Nov. 30, 2020
— The Trade Desk (TTD) Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jeff Green believes the same data science used at TTD can also be used to address disparities in education. So, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) and TTD have teamed up to support students to stay in school and on track.
Based in Ventura, TTD is a $40 billion-dollar global digital advertising company that uses data to help ad digital buyers best target their marketing efforts—to get the best value for their money, so to speak.
Because CSUCI data shows that peer mentorship is one of the most effective ways to keep students in school and see them through to an on-time graduation, the Jeff Green Family Foundation turned its philanthropic efforts toward scholarships and CSUCI’s peer mentorship programs. As a fierce advocate of the local community, diversity and education, Green believed investing in a campus that shared his values made sense.
“I believe in our community,” Green said. “There is a lot of diversity in our community and there are very few places where that all comes together. CSUCI is one of those places. I think the greatest hope for any community is to educate its citizens well—all of them.”
After COVID-19 hit, the Jeff Green Family Foundation made a $250,000 gift to strengthen the University’s peer mentorship programs like PEEP (Peer Education & Equity Program), which provides peer mentors for students who are the first in their generation to attend college.
“First, I believe in the students. We’ve hired a lot of CSUCI students at The Trade Desk. They’re scrappy, hardworking and well-educated,” Green said. “Second, I believe in the leadership at CSUCI. Since the school wasn’t founded that long ago, there is a chance to rethink and reimagine higher education. I believe CSUCI is doing what others would do if they could hit the reset button. And they have the leadership to do it.”
The Green Family Foundation gift made it possible to hire 15 new peer mentors for the fall 2020 semester and to support a staff position to help keep the peer mentor infrastructure strong. The foundation then contributed an additional $250,000 in a tiered scholarship fund designed to encourage CSUCI students to stay in school.
“I am incredibly grateful to have a community partner who is dedicated to utilizing data to drive philanthropic support in a manner that optimizes impact on student success,” said President Erika D. Beck, Ph.D. “His deep commitment to equity and inclusion, not only supports our University's work, but also supports his efforts in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce.”
The tiered scholarship was set up so that qualified recipients would receive increasing amounts of scholarship funding each year they remained in college, beginning with just under $1,500. For 10 CSUCI freshmen increasing over time to $5,880 for 15 seniors during their final year.
To qualify, students with demonstrated financial needed a 3.0 grade-point average or above and be enrolled for at least 15 credits.
The Trade Desk and the Jeff Green Family Foundation’s generosity actually began in December of 2019 when both entities provided a total gift of $105,000, which funded 75% of the peer mentor ambassadors.
The data was correct, and the results were impressive. During the spring 2020 semester, the peer mentor ambassadors served 138 unique students of which 94.2% have either graduated or are currently enrolled in fall 2020 classes.
Despite the economic pressure on students because of the pandemic, 91.9% of all CSUCI students enrolled in spring 2020 either graduated or returned for classes in fall of 2020.
The human side of Green’s data-driven philanthropy showed in an anonymous survey from peer mentor ambassadors during spring of 2020. One student wrote:
“My family and I can sleep knowing we do not have to occasionally budget our groceries to ensure that we have enough money to pay for rent. This sense of security means that my younger sister and I can place all of our energy in doing our best as students.”