"Nurturing the youth of today, Lighting the pathways for the leaders of tomorrow"
PROGRAMS
Titus Foundation Mini Grant Programs
At the Titus Foundation, we firmly believe that the foundation of strong communities begins with investing in our youth. Our commitment to nurturing the next generation is reflected in our Mini Grant Program, which was launched in our inaugural year by awarding four mini grants to promising community initiatives.
Since its inception, the Mini Grant Program has steadily grown. Our primary focus continues to be on supporting small, grassroots projects that foster both the intellectual and physical development of young people. We are dedicated to identifying and cultivating programs that help unlock the full potential of youth within our communities.
Unlike traditional grant programs, the Titus Foundation does not have an open application process, nor do we accept unsolicited requests for funding. Instead, we take a proactive approach by seeking out organizations and initiatives that embody our mission and values. Through careful evaluation, we identify those programs that are making a genuine and measurable impact on youth development.
By awarding grants to thoughtfully selected projects, we ensure that each contribution from the Titus Foundation meaningfully supports the growth of young people and the strengthening of our communities. Now, as we enter our fifth year of operation, we look back with pride at the outstanding projects we have been able to support, some of which are highlighted below.
G’s to Gents helps empower young men and fosters personal growth. It is a day of workshops on proper professional dress and etiquette, resume writing, and interviewing skills
A educational program that uses basketball to motivate young people to achieve in school and life.
The program works with students families and schools to provide surround care for student development. No Books No Ball has become an integral part of the fabric of Boston’s black community.
The focus of the Marcus Anthony Hall Educational Institute is to increase the skills, knowledge and ability of individuals who wish to engage in creating lasting, positive change in their communities. The Institute is designed to work with people at varying levels of awareness ranging from awakening to people who are knowledgeable, organized and engaged. Awakening involves helping individuals, who have never been or who are newly engaged in social change activities, gain an understanding of why social change may be necessary in their community and how to participate in creating it. As the course progresses, people develop the skills and strategies needed to transform their communities into places that reflect neighborhood residents’ concept of how an engaged community functions and what it looks and feels like.
The Follow Suit Mentoring Program is a transformative initiative led by Anthony Thompson, a fashion mentor dedicated to inspiring and motivating at-risk youth. The program’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of young men by focusing on their spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Through a series of workshops, participants learn about the importance of dress for success, healthy relationships, and financial literacy. The program also includes a workshop on suicide prevention, aiming to equip young men with the tools to support themselves and their peers. The initiative has been well-received by local business owners and community members, highlighting its positive impact on the community. Empower Your Journey with Our Mentorship Programs
The mission of The Hoop Collaborative is to promote wellness and healthy behavior through basketball. We believe in providing young men and women with opportunities to play competitive basketball in a positive and safe environment. By fostering a culture of inclusion, education, and mentorship, we aim to create healthier communities, reduce violence, and empower youth with positive social skills and a commitment to personal growth. HOME | Herc42
The mission of Teen Empowerment is to employ, train, and empower youth to, in collaboration with adults, create peace, equity, and justice. Boston Teen Empowerment — The Center for Teen Empowerment
The Witherspoon Institute (WIN) is a nonprofit community leadership think tank for youth in the arts focusing on reading literacy for youth through it’s “Get Lit” programming.
The Witherspoon Institute – The Witherspoon Institute
Building Champions On and Off the Track the Metro Cobras Youth Enrichment Track Club, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is more than just a track club. It’s a community where young athletes grow, learn, and thrive. Since its founding in 2010 by Saleena Rashed, the club has been dedicated to helping youth develop not only their athletic skills but also essential life qualities like discipline, perseverance, and teamwork.
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WordPowered (formerly WriteBoston) fosters deep learning for youth and educators. We elevate and reshape the role of literacy — writing, reading, and discussion — so that all youth think critically and can use their voice to create change. About WriteBoston: Fostering transformative learning
Titus Foundation Scholarship Programs
Paula Titus Scholarship Fund
The purpose of the Fund will be to provide scholarship support to one or more full time undergraduate students in the Sport Leadership and Administration Program. Recipients must have financial need, as determined by Financial Aid. Recipients must have graduated from Boston Public High Schools or a public high school in a Massachusetts Gateway City, as defined by the Massachusetts State Legislature in Section 3A of Chapter 23A of the General Laws of Massachusetts as: Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester. Students who have completed pre-freshman programs including, but not limited to The Base, Peter Gammons Scholars, Urban Scholars, Directions for Student potential, and Upward Bound will be given preferred consideration. Eligible students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of the award and be an active participant in co-curricular activities within the sport leadership and administration field.
The scholarship honors Paula Titus, the wife of longtime UMass Boston men’s basketball coach and former Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation, Special Projects and Programs Charlie Titus. Paula Titus served as a mother figure to the hundreds of men’s basketball players who stepped on the court for the Beacons during the 40+ seasons that her husband was the UMass Boston head coach. Through generous donations from Larry Smith and the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame, her family, and countless friends, Paula’s legacy of kindness, perseverance, and mentorship will live on through this memorial scholarship.
CARL CADET Bachelors Degree Cum Laude in Sports Hometown: Randolph, MA |
Dr. Philip DiSalvio Student Success Award
Dr. DiSalvio, as the former Dean of the College of Advancing and Professional Studies (CAPS) at the University of Massachusetts Boston, was instrumental in developing the idea for the New Balance Sport Leadership and Administration (SLA) undergraduate program. A strong believer and advocate for continuing education and creating new and bold opportunities in Higher Education, Dr.DiSalvio expressed his commitment to establishing the SLA undergraduate program. He believed dearly in community wellness and service to others. Dr. DiSalvio was also an expert in student retention and success as well as a major advocate in the field of teaching and learning innovation.
The annual award is provided to a graduating SLA student who has achieved outstanding achievement in the classroom, demonstrated a passion for learning, displayed positive leadership skills, and been accepted to a graduate program of their choice.
 QUENTIN ANDRADE
Graduating senior with a degree in Sports Leadership & Administration (2025), enrolled in Stonehill College (fall 2025) pursuing a master’s degree in sports management |
Titus Scholars
The Titus Foundation provides supplemental scholarship support for students who are already enrolled in college, have proven to be outstanding in the classroom and need a little extra financial boost to continue their studies. Students with financial need can be referred to the Titus Foundation for consideration. There is not a formal application process.
BEEBAN JIKEMI PEARSON
Rising senior 2026 major Sports
Leadership & Administration |
Rising Junior Daemen University |
Paula Titus Golf Outing
The Paula Titus Golf Outing is the first initiative of the Titus Foundation now in the third year. It is held in honor of the late matriarch of the Titus family. Paula was a fierce believer in supporting young people in all ways available. She was a confidant, a provider of meals, an advocate, and a mother figure for decades of students at University of Massachusetts Boston. The foundation has made a minimum five-year commitment to the golf outing with the goal of raising more than $500,000 for the endowed Paula Titus Scholarship Fund to support students enrolled in the New Balance Sports Leadership and Administration Program at University of Massachusetts Boston. This endowed fund will support hundreds of students for many, many years to come.
The Annual Golf Outing will be held on the first Monday of June each year at the George Divine Golf Club at Franklin Park in Dorchester, MA, with full details and registration available on the Titus Foundation events page.
YES Africa
YES (Youth Education and Sports) with Africa is an innovative partnership that seeks to develop the athletic prowess of young people while expanding their educational and cultural horizons. The program gave youngsters aged 7 to 19 the opportunity to acquire basketball skills while learning about computers and other technology, health issues, and their own cultural heritage. UMass Boston’s role began at the discussion level in 1999 and quickly grew.
During the summer of 2000 Charlie Titus, athletic director at UMass Boston, joined the program as a coach, lecturer, instructor, and consultant. Then Professor Jemadari Kamara, director of the Center for African Caribbean and Community Development at UMass Boston, came aboard. Both men believed strongly that the program could serve as an ambassador of the sport of basketball and of U.S. culture in general. And they believed that capacity building—the expansion of athletic, technical, educational, and entrepreneurial activities— should be an essential part of the mission.
Yes with Africa experienced enormous success, owing largely to its focus on quality and to a high degree of cooperation among its sponsors. The program enjoyed the backing of government agencies like the Ministry of Youth and National Solidarity of Niger, corporations like Coca-Cola and Air Afrique, and local organizations like the Basketball Federation of Niger.
Yes with Africa was soon adopted in other localities—during the summer of 2002, Senegal and Benin hosted Yes with Africa camps for the first time—and interest continued to grow, far outstripping capacity.
In December 2006, Vice Chancellor Titus gave a presentation to the new President of Benin, President Yayi Boni, (a young man considered to embody the new breed of African leadership) and his staff in Washington DC. The presentation was about the YES with Africa project in Contonou, Benin. This exemplified the interest the program has attracted. Several African heads of state have told the organizers they would like to host the program if funding could be found.
The program has enjoyed broad support from governmental and private groups in Africa and has the enthusiastic endorsement of the administration and faculty at UMass Boston. In 2008 the University of Massachusetts Boston received a grant from the U.S. Department of State to support a two-year coaches’ exchange program based in Senegal.
For this program, a contingent of six Senegalese visited UMass Boston in Winter 2009, and five UMass Boston representatives traveled to Senegal in Summer 2009. In 2016 new UMass Boston head men’s basketball coach Jason Harris made his first trip Africa. He continued to help develop young boys and girls through the game of basketball.
There is a strong network of contacts involved with the YES program. In Senegal, for example, YES with Africa is currently active in Dakar, St. Louis, Mbour, Goree and Thies. We have involved over 30 coaches in Senegal. YES with Africa also operates at a similar scale in Benin. The YES with Africa program presently focuses on youth ages 8-18 and has five dimensions, all integrated to form a unified project:
- Cultural arts sharing, building pride in creativity and heritage, and teaching strategies to sustain traditions and support performances and exhibitions
- Health education seminars, including HIV/AIDS awareness
- Applied technological skills, focused on computers and the Internet
- Basketball coaches training and youth technique development
- Environmental awareness, including recycling and conservation
The basic strategy of YES is that African boys and girls agree to take classes on the above topics in the morning in exchange for the reward of playing sports and improving their sports skills in the afternoon. This is a model that has been used successfully by many organizations in the U.S. (Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, for example) in addition to Africa. YES is a multiethnic, coeducational, sports and leadership development experience. It affords young people the opportunity to develop social and critical thinking skills, meet diverse youth from a variety of cultural, economic, and ethnic groups, expand personal horizons and enjoy physical training. Fostering youth and trainer exchanges is an important objective of the project.