This annual convening brings together the leadership teams of the nation’s leading postsecondary success nonprofits to engage in peer support and strategic collaboration around the most pressing issues facing their organizations and to advance collective action initiatives that address challenges too large or complex for any one organization to solve alone. Hosted by America’s Promise Alliance — a national network of over 150 youth-serving organizations committed to improving outcomes for young people — this convening is designed to foster high-trust dialogue, shared learning, and field-wide coordination. The 2025 convening gathered 42 senior leaders from 21 organizations in the postsecondary to workforce pathways space—all members of America’s Promise Alliance, a “for us, by us” practitioners’ community. Over two and a half days, participants built relationships, explored collaborative solutions to sector-wide challenges, and contributed to APA’s collective action initiatives and research agenda.

Designed to increase student access to Bottom Line’s evidence-based support regardless of the geographic location of the higher education institution where they enroll, Bluprint is a hybrid advising model that combines AI chatbot functionality with expert advisor guidance. After a successful multi-year pilot demonstrating significant impact on student engagement and college persistence rates, Bluprint launched as an official Bottom Line program poised to eventually reach thousands of students each year and serve as a critical capacity-building investment for the Bottom Line team. The Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation is among the founding partners who helped make Bluprint possible.

Incubated in early 2021 by CityBridge Education, CityTutor DC began as a coalition of schools, community organizations, and city leaders aiming to overcome pandemic-related educational impacts. It aimed to expand access to high-impact tutoring (HIT) for over 10,000 students in kindergarten through8th grade. Now an independent nonprofit, CityTutor DC recruits, trains, and coaches partners citywide to launch and expand HIT programs and implement strategic staffing models reaching thousands of students each year.

Originally incubated by CityBridge Education, CityWorks DC is devoted to reshaping the landscape of education and career development opportunities for DC youth and young adults of color to improve their social and economic mobility by launching a targeted set of innovative programs that work directly with young people and by leading systems-level initiatives that create the conditions for CityWorks DC’s programs and others to thrive and spark citywide reform across K12, postsecondary, and employment systems. In Fall 2020, with the support of the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation and in conjunction with the Federal City Council, CityWorks DC launched a three-year youth apprenticeship program for DC high schoolers known as CareerWise DC that places young people in high-wage, in-demand occupations in fields like Information Technology, Business Operations, and Financial Services. The original pilot included 14 youth apprentices from 4 high schools and 6 employers and has since expanded to include more than 30 additional youth apprentices with plans to add new cohorts each year. In addition to receiving training and compensation to do meaningful work and accessing valuable professional networks, apprentices also have the opportunity to earn college credit while completing the program.

In partnership with Trinity Washington University, KIPP DC’s dual-enrollment program allows current high school students to enroll in college-level coursework and earn credits. Our investment supports this program by covering the cost of tuition, transportation, and educational supplies, significantly expanding both student access and the variety of course offerings available.

A two-year, full-time fellowship program designed to engage recent college graduates who train under the supervision and guidance of seasoned alumni advisors to ensure that KIPP DC alumni receive outstanding coaching and guidance, with the goal that alumni persist and stay on track to complete their college degrees. Fellows provide a caseload of KIPP DC alumni with transformational coaching, mentorship, and direct support through one-on-one advising sessions and on-campus visits, helping KIPP DC’s alumni support program, KIPP Forward, scale its efforts to support a growing number of KIPP DC alumni who are pursuing college.

Initially launched in eight KIPP regions in 2019, this pilot program was the first of its kind to leverage nudge technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to support college matriculation and persistence with a national network of students attending many universities. Using the platform Mainstay, KIPP sends personalized, institution-specific nudges to KIPP alumni and is also able to generate automatic responses to common questions and elevate responses most in need of immediate follow up from a KIPP advisor. Nudge texting has expanded to 20 participating KIPP regions in 2021 and has become a critical component of sustainably scaling KIPP’s comprehensive alumni support program.

NAF partners with high-need communities to improve outcomes for students by implementing NAF academies — small learning communities within existing high schools with STEM-infused, industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships. In addition to general operating support, the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation has also provided targeted support to explore strategies for increased partnership between NAF and KIPP, design NAF’s Career & College Readiness Index (CCRI) curriculum, and track and evaluate the program’s impact on NAF alumni.

New Futures provides proactive, personalized advising and significant financial scholarships to scholars earning rapid postsecondary credentials to propel their careers in high-demand fields, leading to financial security. The Foundation supported the launch of the Health Sciences Career Pathways Program, which aims to bridge the opportunity and network gaps for young people pursuing family-sustaining careers in nursing, emergency medical services, and other related industries. CGLFF is also a longstanding supporter of scholarships and advising support for New Futures scholars throughout the Washington, D.C. region.

Carol and Gene Ludwig Hall was dedicated in 2022 and serves as the home for the Tsai Leadership Program at Yale Law School. The program’s new space sits adjacent to the Courtyard in what was formerly known as “The Cottages” in the heart of the Law School campus and houses The Tsai Leadership Program and its two pillars, the Michael S. and Alexa B. Chae Initiative in Private Sector Leadership and the Carol and Gene Ludwig Program in Public Sector Leadership.

The Hurst Horizon Scholarship Program erases tuition for Yale Law School students with the greatest financial need. Students who meet the financial requirements will automatically receive the scholarship, starting with the 2023, 2024, and 2025 classes and continuing into the future. Yale is one of only two law schools in the country to provide aid based exclusively on financial need, and students graduate with the lowest debt load among all of its peer schools. Scholarships will be given to J.D. students whose family income is below the federal poverty guidelines and whose assets are below $150,000. Students who qualify will be awarded more than $70,000 per year to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and health insurance. The Ludwigs were one of three founding donors to this program.

The program at Yale Law School is designed to educate the next generation of public sector leaders with the skills they need to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The program is founded by Gene Ludwig ’73 and Carol Ludwig. The Ludwig Program provides focused professional support to Yale Law students who are interested in leadership roles in the public sector in areas such as government, nonprofits, and other institutions focused on serving the public. The mission of the Ludwig Program is to ensure that students are capable of translating principle into practice; can display a firm grasp of the political, economic, civic, and operational dimensions of policy work; and are well equipped to engage in ethical reflection and decision making. The program is based on the notion that those who serve in the public sector should be flexible, big-picture thinkers who make empirically grounded decisions and are deeply committed to a vibrant democracy and the well-being of others.