POINT FOUNDATION
6230 WILSHIRE BLVD NO 1606, LOS ANGELES, CA 90048 www.pointfoundation.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: POINT FOUNDATION EMPOWERS PROMISING LGBTQ STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL - DESPITE THE OBSTACLES OFTEN PUT BEFORE THEM - TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON SOCIETY.

TO GRANT SCHOLARSHIPS TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) STUDENTS OF MERIT.

SCHOLARSHIP & SCHOLAR SUPPORT: AS OF JUNE 2020, POINT FOUNDATION (POINT) HAS AWARDED 540 SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAVE INVESTED OVER $40 MILLION IN OUR LGBTQ SCHOLARS. POINT FOUNDATION CURRENTLY AWARDS TWO TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS: COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE TRADITIONAL POINT SCHOLARSHIP. THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP IS GEARED TOWARD ENSURING LGBTQ COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN TRANSFER TO FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS. THE TRADITIONAL POINT SCHOLARSHIP IS DESIGNED TO HELP LGBTQ SCHOLARS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN OR ENROLLING IN AN UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE PROGRAM COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE. BOTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING (COACHING) AND COMPREHENSIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING. BY ENSURING THESE STUDENTS OBTAIN A SOLID EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS BUILDING A GENERATION OF LEADERS, COMMITTED BOTH TO PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND TO INCREASING ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING ACROSS SOCIETY.DURING THE 2019-2020 ACADEMIC YEAR, POINT FOUNDATION SUPPORTED 60 POINT SCHOLARS AND 25 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. AS A CHAMPION FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION, POINT FOUNDATION IS PROUD THAT MANY POINT SCHOLARS ARE FROM GROUPS TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. OF THE 60 MEMBERS OF THE 2019 POINT SCHOLAR CLASS: 67% IDENTIFY AS A RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP OTHER THAN WHITE; 42% IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER, GENDER-NONCONFORMING, OR INTERSEX; AND 40% ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE. OF THE 25 MEMBERS OF THE 2019 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP CLASS: 67% IDENTIFY AS A RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP OTHER THAN WHITE; 50% IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER, GENDER-NONCONFORMING, OR INTERSEX; AND 50% ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO GO TO COLLEGE.EACH YEAR, WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THEIR POINT FOUNDATION SELECTED MENTOR, POINT SCHOLARS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT (CSP) THAT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. ONE SCHOLARDEDICATED HER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT TO LOBBYING HER STATE GOVERNMENT TO INCLUDE LGBTQ EDUCATION FOR ALL CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CAREGIVERS IN THE STATE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. HAVING GROWN UP IN FOSTER CARE, THIS SCHOLAR TURNED THE ADVERSITY SHE FACED INTO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE AND MET ONE ON ONE WITH STATE LAWMAKERS TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING FOSTER HOMES SAFE PLACES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH. THANKS TO HER WORK, THE STATE WILL NOW MANDATE COURSEWORK IN LGBTQ COMPETENCY FOR ALL FOSTER CARE GIVERS.POINT SCHOLARS ALSO MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH INNOVATIVE PAID INTERNSHIPS AT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OF THEIR CHOICE. THE IMPACT OF THIS WORK WAS FELT IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IN NEW YORK, ONE SCHOLAR WORKED WITH THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL WHERE HER WORK FOCUSED ON HELPING UNDOCUMENTED YOUTH DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, CREATE PATHWAYS FOR MORE SECURE FUTURES, AND ADVOCATE FOR REFORMS TO IMMIGRATION LAW AND IMMIGRANT DETENTION. IN MINNESOTA, ANOTHER SCHOLAR HELPED THE FAMILY TREE CLINIC TO DEVELOP LGBTQ INCLUSIVE MATERIALS ON MENTAL AND SEXUAL HEALTH. THIS WORK ALLOWED THE CLINIC TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR DELIVERING HEALTHCARE THAT TRANSCENDS LGBTQ COMPETENCY AND INSTEAD IS LGBTQ AFFIRMING, IMPROVING OUTCOMES AND EXPERIENCES FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE IN THE MID-WEST. POINT ALSO SAW CONTINUED SUCCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM. RECOGNIZING THAT MANY COMMUNITY COLLEGES LACK RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY GEARED FOR THEIR LGBTQ STUDENTS, POINT'S SUPPORT HAS PROVEN CRITICAL TO OUR STUDENT'S SUCCESS IN COMPLETING THEIR TIME AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TRANSFERRING TO A 4-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. OUR EXPANDED COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER SYMPOSIUM BROUGHT STUDENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE POINT HOSTED A 3 DAY SYMPOSIUM THAT INCLUDED A MENTAL HEALTH SESSION, A SEXUAL HEALTH SESSION, AS WELL AS A PANEL ON QUEER ACTIVISM THAT WASLEDBY OUR ESTEEMED POINT SCHOLARS.STUDENTS ALSO LEARNED HOW TO PREPARE TO FINANCE THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION IN A PRESENTATION BY USC'S DEAN OF FINANCIAL AID AND LEARNED TIPS FOR TRANSFERRING SUCCESSFULLY FROM THE DEAN OF ADMISSIONS AT SWARTHMORE COLLEGE. OF THE 25 COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTICIPANTS, 81% ARE CONFIRMED TO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PROGRAMS AND TWO OF OUR 2019-20 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE NOW POINT SCHOLARS.

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES & TRAINING: POINT FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO TRAINING OUR NEXT GENERATION LEADERS AND PROVIDES ITS SCHOLARS WITH A VARIETY OF LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DESPITE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC PREVENTING STUDENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO GATHER IN PERSON, POINT CONTINUED ITS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORK BY HOSTING AN IN PERSON NEW SCHOLAR ORIENTATION, A VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AND AFFINITIES DEVELOPMENT (LEAD) CONSORTIUM, A VIRTUAL REGIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM, AND A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER SYMPOSIUM FOR OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. IN AUGUST 2019 POINT HELD THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER SYMPOSIUM FOR OUR 25 CC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. OVER THREE DAYS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDED TARGETED WORKSHOPS WHICH PROVIDED TRAINING ON: APPLYING TO 4-YEAR UNIVERSITIES, HOW TO ACCURATELY FILL OUT FINANCIAL AID PAPERWORK, EFFECTIVELY WRITING AN ADMISSIONS ESSAY, BEST PRACTICES FOR RESUME WRITING, AND DEVELOPING INTERVIEWING SKILLS.IN OCTOBER 2019, POINT WELCOMED ITS 16 NEW SCHOLARS TO LOS ANGELES FOR A NEW SCHOLAR ORIENTATION. DURING THIS TIME SCHOLARS ATTENDED A WORKSHOP ON HOW TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS. A POINT ALUM AND COLLEGE PROFESSOR ALSO LEAD THE GROUP IN A WORKSHOP ABOUT GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AS POINT SCHOLARS. THIS INCLUDED EVERYTHING FROM A HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION, TO ADVICE ON HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT THAT POINT HAS CREATED SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2001. SCHOLARS WERE ALSO THEN HONORED GUESTS AT THE POINT HONORS LOS ANGELES GALA WHERE THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND NETWORK WITH SOME OF POINT'S MOST ESTEEMED SUPPORTERS. AS THE WORLD GRAPPLED WITH THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, POINT ADJUSTED BY CREATING A VIRTUAL SPACE WHERE OUR STUDENTS COULD COME TOGETHER FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. WE CALL IT POINT FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY. IN JUNE, POINT BROUGHT 24 GRADUATING STUDENTS INTO THIS SPACE FOR A VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AFFINITIES DEVELOPMENT (LEAD) SYMPOSIUM. POINT ALUMS HOSTED THE EVENT AND WELCOMED THE GRADUATING STUDENTS INTO THEIR NEW ROLE AS MEMBERS OF THE POINT ALUMNI COMMUNITY. TOPICS INCLUDED, SELF-CARE AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS OF SUCCESS DURING A PANDEMIC AS WELL AS A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON FINDING EMPLOYMENT DURING A PANDEMIC. IT WAS CLEAR THAT WHILE WE COULD NOT BE TOGETHER IN PERSON, EVERYONE APPRECIATED THE CHANCE TO VISIT VIRTUALLY AND BE TOGETHER AGAIN AS A POINT COMMUNITY. ALSO, IN JUNE OF 2019 POINT BROUGHT ITS 54 NEW AND CONTINUING STUDENTS TOGETHER FOR A VIRTUAL REGIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM. HOSTED ONLINE AT POINT FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY, POINT GAVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE ONE ANOTHER ON THE WAYS THEY WERE HELPING THEIR COMMUNITY AND DISCOVERING HOW TO BECOME MORE DYNAMIC LEADERS. PRESENTATIONS AT THE FORUM INCLUDED TOPICS SUCH AS PRESENTATION AND INTERVIEWING SKILLS, STRATEGIES FOR APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL, THE EXPERIENCE WITH, AND IMPACT OF, SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAININGS, AND SUCCESSFUL MODELS OF SELF-CARE.

SCHOLAR SELECTIONS: WHILE CURRENT SCHOLARS WORKED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE ACADEMIC YEAR, POINT FOUNDATION WENT ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF SELECTING SCHOLARS FOR THE 2020/21 ACADEMIC YEAR. AS PART OF OUR DRIVE TO FURTHER DIVERSIFY FUTURE CLASSES OF POINT SCHOLARS, POINT CONTINUED WITH AN OUTREACH PLAN SPECIFICALLY TARGETING UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY (E.G., WOMEN; STUDENTS OF COLOR; TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONCONFORMING STUDENTS; AND APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES). IN MARCH WE ENCOUNTERED A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE WITH COVID 19 AND RECOGNIZED THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR FINAL SELECTIONS IN PERSON. AGAIN, THE ORGANIZATION ADJUSTED, DEVELOPING A VIRTUAL MODEL OF SCHOLAR SELECTIONS THAT RELIED ON VIDEO PRESENTATIONS RATHER THAN INTERVIEWS. THE NEW PROCESS WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS DESPITE THE QUICK WORK REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND THOUGHT POINT PUTS TOWARDS ITS SCHOLAR SELECTION PROCESS. IN ALL, NEARLY 2,200 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS WERE NARROWED TO A FINALIST POOL OF 29. IN APRIL 2019, 19 NEW SCHOLARS WERE SELECTED TO JOIN THE 2020-21 CLASS OF POINT SCHOLARS. THIS YEAR POINT ALSO SELECTED 44 OF THE REMAINING APPLICANTS WITH THE HIGHEST SCORES TO BE PART OF THE FIRST YEAR OF A NEW SMALL GRANT INITIATIVE. THIS INITIATIVE WILL AWARD A $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL SELECTED STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE 2020/21 ACADEMIC YEAR. IN JUNE 2020, 25 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS WERE SELECTED FROM NEARLY 200 APPLICANTS. AT THIS TIME, POINT ALSO WELCOMED 10 STUDENTS TO A NEW TWO-YEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM. THESE STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE TWO YEARS OF SUPPORT FROM POINT FOUNDATION AND SUPPORTIVE COACHING THROUGH THEIR TIME OF TRANSFER, OR COMPLETION OF THEIR TWO-YEAR DEGREE.

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