Winter 2026: Barriers Broken

Breaking Barriers Campaign Newsletter

A Look Back and a Plan for the Future

Progress since the launch of the Breaking Barriers Campaign has been incredible! Since the launch of the campaign, we have increased the number of students served year over year, increased the amount of funding students receive, retained more students each year, and provided more supplementary programs for the family.  

In addition, more than 1/3 of CSFP scholars are receiving our top tier scholarship of $3,350 – for the 2025-2026 school year, this is equal to 2,396 students*. CSFP will invest more than $17 million in our scholarship recipients and our partner schools during the 25-26 school year, helping more Philadelphia families access safe, quality education at our partner schools.  

Each year, CSFP awards scholarships based on many factors – retention of scholarship recipients from the previous year, size of scholarships awarded, and our ability to raise scholarship dollars in an increasingly competitive philanthropic environment in Philadelphia and nationwide. With retention at an all-time high and increased scholarship amounts, we will offer fewer new scholarships during the 2026-2027 school year, continuing to support our current scholars at a high level while relentlessly pursuing additional funding to meet the growing need. For families already in our program, we are committed to providing funding through the conclusion of 8th grade and their award amounts will be unchanged. 

Hundreds more students are able to stay in their CSFP partner school, thanks to YOU and our loyal donor community. Achieving the goals of the Breaking Barriers campaign has proven how necessary the campaign is, and how impactful our changes are for families across Philadelphia. As we prepare for 2026 and deepen our commitment to CSFP families, your support is more crucial than ever.  

*as of 1/12/26. Stats are subject to change. 

CSFP Welcomes New Board Members  

Welcome to two new members of CSFP’s Board of Directors, Marcia O’Connor and David Landskroner. Each brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and passion for the mission as they embark on their three-year terms.   

Marcia Zaruba O’Connor is the Founder and CEO of The O’Connor Group, a premier firm specializing in outsourced Human Resources and Recruitment-as-a-Service for small and mid-sized companies across Professional Services, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Information Technology, and Manufacturing. Marcia is deeply engaged in the community as a Trustee of Widener University, as well as a member of the Widener University Accounting Advisory Board, the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia Board, the M&T Bank Advisory Board and the President of the Philadelphia 100 Forum. She supports women entrepreneurs as the Founder of Shadow Her, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit equipping female business owners with essential skills for success. 

David Landskroner is the Founder and CEO of Hightop Real Estate & Development, a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, brokerage, and property-management platform serving the Greater Philadelphia region. Under his leadership, Hightop has grown into a multi-disciplinary organization delivering multifamily, mixed-use, lifestyle retail, and ground-up residential projects across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He was named a Rising Star Deal Maker of the Year in 2021 and a Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in 2025. Beyond real estate, David is an active entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist, with a focus on youth development and community programming through the YMCA. 

CSFP Celebrates 25 Years of Hope, Opportunity, and Success

Fresh Perspectives Student Art Showcase 

Save the date! CSFP will host a Student Art Showcase at Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) designed to share student reflections on America’s 250^th Birthday. This installation will feature the original work of selected CSFP scholars to share their perspective with Philadelphia and all of its visitors. The showcase launches with a reception on Sunday, June 28, 2026 and the installation will remain open to the public through mid-July. To add this event to your calendar, click the button below:

25 Years of Impact – CSFP and the Formative Years of Education for Philadelphia Kids 

Our earliest CSFP scholars are now in their late 20s and 30s – what are they doing today and how did having access to safe, quality education in the early years impact their years beyond school? Have CSFP scholarships increased economic mobility and helped break generational poverty and the barriers that it creates? What has CSFP’s impact been on educational outcomes in Philadelphia? How and what are our scholarship alumni doing? What has CSFP’s impact been on the schools we work with?  

To answer some of these questions, CSFP has commissioned a report. We’ll connect with scholarship alumni and CSFP partner schools to start to understand how 25 years of scholarships have impacted long-term success and release our findings in Fall 2026. 

CSFP’s 25th Anniversary Celebration  

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening as Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia celebrates our Silver Anniversary! This will be a vibrant celebration of the quarter-century of life-changing opportunities CSFP has provided to Philadelphia’s children. The evening will be filled with inspiring stories, exceptional entertainment, and palpable energy as we celebrate CSFP’s impact on students, families, and Philadelphia.  

We hope you’ll be able to join us for this exciting event on October 15, 2026 at the Fairmount Horticultural Center. Full Save the Dates and Invites will be sent in the coming months. To add this event to your calendar, click the button below:  

Breaking Barriers Campaign Updates

The Breaking Barriers campaign aims to provide more scholarships and support for Philadelphia families over time by increasing the number of scholarships awarded, reducing the barriers to renewing scholarships, increasing the supplementary programs we offer CSFP families, and building a strong and sustainable organization for years to come.   

We raised over $13M in commitments in 2025 through tax credits and outright giving. To date, we have raised $58M+ through the Breaking Barriers Campaign.