An Invitation to Invest

Sponsor a Builder Scholar.Unleash a Future Founder.

For $500, put a brilliant high-school student to work building real Christian startups—earning college credit and a decade-long head start on a life of kingdom impact.

Unleashing the next generation

High schools across the country are full of brilliant, driven students with the raw potential to become world-changing founders and business leaders. Most of that potential sits untapped until years after college. We're changing that.

We're partnering with elite Christian high schools nationwide to find these students early—then putting them on real projects, equipping them with real skills, surrounding them with mentors, and connecting them to a network of Christian founders. Your gift is what makes their seat free.

50+

Christian startups in our portfolio & pipeline

80

Builder Scholars we want to fund this year

$500

Sponsors one student for a full semester

$40K

Fully funds the entire 2026–27 year

How it works

From the classroom to the marketplace—before they even graduate high school.

01

We partner with elite Christian schools

The best private Christian high schools in the country each nominate a handful of their brightest, most driven students.

02

They build real companies

Scholars work hand-in-hand with ACU students on real Christian-led startups and marketplace ventures—shipping work that matters from day one.

03

They earn college credit

Each scholar enrolls in a 3-credit college course. With their counselor’s approval, it can count on their high-school transcript too—dual credit, free of charge.

04

They graduate years ahead

They finish high school with a portfolio, a network, and momentum most people don’t build until years after college.

The engine behind it all

The Startup Accelerator

At the heart of Builder Scholars is ACU's startup accelerator—where students work shoulder-to-shoulder on real companies led by great Christian founders, earning college credit while they build, ship, and launch.

It's the proven engine your gift plugs into. Builder Scholars step right into this ecosystem of founders, mentors, and 50+ startups from day one.

A decade-long head start

What a single semester gives a young Christian builder.

A Real Portfolio

Scholars finish with shipped projects on real companies—proof of work before they even set foot on a college campus.

A Powerful Network

They build relationships with founders, investors, and mentors years earlier than their peers ever will.

College Credit, Free

A 3-credit course at no cost—dual credit toward both a college degree and, with approval, their high-school transcript.

Choose your investment

Every gift sponsors students directly. Fund one scholar, a team, a whole cohort, or the entire year—then watch what they build.

$500Sponsors 1 Builder Scholar

Start a Builder

Fund one student for one semester—one 3-credit course and a semester of real-world projects, free to them.

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$5,000Sponsors 10 Builder Scholars

Equip a Team

Put a whole team of young builders to work alongside our students on Christian-led companies.

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$15,000Sponsors 30 Builder Scholars

The Fall Cohort

Fund our entire Fall 2026 class of scholars—every nominated student, fully covered.

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$40,000Sponsors all 80 Builder Scholars

The Full Year

Fund every Builder Scholar for the full 2026–27 year—both the Fall and Spring cohorts, start to finish.

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Have a different amount in mind? Give any amount —every $500 sponsors another student.

Partner with us

Sponsor a Scholar

Give securely online by card or ACH. 100% of your gift makes the experience free for a student.

Want to Talk First?

Considering a major gift or sponsoring a full cohort? Reach out and we'll walk you through the opportunity personally.

Jake Oswald

Meet the Accelerator Director

Jake Oswald is passionate about activating the entrepreneur in young Christians and is eager to connect the next generation to cutting-edge, Christian-led startups from across the country. Reach out with any questions about sponsoring a Builder Scholar.