Page 4 - TMCF 2024 Annual Report

LETTER FROM
THE CEO
What an incredible year for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Black college community.
First of all, St. Philip’s College in Texas was approved by the board
to become the 55th TMCF member school. St. Philip’s has two campuses in San Antonio and is the nation’s only federally designated historically Black college (HBC) and Hispanic- serving institution (HSI).
Nearly half of our member schools experienced another boost in enrollment in the fall. The uptick
in enrollment aligns with the national trend of increased interest in historically Black colleges
and universities (HBCUs) after
the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action. We’re excited but not surprised to see the enrollment gains at these institutions.
In another exciting development, two of our member schools received a substantial gift that will impact health outcomes. Howard University College of Medicine received a $175 million commitment while Charles
R. Drew University of Medicine & Science received $75 million out
of a historic $600 million gift from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. The investment will bolster the endowments of
the nation’s four historically Black medical schools. The gift is the largest ever to HBCUs.
This year we also began hosting regional events and honoring executives for their dedication in
championing investments in our HBCUs and their students. Lowe’s chairman and CEO Marvin Ellison was our first recipient of the CEO Impact Award. Our board chair, Racquel Oden, hosted a well- attended summer brunch at her residence in the Hamptons as part of the event series.
Our search firm, TM2 Executive Search (TM2), was relaunched in March and has quickly achieved success. In fact, TM2 launched
more HBCU leadership searches in 2024 than any other firm. Another indicator of growth is TM2’s appeal to institutions outside of our member schools. For example, we led a high- profile search for the vice president for university advancement at Prairie View A&M University, as well as campaigns for Wiley University, Benedict College, Philander Smith University and Paul Quinn College.
In response to the unintentional obstacles created by the modification of Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), TMCF began a campaign to help students complete the form. The obstacles created negative impacts on the Black collegiate community and its institutions. We sought immediate solutions to these
issues and pledged to assist our member schools and students. Made possible through funding from the ECMC Foundation, we developed
a website, a peer-led call center that employed students from our member schools, and promoted and advertised FAFSA completion through a national campaign. The
response was incredible and sought after by students outside of our network.
The Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice published its first volume in The Payne Center Book Series, which focuses on pragmatic policy ideas related to social justice. The first book, titled “Creating New Possibilities for the Future of HBCUs,” provides critical examination of the current contributions and future directions of the nation’s HBCUs.
The book breaks new ground on Black colleges and offers hope and optimism for their future.
Finally, we lost an HBCU champion this year with the death of
former president Jimmy Carter.
He supported them as critical institutions in the pursuit of equity and opportunity and was the first U.S. president to issue an executive order to increase the federal government’s engagement with HBCUs. He also established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
On behalf of our team, we are grateful to our sponsors, partners and donors who supported our work in 2024. It was a historic year, but as always, much work remains.
Sincerely,
Dr. Harry L. Williams President & CEO
4 2024 ANNUAL REPORT