Coaching support to the Rankin Foundation Scholars.
Numbered of staff who are satisfied to be an employee of the institution
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Women and girls, Adults
Related Program
Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grants
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Jeannette Rankin Foundation's goal is to make post-secondary education accessible to women from low-income backgrounds over the age of 35, so they can obtain the knowledge and skills needed to secure well-paying careers, take care of themselves and their families, and end generational poverty.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
By providing Scholar Grants and support, Jeannette Rankin Foundation helps women not only go to college but graduate! Each year, Jeannette Rankin Scholars receive $2,500 that can be used where they need it most including childcare, books, transportation, and housing expenses. We all know that going to school costs more than just tuition and books. For up to 5 years and $12,500, a Scholar who continues to meet eligibility guidelines and is making progress toward her goals can apply for renewal awards.
And as important as the funding, we also provide Scholar support. We do weekly Scholar Support Calls, provide an Emergency Fund, and use a case management and coaching system implemented by the Scholar Support Specialist. This helps us to better support each Rankin Scholar with individualized support plans and interventions as needed. We also provide each Scholar with Compsych - essentially an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) where the Scholar and her family can find free personal counseling for herself and her family, legal and financial assistance, and a myriad of other services to smooth out the rough spots inevitable in a young family's life.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
A dedicated staff and board that continually work to improve the program is the driving force behind Jeannette Rankin Foundation's success. Recognition by the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) as the 2014 Scholarship Provider of the Year and again in 2020 is one indicator of the impact and excellence of the organization.
We solicit feedback on a continuous basis and review our programs and services yearly. We invest in our staff with professional development, and we invest in technology to offer the most possible to each Scholar.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We send Scholar Grants directly to Rankin Scholars. We are now able to get the funds directly into the hands of Rankin Scholars, unlike colleges that often have a ten-day waiting period. We've been doing this for two years and are ahead of the trend to distribute funds directly to those we serve.
The success rate of Rankin Scholars continues to increase from year to year. We have been measuring our Persistence Rate (the number of women continuing towards graduation and graduating compared to the total number of Rankin Scholars) and it has gone from 75% in 2016 to 70% in 2017, from 87% in 2018 to 91% in 2019, and from 87% in 2020 to 92% in 2021, 86% in 2022 and 94% in 2023. We are proud to announce our historic graduation rate for all Rankin Scholars since 1976. Through the National Student Clearinghouse, we have been able to gather data on approximately 75% of all women who have been awarded a JRF Scholar Grant. Of those women, 65% have received some sort of post-secondary degree or diploma! And, 19% have received a Masters's or Professional Degree beyond their Bachelor's. Comparatively, the national average for women in our demographic to graduate is only 31% (provided by the Institute for Women's Policy Research).
Our ultimate goal is to help Rankin Scholars cross the graduation "finish line" faster and with less debt. We are proud to see that they are succeeding and thriving both as Rankin Scholars and beyond.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Board of directorsas of 02/15/2024
Ms Betsy Bach
University of Montana - Retire
Term: 2022 - 2024
Ms. Rozy Park
VP of Risk Management at Tedia & Company
Term: 2022 - 2024
Vashti Canty
Delta Air Lines
Tracy Cosgrove
Missoula Art Museum
Jane Hale Hopkins
Coca-Cola
Rozy Park
Tedia
Kimberly Reeve
Dean of the Business College - St Peters University
Jacqueline Denise Smalley
ATL Children's Museum
Charmaine Wilson
South Carolina
Betsy Bach
Retired Professor, University of Montana
Genie Chamberlin
Founder/Principal, SnyderRemarks, Genieus Team
Stacy Sollenberger
Founder and Executive Coach, Stride Executive Coaching
Dimples Williamson
VP, Senior Client Development Leader, Synchrony
LaToro Yates
Higher Education Enrollment Specialist
Wendy Miller
Maria Waters
Lawyer
Alecia Bailey
Assurant
Letty Ashworth
Genuine Parts
Madeline VanDyck
Retired
Judith Gil
Higher Ed
Kunal Verma
Innova Solutions
Robin Walls
Seattle Housing Authority
Kate Shanley
Retired - Native American Studies - University of Montana
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/11/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.