Dreams of school and hopes for the future
Olivia from Panama dreams of using technology to improve health conditions in her community.
It’s the faces you notice when you first visit The School Fund’s website– wide and open, they radiate hope in their future and in the power of education to change the direction of their lives.
Ibrahim from Sierra Leone dreams of becoming an accountant. Photo by The School Fund.
There’s Ibrahim from Sierra Leone, who wants to be an accountant, Kristel from the Philippines who would like to become a nurse, and Olivia from Panama, who dreams of using technology to help improve health conditions in her community.
$150 a year can change a child’s life forever
The 450 children profiled on The School Fund live in 17 different countries, but they all share the same challenge: their families cannot afford even the modest school fees ($150-500 a year) required for secondary education.
As a result, they are at risk of dropping out and losing their dreams forever.
Connecting donors to real children and making donations count
That’s where The School Fund comes in. Started in 2009 by Palo Alto native and Paly grad Matt Severson, the School Fund has collected more than $350,000 to fund secondary education for over 1,000 children in the developing world.
The secret to The School Fund’s success? Connect donors to actual children like Roda and Ibrahim to show how even a small gift can make a real difference in a child’s life.
Kristel from the Philippines dreams of becoming a nurse.
To ensure a direction connection to kids in need, The School Fund sends 100% of funds donated through the site to pay for students’ school fees in the developing world. Overhead and staff costs are
funded through separate grants, although donors also can also choose to support the organization during the online payment process.
Started by a Paly grad and inspired by an unlikely friendship
Matt’s idea for the School Fund came when he befriended a young man named John Medo while on vacation in Tanzania. Although John had strong test scores and dreamed of becoming the president of Tanzania, he was planning to drop out of school because his family couldn’t afford his tuition.
When Matt found out that all John needed to continue was $150 a year, he convinced his parents to help pay for his school, and a lasting friendship was born.
Palo Alto native Matt Severson with John Medo, the inspiration for The School Fund. Photo by The School Fund.
Inspired by his experience in Tanzania, Matt started the School Fund during his senior year at Brown University by creating a simple web platform that would connect donors with qualified students in the developing world.
As Matt launched his professional career at Google, he continued to work on The School Fund, using his parents house in Palo Alto as an ad hoc headquarters and recruiting tech savvy friends to run the website and keep costs low.
Poised for expansion to reach even more students
2015 marks a new phase for The School Fund, as the organization has hired its first executive director, Elizabeth Texeira, and director of programs, Michael Childress, both graduates of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and experienced education leaders.
With Michael and Liz on board and rewewed support from Matt and The School Fund’s Board of Directors, the organization is poised for major expansion.
The School Fund aims to double the number of students funded annually, from 450 to 900, and to deepen its relationships with the 15 partner education organizations around the world that facilitate scholarships and outreach in each region.
Local donors understand the value of education
“We have a large donor base here in Silicon Valley and across the Bay Area, and their commitment to giving back is amazing,” said executive director Liz Texeira.
“People in Palo Alto know that education is opportunity- we don’t have to sell that to our local supporters.”
Educating girls: the ‘silver bullet’ for economic change
The School Fund is also proud of its impact on girls, who currently make up 65% of its student profiles and that number is growing. “Educating girls has been described as the ‘silver bullet’ of economic development and it’s a key way to expand our impact in the regions we serve,” explained Texeira.
Consider these stats on the School Fund’s website about the value of funding education in the developing world:
- For each additional year of secondary school, an individual’s wages increase by 15-25%.2
- Educated girls are healthier and are less likely to become child brides.3
- As adults, educated women have healthier children and smaller family sizes.4,5
- Girls who have received an education are more likely to become leaders within their communities.6
Creating a pipeline of leaders around the world
Felix from Tanzania needs $100 by January 2016 to continue his education.. a small amount that can make a big difference
While The School Fund is passionate about funding education for children today- and in sharing their stories of hope through its website- its ultimate goal is to develop a pipeline of leaders who will create lasting change in their home countries.
It’s a powerful vision that starts with a single step: funding school for a child who might be far away from Palo Alto, but whose dreams for the future are very similar to kids right here.
Give to The School Fund and support a Palo Alto organization that’s having a global impact
To make a difference for the future of a child in the developing world, go to www.theschoolfund.org, find a child and get started.
To learn more about The School Fund and its impact, look at the press kit.
For more information, email hello@theschoolfund.org.
