The Posse Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that recruits and trains diverse teams ("posses") of public high school students who exhibit strong leadership potential. Through 2006, Posse partner institutions have awarded over $142 million in full-tuition college scholarships to 1,533 students. Through a carefully structured, three-month selection process, Posse candidates are evaluated using criteria beyond academic achievement, including overall talent, leadership qualities, desire to succeed and ability to work constructively with people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Posse's 2006 budget of $5.9 million supports programs in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., as well as a career program and a development office. Posse's current university partners include Babson, Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Carleton, Centre, Claremont McKenna, Colby, Denison, DePauw, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Grinnell, Hamilton, Lafayette, Middlebury, Pomona, Vanderbilt, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Trinity and Wheaton.
The Posse Foundation operates 5 successful sites in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C.