Executive Director’s Message

Welcome, friends! Our site is designed as a resource for current students, mentors, volunteers, funders and friends. We also hope that it will motivate and inspire those who are unfamiliar with our work to learn more about us.  Since 1989, Philadelphia Futures has been an effective means of social change, providing hope, incentive and opportunity to hundreds of students in Philadelphia. Our signature program, Sponsor-A-Scholar, has sent hundreds of students to college and has raised nearly $6 million for the direct benefit of the students.

As you will learn, Sponsor-A-Scholar is unique in the duration and scope of its services. Students join our program in the ninth grade and participate as Sponsor-A-Scholar students all the way through college – a minimum of eight years. We do whatever it takes to help them achieve their dream of a college education.

I am privileged to lead an organization that unites diverse individuals and institutions in one purposeful mission:

Students who beat the odds many times over and who touch our lives each day with their resilience, determination and strength. 

Parents and guardians who want the best for their children. Through their efforts, their children enroll in our Program and head down the path to success.

Mentors, sponsors and volunteers who willingly share their time, resources and support. Their contributions are extraordinary.

Donors and funders who are our partners in the truest sense of the word. We are  grateful for their generosity and deeply moved by their confidence in our Program.

College partners that are committed to the value and the richness of a diverse learning environment for all students. 

A board of directors who generously contribute their expertise, guidance and resources. Through their vision, we consider all that is possible.

And the talented, dedicated members of our staff, who make great things happen for Sponsor-A-Scholar students.

Philadelphia Futures was founded with a vision of what it takes to help a young person succeed. Over the years, we have become an effective, results-driven program uniquely capable of making a difference in the lives of students.

Never satisfied with the status quo, the merger to unite Philadelphia Futures and White-Williams Scholars is effective as of July 1.

The marriage of two like-minded, forward-thinking organizations expands our capacity to reach the City's most promising asset - its students. 

On behalf of Philadelphia Futures, my sincere thanks to our many supporters. Your invaluable contributions truly touch the future.

Warmest Regards,

Joan C. Mazzotti, Executive Director