DOGE CUTS FUNDING FOR IYT MENTORS

SACRAMENTO CA (IYT National HQ) – April 30th, 2025

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) visited IYT Members serving at Florin High School

In a sweeping and sudden move, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated $400 million in AmeriCorps grants nationwide, leaving over 1,000 organizations and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members without support. Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), a national leader in mentorship and college access for young men of color, is among those hardest hit.

IYT's Mentors help create a supportive school environment, guide students through academic and personal challenges, and help them build confidence, resilience, and a clear path to college.

IYT’s College Academy — a vital AmeriCorps-supported program — has played a critical role in increasing high school graduation rates, college enrollment, GPA performance, and social-emotional growth for thousands of young men of color nationwide. Now, without urgent action, the program’s measurable impact, along with the mentorship, college advising, and leadership development our members rely on — is at risk.

Impact from cuts on IYT’s programs and services:

• 184 IYT Mentors at 86 schools across the country have lost their AmeriCorps bi-weekly stipends, health insurance, and education awards, with some losing housing stipends, triggering early student loan repayment, loss of critical income, and forfeited education awards they had worked nearly a year to earn.

• Over $10 million in funding and programming supporting more than 16,000 students and family members has been jeopardized — threatening the stability and future of critical mentorship, college access, and family engagement services.

• More than 325,000 student and family interventions, including mentoring sessions, academic support meetings, college advising, and leadership development workshops, are now at risk of being canceled or cut short.

“We are not just talking about program cuts — we are talking about futures interrupted, dreams deferred, and entire communities left more vulnerable,” said Michael Lynch, CEO and Co-Founder of IYT. “Our brothers are striving to become the first in their family to graduate from college and break generational cycles of poverty. We will not allow politics to derail their long-term promise. IYT will continue to serve, but we will need our community to step up and fill in the gap.”

In response, IYT is launching an Emergency Fund — a national fundraising initiative to cover immediate losses and sustain mentorship, college readiness, and family support programs through the end of this year and into the 2025–26 school year. This urgent effort will help ensure students and mentors are not left behind.

We are calling on our supporters, funders, and community members to act now.

Donate to the IYT Emergency Fund: www.improveyourtomorrow.org/donate

Media Availability: IYT mentors, students, and leadership are available for interviews to speak about the cuts and the urgent need for support.

Media Contact: Noah Rosenberg

Director of Marketing & Communications

Phone: 862.763.1749

Email: noah@improveyourtomorrow.org