Giving Compass' Take:

• Mission Driven Finance and Alliance Healthcare Foundation both made investments in the growth of Access Youth Academy which helps young people obtain sports scholarships.

• What are other examples of collective impact approaches that have seen success with their mission? 

• Read about how collective impact can lead to impact philanthropy. 

Mission Driven Finance recently announced a coordinated investment with Civic San Diego and Alliance Healthcare Foundation to support the growth of Access Youth Academy. Access, a local nonprofit organization, engages with youths through scholarship and sportsmanship to transform their lives.

Access Youth Academy has a unique approach to youth development through the sport of squash. Access starts working with students in seventh grade and continues mentorship through college and two years beyond. This long-term investment of care transforms students' lives and supports healthy choices. Not only does Access promote active lifestyles, confidence, and leadership, but it also opens doors to elite education institutions.

Many colleges, especially on the East Coast, have underused athletic scholarships for squash. By developing squash skills and academic achievement in first-generation college students, Access Youth Academy helps them qualify for scholarships at leading universities.

"Alliance Healthcare Foundation recognized the transformative power of Access Youth Academy ("Access") in 2013 when they became our Innovation Initiative (i2) award winner. We understand the link of poverty and social determinants of health and the long-term positive network effect for the participants—and their siblings, parents, family, friends, neighborhood—of achieving a debt-free Ivy League college education through squash scholarships and the generational impact on future health and well-being in low-income neighborhoods.

This collaborative $800,000 pre-development bridge loan unlocks a $12 million project to build the new facility—to be largely financed with New Markets Tax Credits. Without this bridge financing, Access would have been unable to complete the required pre-development work in order to secure construction financing.

Read the full article about a collaborative approach to building scholarship programs from Alliance Healthcare Foundation at PR Newswire