Winter 2024: Barriers Broken
Breaking Barriers Campaign Newsletter
Introduction from CSFP’s President & CEO
Happy New Year from me and CSFP! January brings an opportunity to both look back and plan forward, and I am excited to share some highlights from 2023 and my resolutions for 2024 with you in this edition of Barriers Broken. Everything we do centers around Philadelphia’s K-8 students, and providing access to safe, quality schools through scholarships. It’s a simple premise that has endured throughout CSFP’s 20+year history – and its impact is life-changing.
This year, we served more students than ever before and made significant progress toward our Breaking Barriers Campaign goals. We expanded our reach in Philadelphia communities and enhanced our support services. And we were able to accomplish these achievements thanks to support from visionaries like you, who understand the impact that their giving has on the lives of students right now.
I hope you are as proud as I am of what we’re achieving together. Thank you for supporting Breaking Barriers and Philly kids!
Warm regards,
Keisha Jordan
CSFP President & CEO
2023 Recap
In 2023, we served more students than ever before, reached more prospective families, better supported CSFP households, and celebrated new campaign gifts that will have lasting impact.
More students served.
6,100 students have received CSFP scholarships during this school year – our largest student cohort ever! Since the launch of the Breaking Barriers Campaign, we have increased our number of scholarship awards by 11% compared to last school year, providing hundreds of additional scholarships each year on our way to serving 7,700 students by 2027.
Increased philanthropic engagement.
Our community is responding to CSFP’s goals, with more than 120 new supporters joining our efforts, our largest number of new givers in recent history. Their generosity, combined with leadership support from long-time supporters such as The Connelly Foundation under the leadership of Tom Riley, as well as John Glomb and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, allowed CSFP to surpass the $30 million mark for our Breaking Barriers Campaign.
Enhanced family programming and support.
Forty CSFP Program Ambassadors (PA) worked closely with current and prospective families in schools, providing them with tools, resources, and support to ensure that families knew of our scholarship offerings and completed the process. This year, we prioritized meeting our families where they are – churches, clinics, libraries, day cares, direct service organizations – and providing additional support around financial literacy, tips for effective school communication, how to choose the right high school, and more.
Keisha’s 2024 Resolutions for CSFP
CSFP is committed to continuing to provide educational access for students and families. To do that, CSFP will:
1. Keep growing – serve 6,500 scholars for the 2024-25 school year, an increase of 5% over the 2023-24 school year and an important benchmark toward our ultimate Breaking Barriers goal of serving 7,700 students by 2027. How you can get involved: Each year, CSFP makes thousands of calls to new scholarship recipients. Contact Megan Staples Jacob to learn more about Lottery Day.
2. Expand outreach, including increasing CSFP’s Facebook and Instagram followers and fostering a greater network of accounting and financial planning partners to promote the EITC/OSTC giving programs.
CSFP gives thanks to the accountants and financial advisors who helped promote EITC/OSTC in 2023, including JT Goldstein Accountants and Business Advisors, S.D. Associates P.C., and Mill Creek Capital.
3. Support more families by providing opportunities for the entire household, including the Camp Connections and Program Ambassador programs.
Campaign Leadership Updates
Welcome Ricky Liss (Managing Partner, Liss & Marion) and Henry Warren (Vice President Banking Advisor, PNC) to the Breaking Barriers Campaign Steering Committee! CSFP is also pleased to share the addition of Jennifer K. Burns to CSFP’s Leadership Team as the organization’s new Chief Advancement Officer. To learn more about Jenn and this critical new role, read CSFP’s press release.
Campaign Progress
CSFP recently surpassed $30,000,000 in campaign gifts, raising $30,901,231 to date and about 31% of our campaign goal of $100M over five years.
Thanks to the generous support from the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, donations to CSFP’s 2023 annual fund counted towards the Breaking Barriers Campaign Matching Challenge, doubling the impact of those gifts and securing $1,000,000 in new funds last year.
CSFP’s tax credit supporter community pulled through for students in 2023, raising more than $10 million in EITC and OSTC scholarships!
Partner Highlight: Visitation BVM Honors CSFP
On Thursday, November 30th, Visitation Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), one of our school partners, celebrated their Holiday Concert and honored CSFP with the Reverend Thomas J. Barry Award. This event marked BVM’s 140th anniversary and recognized the 22 years of partnership between the school and CSFP. BVM embodies the goals and vision of the Breaking Barriers Campaign, opening doors to families seeking quality education in a safe environment that supports student achievement.