Image: Belinda and Eugene Sanders with Demontea Thompson, BMCF’s 2025 Sanders Scholarship Recipient
The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation (BMCF) has awarded scholarships to more than 200 current and former foster youth across Los Angeles County—its largest cohort to date. Now in its eighth year, the program continues to expand, with applications in 2025 rising more than 50% over 2024 thanks to word of mouth and a growing partner network.
Since launching its scholarship program in 2018, BMCF has distributed more than $700,000 in aid to help LA’s foster youth succeed in their future careers. The nonprofit is on track to reach a cumulative $1 million in scholarships awarded by 2027.
“Our flagship scholarship program is proof of what’s possible when a community invests in the promise of foster youth,” said Jackie Broxton, BMCF president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to see the extraordinary achievements of our awardees, and this year’s inspiring turnout is a clear sign that more support will be needed in the years ahead.”
Moving the needle on college-graduate outcomes for system-impacted youth
The program’s impact is fueled by generous donors, including the Booth Foundation, Belinda and Eugene Sanders, and Dr. Kevin Waite, all of whom have created unique scholarships through BMCF. Their gifts provide specialized support for mothers who were once in foster care, aspiring social workers, and students demonstrating extraordinary ambition and academic excellence.
This year’s Sanders Scholarship recipient, Demontea Thompson, is a former foster youth who co-founded the nonprofit Twinspire with his brother to provide life skills training for foster youth. He is completing his PhD in urban schooling at UCLA.
Like Thompson, BMCF recipients are among the rare 2–6% of foster youth who graduate from college, a number that is slowly increasing. This year’s awardees are pursuing their bachelors, masters, and doctorates at top institutions across the United States, including Columbia University, Duke University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Pepperdine University, and many more.
Foster youth face formidable barriers to completing their education, including frequent school changes and limited financial, familial, and college-preparatory support. To help them overcome these challenges, BMCF imposes no age limit on its scholarships, and applicants enrolled in any vocational program or college are eligible to apply—including community college, four-year universities, and graduate schools.
To learn more about BMCF’s growing impact, follow BMCF on Instagram @biddy_mason or Facebook @thebiddymason.
About the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation
The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation (BMCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing the legacy of Biddy Mason by serving LA’s current and former foster youth and raising awareness for Black history. BMCF is named in honor of Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman, who became a leading entrepreneur and philanthropist in Los Angeles.
