Although research demonstrates the effectiveness of nonprofit college access organizations (CAOs) for improved college awareness, knowledge, enrollment, and persistence, few studies examine their resources, organizational behaviors, and political influence. This historical qualitative case study evaluates the institutional forces that lead to privatization of nonprofit college access organizations. It extends the college access field by broadening our understanding of these intermediary organizations. Research on college access is important because persistent inequalities in degree attainment continue for minoritized, rural, and underserved youth. The overall aim of this study was to understand CAOs’ dominant resource streams and how resource diversification influences or constrains their actions. The growth of the field over the past few decades is outlined along with a discussion of the policy context including disinvestments in K-12 schools and higher education. This research highlights how CAOs are funded, adapt, grow, and influence policy during political disruption of the accountability, reform, and social justice eras. Both categorical and narrative data was collected through extensive document analysis and 25 semi-structured interviews with elite insiders, alumni, and financial supporters. While not generalizable, findings suggest CAOs map and exploit the environment with mission re-orientation and resource diversification. In doing so, they reproduce the unequal opportunity structures evidenced in all levels of the US educational system based on their orientation towards privatization. Because policy scholars traditionally attend to college access with a focus on either K-12 schools or higher education, these findings are significant because they illuminate the inequality of policy actors across sectors and the unintended consequences of philanthropic and corporate support. Recommendations for research, policy, and practice argue for more nuanced analysis of local contexts. Increased financial transparency, cross-sector collaboration with intentional social justice practices and authentic youth engagement are also called for.