Wolverines Academy is a Private Operating Foundation that provides direct, sustained educational support to high-potential individuals in underserved communities. We invest in people who demonstrate grit, integrity, and the drive to transform their families and communities.
Students grinding through financial hardship to finish their university degree
Schools that are building a pathway to university for their students
Organizations on the ground doing the hard work of community change
Across the world, talented students drop out of universities because they cannot afford basic living costs — food, transportation, textbooks, and housing. A modest monthly stipend can be the difference between graduating and giving up.
Wolverines Academy steps in exactly at this point:
Just enough support, for just the right students, at just the right time.
We are a family that is strongly committed to giving back. We built this organization because we have deep roots in these communities. We've seen the talent. We've watched kids give up on their education because of money, not ability. Lek grew up navigating the same financial pressures that force talented students to quit. Wolverines Academy exists because we believe a small, consistent investment in the right people can change everything.
When we sponsored our first scholar back in 2014, we watched her progress and realized we were literally changing a person's life. The results were so dramatic that we committed to growing the program every year — and we have averaged 15 scholars annually ever since. Now that Tom is retired, he has committed his entrepreneurial energy to growing the Wolverines to 1,000 scholars per year. We have set a target of going from 14 scholars to 67 in 2026, so you can see that we are fully committed to aggressive growth and powerful results.
— Tom & Lek Jones, Co-Founders
We keep our program simple, transparent, and measurable.
2025 Snapshot
28+ scholars supported since inception
3 countries served
95%+ Graduation Rate
$100/month average scholarship support per student
Zero administrative overhead — all operating costs covered by the Jones Family Foundation. For every $1.00 donated, $1.00 goes entirely to scholarships.
Direct support to elementary schools and organizations that align with our mission
Where We Serve
Thailand
Mexico
Lebanon
Our long-term goal is as bold as it is achievable: Grow the Wolverines Academy to support 1,000 university scholars per year within the next 25 years.
To operate at that scale, the Wolverines Academy aims to build a $25 million endowment that will provide stable, perpetual funding of $1 million annually — enough to support 1,000 students at $100/month, forever.
The long-term fuel for everything we do is a $25 million endowment — invested for perpetual growth, generating $1 million annually to fund 1,000 scholars per year, forever. We will get there through supporter donations, Jones Family contributions, and the compounding power of long-term investment. This is a 25-year commitment, and we are already underway.
We are at 14 scholars today. Our goal is 1,000. Our 2026 milestone is $1M, and the long-term target is a $25M endowment. Every step forward is funded by people like you.
Scholar Count
2026 Goal: 67 Scholars
Scholar Count
Long-term Goal: 1,000 Scholars
Endowment
2026 Goal: $1M Endowment
Endowment
Long-term Goal: $25M Endowment
Our model is intentionally simple:
Wolverines Academy is a Delaware-incorporated Private Operating Foundation (EIN: 41-3171238) with formal governance policies, zero board compensation, and complete financial transparency.
Your contribution goes directly to students — 100% of donated funds reach our scholars.