Fund a Fellow.
Back a Problem-Solver.
PCF's Smart City Tech Fellows program places HBCU students at the center of real municipal challenges. Your monthly gift funds their scholarship directly — no overhead, no middlemen.
A direct scholarship model. No overhead deductions.
Every dollar contributed goes directly to student scholarships. We publish monthly fund allocation reports so donors can see exactly how their contributions are applied.
Scholarship Access
Fellows receive direct financial support covering program participation, travel to municipal partner sites, and showcase events.
Civic Tech Training
Students work hands-on with IoT sensors, data platforms, and city asset management tools — the same systems real municipalities use.
Transparent Reporting
Monthly impact updates show exactly how funds are allocated. Donors track student progress, project milestones, and city partnerships.
Hear it directly from the fellows.
These students worked on real city challenges, presented to municipal leaders, and built careers in civic technology. Their words carry more weight than ours.
"This program gave me the chance to work on a real city challenge before I graduated. I left with a portfolio, a network, and a clear direction."
"Working directly with city staff changed how I think about technology. It's not about the tool — it's about the people who depend on it."
"I came in knowing how to code. I left knowing how to solve public problems. That's a different skill set entirely."
Real fellow photos, videos, and names will replace placeholders as the campaign launches.
Since 2020, every dollar raised has gone directly back to HBCU students.
Pathway Community Foundation has spent five years building a model that works — no overhead deductions, no administrative bloat. Just direct scholarship investment in the next generation of Black civic tech leaders.
HBCU students are already solving the problems cities can't figure out on their own.
Through PCF's Smart City Tech Fellows program, students from HBCUs across North Carolina and South Carolina work directly with municipal governments on real infrastructure challenges — stormwater management, city asset tracking, digital connectivity, and more.
These are not classroom simulations. Fellows present their work to city managers, county officials, and civic leaders. They build technical skills, professional networks, and a track record of public-sector contribution before they graduate.
Your monthly gift covers the scholarship that keeps a student in the program, working on problems that matter to the communities they come from.
This is a community, not a transaction.
When you become a monthly donor, you join an active network of alumni and professionals who stay connected to the work and the students they support.
Two ways to make a direct difference.
Both options fund student scholarships directly. The recurring gift builds long-term program stability. The sponsorship creates a named contribution tied to a specific fellow.
- ✓ Direct scholarship contribution
- ✓ Monthly fund allocation reports
- ✓ Voting on student project selection
- ✓ Quarterly donor community calls
- ✓ Annual event VIP access
- ✓ Donor recognition at in-person events
- ✓ Named scholarship contribution
- ✓ Direct student impact confirmation
- ✓ Recognition in program materials
- ✓ Annual event invitation
- ✓ Ideal for individuals, law firms & alumni groups
- ✓ Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) gift
Straight answers about how this works.
Do I have to be an HBCU graduate to donate?
Where exactly does my money go?
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Can I cancel my monthly gift?
What is the Smart City Tech Fellows program?
How do I get involved beyond donating?
Your monthly gift helps place HBCU talent closer to the public challenges that shape everyday life.
We are building a founding group of 1,000 monthly donors. Be part of the community that makes this program possible.