Our Mission

Wolverines Academy provides direct support to good people in tough situations. We invest in individuals who demonstrate grit, integrity, and the drive to improve their own lives, their families', and their communities'. Our goal is simple: to empower the people who will become catalysts in lifting their families out of poverty. We focus on students and communities in Thailand, Mexico, and Lebanon, where we have strong ties and can operate with complete transparency.

Our Commitment
We are a zero-expense organization. Every penny of every donation goes directly to recipients. There is no compensation or expense reimbursement for our board members. All operating costs are covered by the Jones family foundation, including accounting, legal, government fees, web hosting, and IT infrastructure. For every dollar you contribute, 100% goes directly to the students, schools, and organizations we support.
Additionally, the Jones family foundation will 100% match your donation, so for every dollar that you contribute, two dollars will go directly to the students, schools, and organizations that we are supporting.
Our Focus
We prioritize support in three critical areas:
Health –Providing improved nutrition for the elementary schools that we sponsor. Supporting our scholars to overcome health challenges so they can stay on track with their education and long-term goals.
Education – university and high school scholarships, plus support for impoverished elementary schools.
Improving Communities – Supporting organizations and teams that match our values and are having a positive impact in their community.
Our purpose is to create breakthrough success, not short-term survival. We invest in people who have already shown discipline and potential—and simply need a small amount of support to change the trajectory of their lives.
How We Select Recipients
We keep our screening philosophy for our scholars simple:
Is this a person who can be the catalyst to lift their family out of poverty?
From there, each type of recipient has clear criteria:
University Scholars (Primary Focus)
  • Must come from a tough or impoverished background
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA in high school and university
  • Preference for first-generation university students
  • Typical support: $100/month, twelve months per year
High School Scholars
  • On track to attend university
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Strong character and community involvement
  • Typical support: $20/month
Elementary School Support

We sponsor select elementary schools that lack basic resources like nutrition, supplies, and facility repairs.

Organizations & Teams

We support groups in our three focus countries if they:

  • Demonstrate grit and a positive impact on their community
  • Serve people in tough situations
  • Operate with low overhead
  • Serve as role models within their community
One-Time Exceptions

We reserve the ability to make one-time gifts when there is a compelling need—medical issues, urgent hardship, or academic opportunities—always with board approval. We remain flexible while keeping our primary focus on long-term educational advancement.

Where we do not Contribute

We intentionally avoid organizations involved in disaster response, medical research, or other short-term relief efforts. These groups are often well-funded and structured for immediate assistance rather than long-term family transformation. Wolverines Academy keeps its support laser-focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, stability, and long-term opportunity. We are looking to break the cycle of poverty, one family at a time.

Our Long-Term Goal
We aim to build a $25 million endowment to support 1,000 university scholars per year, forever. We have set a 25-year timeline to achieve and exceed this goal. We will keep our contributors informed on our progress.
Since we currently have about 15 active university scholars, we have a long way to go. The good news is that we have built the models and are confident that this is an achievable goal. Every student we help today moves us closer to that vision.