Your Support Makes All
the Difference
Life-Changing Support
At CDI support is infused into everything we do and is the common thread that allows us to produce remarkable results. Scholars and their families are supported by CDI which is supported by generous individual donors and forward-thinking organizations whose support has allowed for the expansion of our core offerings beyond the classroom.
Your gift provides support with everything from personalized mentoring to assistance with the often overwhelming fees associated with college attendance. The generosity of our donors is changing the lives of these students, giving them chances for the future that will have a positive impact within their families and communities.
“All of my college accomplishments have really ingrained how important an organization like CDI is for students who know nothing about the college application process and who can’t afford college. Without CDI, all of these doors that are open to me now would have not been there at all.” — Nancy
A little support goes a
long way.
Your support of CDI is invaluable to ensuring our Scholars, America’s future leaders, continue to have the resources they need to flourish and achieve what’s possible! Your financial support of CDI will have an impact on the more than 3,200 students we serve annually as they reach their goals. Here is how your gift can help our Scholars:
$25
College application fee for a scholar; standardized testing fee for a Scholar; transition gift for rising college freshmen (i.e. laundry bags).
$50
Submission of standardized test scores to four universities for a Scholar; school supplies for high school Scholar; 30 minutes of wellness/mental health services to a Scholar.
$75
Calculator for a Scholar professional membership; fee for a college counselor
$100
Metro cards for five Scholars to travel for a month to and from CDI; materials for etiquette workshop for high school Scholars; one hour of mental health counseling for a Scholar.
$250
One month of meals for Scholars; entry fees for one field trip for high school Scholars; metro cards for one Scholar for one year.
$500
Funding for books and supplies for a college Scholar; entry fees for one cultural event for high school Scholars; professional development for one CDI staff member.
$1,000
Annual budget for a college counselor to visit Scholars at their university; three-day resilience workshop for young women; graduation celebration for rising college freshmen.
$2,500
Annual Scholars recruitment costs; laptops for two Scholars; orientation and annual convening of mentors and mentees; living expenses for a summer internship for a Scholar.
$5,000
Annual budget for five college counselors to visit Scholars at their universities; tickets for five families to visit college during family weekend; health insurance for a college Scholar.
$7,500
Transportation/shuttle services for Scholars for one year; laptops for six Scholars; living expenses for three Scholars participating in summer internships.
$10,000
Maintenance and insurance of vehicles used to transport Scholars; purchase and upkeep of new computers for the Computer Lab.
Building Brighter Futures
CDI Scholars are students for whom statistical evidence would suggest that their higher education dreams and aspirations are far out of reach. With limited resources and limited knowledge of the college application process our Scholars simply don’t know what they don’t know, and it is our mission to leverage our years of expertise to fill in those knowledge gaps and provide the academic, social, financial, and emotional support to ease their transition to college and position them for future success.
None of this would be possible without the help of our amazing donors. The support we receive for our Scholars Program, School Support Program, and Career Mentoring Initiative makes it possible for students to reach for opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. The positive effects this has on students, their families, and the communities they live in are humbling and gratifying.
“In all that I have accomplished, I couldn’t have done it without the heavy involvement of the Collegiate Directions team. My parents and I believe we owe them ten-fold for what they were able to do for us. If it weren’t for CDI, I honestly believe I would not have gotten where I am at right now — professionally, financially, and mentally.” – Sam
“Being in the (Scholars) program was not just about doing numerous college applications in high school. If I had not had my counselors to look up to and to hold me accountable throughout my years in college, I would be just another lost 24-year-old jumping from job-to-job.” — Kevin
Social and Emotional Well-Being
Our generous supporters have also played a key role in the development and expansion of our wellness services, allowing mental health counselors to work with students, ensuring their emotional well-being, a service which has been pivotal during the COVID-19 pandemic that has exacerbated personal circumstances and made an already difficult journey toward college graduation all the more arduous.
In recent years we have expanded our mental health offerings and staff to permit each Scholar more time to meet one-on-one with a wellness counselor. Because CDI enters the lives of our Scholars at a period of transition from high school to college and follows them through college, helping them move onto their career paths, we know the challenges they face in the best of times, and how personal issues can impact their journey.