(WESTFIELD, NJ) -- More Than Bootstraps (MTB), a New Jersey non-profit dedicated to helping low-income, first-generation students access and succeed in higher education, has received a $2,400 grant from the Arman N. Roy Foundation. More Than Bootstraps was selected to receive the grant based on its work to address the challenges first-generation, low-income students face in getting to and succeeding in higher education. MTB's partner district, the Passaic Public Schools, serves students underrepresented in higher education: low-income, Latinx, and first-generation.

The Arman N. Roy Foundation grant will pay the subscription cost and help fund summer stipends for their Program Resource Fellows to pilot a new CRM, Campground, for our summer program.

Campground is a CRM and operating system for program managers of college access and success and/or workforce development programs. The system offers improved reporting of metrics, participant engagement, operational efficiency, and program scaleability. Sruti Bharat, founder of Campground, is also contributing to this project’s success by offering the CRM at a deep discount to MTB.

Implementation, led by MTB Program Resource Fellows Ashley Delgado (William Paterson, ’26) and Manan Raval (New Jersey Institute of Technology, ’26), will both develop the MTB organizational infrastructure and capacity and allow our students to develop their personal capacity including technical implementation, data analysis, and project management skills. Collaboration with the Campground team will allow the MTB students to be supervised and supported in this leadership role with the implementation of new technology.

“Inspired by Arman, our mission is to empower underserved students with technology resources and education, enabling them to be successful in today’s digital world,“ said Manisha Roy, chairperson, Arman N. Roy Foundation. “We are inspired by the work MTB does to ensure Passaic students have a pathway to an excellent education and successful future.”

“One of the highlights of this grant for me,” said Sruti Bharat, founder of Campground, “will be working directly with a young first-gen college student to train them in how to manage data and operations -- which will hopefully be a career-launching skill!”

“This is the second year of our partnership, and we love how Sruti Bharat, of Campground, and Manisha Roy, of the Arman N. Roy Foundation, are enabling us to continue to build our organizational infrastructure and utilize the talents of our students to do so,” said Audrey Fisch, president of More Than Bootstraps.

Grants and donations to More Than Bootstraps fund the monthly stipends that allow the high school and college students in the program some time and space to devote to their professional development and college-going activities while still meeting their financial responsibilities. Interested donors are invited to visit the MTB website.

More Than Bootstraps is a nonprofit created by educators seeking to level the playing field and remove some of the substantial barriers that first-generation college students encounter in accessing and succeeding in higher education. More Than Bootstraps employs a near-peer mentoring model to create a community of success. College students from the community return to guide their younger peers in the community through the college search, application, and assimilation process. These leaders, working as a mentoring cohort, in turn strengthen their own college-going identities and improve their own chances of success in higher education.

Students are selected based on their desire to attend college and their commitment to the program rather than grade point average or test scores. All students in the MTB program receive stipends, laptop computers, and access to emergency resources to help them with the many non-tuition expenses of higher education.

The Arman Roy Foundation was established in June 2019 to honor the memory of Arman Roy, a young man who left a lasting impression on those who knew him. With his infectious smile and selfless spirit, Arman was always eager to lend a hand and share his love of technology with others. Arman's name, which means "hope" in Hindi, is a fitting tribute to his legacy. Through the Arman Roy Foundation, we are carrying on his vision of creating a more hopeful future by helping underserved youth gain access to the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Arman's bright and beautiful spirit lives on through our inspiring work.

Sruti Bharat founded Campground to be a product that serves those who are serving others. Campground is the first CRM technology designed specifically for communities, programs, workforce development, and vital human services.