I’ve spent 25 years working in education fundraising, and I’ve seen up close how the philanthropy landscape has changed. Overall participation in fundraising is down, and prospects who are giving are concentrating their philanthropy among fewer organizations. Schools are competing harder for a shrinking pool of traditional donors.
At the same time, younger generations are fundamentally reshaping philanthropy. Gen Z and millennial donors focus their giving on supporting issues and causes rather than specific organizations, seeing themselves as active social change agents. Ninety percent of millennials donate because of their alignment with a mission, not the organization itself, according to Achieve’s “Millennial Impact Report.”
Even more telling: Nearly 70% of Gen Z donors say that impact reporting is likely to motivate increased giving, and 68% have made multiple gifts to nonprofits over a long period, demonstrating loyalty to organizations they support, as reported in Blackbaud’s “Gen Z at the Table” report, They’re not drive-by donors—they’re committed partners when they see authentic community impact. This matters enormously as $18 trillion is expected to go to charity by 2048, with the next generation wielding unprecedented philanthropic influence.
Reflecting on this current context for giving and the fundraising models that many schools are still using, I started thinking more about how schools that demonstrate genuine community transformation aren’t just aligned with emerging donor values—they’re positioned to lead.
In my work as chief advancement officer at The Gateway School (NY), which serves children with learning differences, I’ve come to believe that what schools need to improve fundraising efforts—and results—isn’t better galas or slicker marketing. It’s fundamentally reimagining what it means to advance education by opening doors that were previously closed and proving that schools can be catalysts for community transformation. It’s embracing community-centric fundraising—a model that prioritizes the entire community over individual organizations and fosters genuine independence.
A Different Approach
When families find us at Gateway, they’re seeking hope. Approximately 192,000 New York City public school children have IEPs––nearly one in five students––according to a 2021 NYC Department of Education report. The parents of those students have often fought through bureaucratic mazes and advocated tirelessly for their children’s right to learn.
This reality of part of the reason that, in 2024 The Gateway School partnered with Horizons NYC, an organization that promotes educational equity in the New York metropolitan area by implementing programs that serve systemically under-resourced communities. As part of our partnership, we created a new program that provides early intervention, specialized instruction, and family support to rising kindergarten and first-grade students with language-based learning disabilities during summer months. This program combines our school’s 60 years of expertise in educating students with learning differences with Horizons NYC’s successful summer learning model.
The skeptics had concerns. 'Won't this divert funds from your existing programs?' But here's the insight: When you demonstrate genuine commitment to serving your community, philanthropic support doesn't decrease—it multiplies. Donors passionate about educational equity want to support institutions that walk the walk.
The partnership has already had a positive impact on the students who participated in the program––and an even wider impact on our school/an impact on our school’s fundraising approach/efforts. After we created this partnership, we started to notice that we were connecting with foundations and individual donors who might never have considered supporting a school for children with learning differences, but who were moved by our commitment to reaching beyond our walls. We began to realize that serving a broader population strengthens rather than weakens institutional foundations. Our partnership diversified our fundraising base, expanding our reach in ways that traditional approaches never could.
We have shifted our perspective on fundraising; it has become less about supporting only our existing students and more about expanding our impact to serve families throughout our community. Rather than treating fundraising as a series of isolated events or campaigns, we are starting to more fully embrace it as an extension of continuous community engagement—creating sustainable support systems that foster true advancement.
Dismantling Old Assumptions
Too many schools still believe fundraising is simply about asking for money, when it’s really about building relationships and understanding what drives people to invest in change. There’s a persistent notion that only wealthy donors matter, but I’ve seen small donations from many supporters create transformational impact. The old model treats donors as ATMs; the new model treats them as partners in community transformation.
This kind of community-centric model isn’t just about what we’ve created at Gateway; it’s about what becomes possible when schools everywhere start asking: How can we use our resources, expertise, and community connections to serve not just our students, but our neighbors? Working in this environment has shown me that true progress involves both supporting a school and investing in the kind of community we aim to build.
On the first day of the Horizons NYC at The Gateway School camp this past summer, a mother arrived with her son, a boy who seemed to carry the weight of uncertainty on his small shoulders. But by summer’s end, everything had changed. At our showcase, that same boy stood before the crowd, beaming. He presented his work with joy and unmistakable pride. A picture of him and his friends hangs on my wall now, a daily reminder of why this work matters. Horizons retains 80% of students year after year, and students gain an average of 6-10 weeks of grade equivalence in reading each summer.
Education isn’t just about individual success; it’s about collective achievement. It’s about lifting entire communities. When schools embrace this responsibility, when advancement officers see themselves as community builders rather than just fundraisers, we create possibilities that extend far beyond any single institution.