The B.E.L.L. Foundation will continue to tutor and mentor inner-city youth in NYC with $1 million loan from NFF

NFF has approved a $1 million loan to the B.E.L.L. Foundation (BELL) in support of BELL's New York City program. BELL was created in the early nineties by several Harvard Law School Graduates dedicated to improving the academic welfare of inner-city kids. Based in Boston, BELL operates programs in New York City and Washington, DC as well.

As a certified No Child Left Behind (NCLB) after-school provider, BELL sought this line of credit to bridge delays in reimbursement for vouchers funded by the NCLB program. Often, there is a lag between the receipt of the NCLB vouchers and payment from The New York City Board of Education. Determined not to allow this lag to affect their students' studies, BELL applied to NFF for the $1 million loan to ensure the ongoing high level of quality of its programs.

BELL operates a rigorous supplemental education program with a one-to-seven ratio of tutors to scholars, and a state-certified teacher overseeing each class. BELL has proven to be a successful program with 79 percent of scholars making grade-equivalent gains in both reading and math, and 86 percent and 73 percent of scholars reaching proficient or advanced levels in reading and math respectively during the 2001