research dossier

DESTINATION COLLEGE

BRONXVILLE, NY · EIN 133782557 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P30 · Human Services · Small ($100K-$1M) · destinationcollegeny.org

revenue

$504K

expenses

$400K

net assets

$1.2M

employees

volunteers

program ratio

66%

mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC HELP TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS & ASSIST IN COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Academic support organization serving high school students in the Mount Vernon and Bronxville areas, with a focus on college preparation and persistence. Provides guidance through the college application process, financial aid navigation, and ongoing mentoring through college graduation. The program emphasizes long-term student success, as evidenced by alumni enrolled in colleges across the United States.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Cooney Scholar Program

College readiness and support initiative for high-achieving students, providing academic guidance, application assistance, and financial aid navigation.

Through College Support

Continuing support for enrolled college students, including 1-on-1 coaching, mentoring, skill development training, and peer networking to ensure persistence and graduation.

activities · 6 groups

What they do

College Access and Success Support 2 activities
- College application and financial aid guidance for student-athletes
  
  Offers personalized, sustained support through the college application process, including financial aid navigation, scholarship applications, and senior-year persistence. Provides direct assistance to high school seniors applying to a range of institutions, from highly selective colleges to community colleges.
- Post-enrollment support and mentorship for college-enrolled alumni
  
  Supports 141 college-enrolled alumni across 71 institutions through volunteer-led mentoring, biannual stipends for educational expenses, and retention programming. Provides continued academic and personal guidance after college enrollment.
After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Academic and college readiness support for high school student-athletes
  
  Provides weekly academic tutoring, small-group reading and conversation sessions using current event materials, SAT preparation, and subject-specific after-school tutoring in core areas such as Algebra, U.S. History, and Chemistry to high school student-athletes. Supports 154 students across 15 teams through programs like Team Reads and the Cooney College Center.
Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
- Awarding scholarships to student-athletes and alumni
  
  Funds and awards scholarships through the Cooney Scholarship Program and the Suzanne McCann Go the Distance Scholarship Program, distributing over $300,000 since 2013 and $30,000 to alumni in the past four years to support educational pursuits.
Comprehensive Student Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Enrichment programming with guest speakers and College Knowledge activities
  
  Delivers periodic College Knowledge workshops, guest speakers, and enrichment content throughout the academic year as part of the program curriculum to supplement student learning and college readiness.
Admissions and Enrollment Support Services 1 activity
- Virtual reality college campus tours for student-athletes
  
  Uses Meta Quest 3 Virtual Reality devices to deliver immersive virtual tours of SUNY and New York State private college campuses through the Campus360 platform, helping student-athletes explore postsecondary options.
Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Volunteer training and capacity building
  
  Provides ongoing training for adult volunteers in essay writing, financial aid applications, and scholarship support to enhance their ability to serve student-athletes. Also offers personal development and values formation opportunities for student volunteers.

financials · form 990 · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$504K

Contributions & grants$438K87%

Program service revenue$00%

Investment income$35K7%

Other revenue$31K

expenses

Total expenses$400K

Program expenses66%

Admin / overhead21%

Fundraising13%

Salaries & benefits$191K

Grants paid out$37K

Largest expense lineCompensation

balance sheet

Total assets$1.23M

Cash$261K

Investments$918K

Liabilities$17K

Net assets$1.22M

Liquid reserves35.4 mo

5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +30.4%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 17

ANN W JACKSON — BOARD MEMBER
ARTHUR GOSNELLROT ON 1124 — BOARD MEMBER
BARBARA MCGRAWROT ON 724 — BOARD MEMBER
CHRIS COONEY — BOARD MEMBER
CLAYTON POPE — BOARD MEMBER
DANIELLE BROWN — BOARD MEMBER
DWAYNE MURRAYROT OFF 525 — BOARD MEMBER
EMILY KIRSCHENBAUM — VICE CHAIR
HEIDI PAUL — BOARD MEMBER
JESSICA BENJAMINROT ON 1124 — BOARD MEMBER
JOAN HENLE — BOARD MEMBER
MAUREEN BARTON — SECRETARY
NANCY F MCKENNA — CHAIR
RICHARD L RUGANI — TREASURER
RONNIE COX — BOARD MEMBER
TRACY MCVEY — VICE CHAIR
VERA KIERNAN — BOARD MEMBER

relationships · 30

Who they work with

Andy Bolster Partner — Program Leader for the MV Boys Soccer program affiliated with Destination: College
Business Insider Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in Team Reads program
Business Insider Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in weekly student sessions
Business Insider Partner — Uses current event reading materials from Business Insider in student literacy programming.
Cooney College Center Partner — Provides on-site support and services for college students through a dedicated facility.
Junior League of Bronxville Partner — Provided a $580 Community Grant to support the purchase of a Meta Quest 3 Virtual Reality device for college campus tours.
Junior League of Bronxville Partner — Provided a $580 Community Grant to support the purchase of a Meta Quest 3 Virtual Reality device for student-athletes' college exploration.
MVHS Partner — Hosts the Cooney College Center program at the MVHS Library for college access services.
Mount Vernon High School Partner — Hosts Destination: College programs including Team Reads, tutoring, and the Cooney College Center at MVHS Library and other school rooms.
Mount Vernon High School Partner — Partner school where Destination: College serves student-athletes and awards scholarships.
Mount Vernon’s three high schools Partner — Partner schools where Destination: College delivers academic and college readiness programs to student-athletes.
NPR Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in Team Reads program
NPR Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in weekly student sessions
NPR Partner — Uses current event reading materials from NPR in student literacy programming.
New York Times Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in weekly student sessions
Ripton Cooke Partner — Head Coach of the MV Boys Soccer program affiliated with Destination: College
Rye Country Day Partner — Source of student volunteers, including peer tutors like Sarah Anderson, who support DC's academic programs.
STEAM Academy Partner — Partner school where Destination: College serves student-athletes and awards scholarships.
Tammy Cushman Partner — Program Leader for the MV Girls Soccer program
The Athletic Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in Team Reads program
The Athletic Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in weekly student sessions
The Athletic Partner — Uses current event reading materials from The Athletic in student literacy programming.
The New York Times Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in Team Reads program
The New York Times Partner — Uses current event reading materials from The New York Times in student literacy programming.
The Wall Street Journal Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in Team Reads program
The Wall Street Journal Partner — Uses current event reading materials from The Wall Street Journal in student literacy programming.
Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation Funder — Awarded a $15,000 grant to support personalized guidance for student-athletes navigating the college application, financial aid, and enrollment process.
Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation Funder — Awarded a $15,000 grant to support personalized guidance for student-athletes navigating the college journey.
Travis Williams Partner — Head Coach for the MV Girls Soccer program
Wall Street Journal Partner — Source of current event reading materials used in weekly student sessions

strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Academic-Athletic Integration to Reinforce Educational Priorities

methodology: academic-athletic integration
By embedding academic programming within athletic schedules, we increase student-athlete engagement with education because it signals institutional commitment to academic success as equally important to athletic performance.
Integrated Academic and College Persistence Support

methodology: college_persistence_support
By providing continuous academic support, individualized college application assistance, and through-college coaching, we increase college access and degree completion because sustained, hands-on guidance addresses both structural and personal barriers to higher education success.
Relationship-Based Mentorship Model

methodology: mentorship-based_support
By integrating structured, small-group mentorship with volunteer-led reading discussions on current events, we build trust, improve literacy, and strengthen student engagement because consistent relationships with caring adults outside the classroom foster both academic and personal development.
Virtual Access Expansion for College Exploration

methodology: virtual-access-expansion
By using virtual reality to simulate campus visits, we improve students’ ability to make informed postsecondary decisions because it eliminates transportation and scheduling barriers that disproportionately affect underserved student-athletes.