We know how to serve students. Now we’re building what it takes to keep serving them.

Build What Lasts

Help Barrier Breakers invest in the leadership capacity behind the mission.

Our goal: $120,000

Barrier Breakers has helped thousands of students navigate the path to college, graduate school, and careers through high-touch advising, mentorship, and advocacy.

We know how to serve students.

Now, we are investing in what it takes to make sure Barrier Breakers can keep serving them — and serve even more of them — for years to come.

THE OPPORTUNITY

An anchor funder has offered to lead this investment.

Our Board and team have already identified one of the clearest constraints on Barrier Breakers’ next stage of growth: the capacity of our Executive Director.

Today, Barrier Breakers runs on a lean full-time leadership team that carries programs, operations, and fundraising at the same time. That means much of our internal infrastructure and day-to-day operations still competes for the time of our Executive Director — the same person who leads our fundraising, foundation relationships, and strategic partnerships.

To change that, we are raising $120,000 to hire a full-time Director of Operations.

An anchor funder has offered to lead this investment if we can identify one or two additional funding partners to make it alongside them. We also welcome supporters who want to contribute toward the goal at any level.

The $120,000 plan: one full-time Director of Operations, giving back an estimated 400 to 500 Executive Director hours each year for fundraising and partnerships.

What this makes possible

A Director of Operations would own the systems that keep Barrier Breakers running: HR, payroll, financial reporting, technology, CRM, and day-to-day operations.

That frees our Executive Director to focus on the work that brings resources in: fundraising, foundation cultivation, donor relationships, and strategic partnerships.

And that is the real investment: not simply another position, but the capacity to bring significantly more resources into Barrier Breakers, increase our durability, and ultimately serve more students.

Programs create impact today. Infrastructure makes impact possible tomorrow.

Why invest in capacity?

It’s easy to understand the impact of paying for a student’s advising.

The impact of funding the organization behind that advisor can be harder to see.

But that’s where scale becomes possible.

Sometimes the highest-leverage investment isn’t funding one more program — it is building the organizational capacity that allows a strong program to reach many more people.

WAYS TO GIVE

Invest at a level that’s meaningful to you.

$40,000 — Founding Partner

One-third of the goal. We are looking for one or two funding partners — a foundation, company, or individual philanthropist — to join our anchor funder in making this investment possible.

Founding Partners help build the capacity that allows Barrier Breakers to reach many more students.

$25,000 — Build Organizational Capacity

More than 20% of the goal. A $25,000 investment materially accelerates our ability to bring on a full-time Director of Operations.

$10,000 — Strengthen the Foundation

Helps put HR, payroll, financial reporting, and internal systems in the hands of a dedicated operations leader.

$5,000 — Invest in Leadership

Helps return Executive Director hours to fundraising, foundation cultivation, and strategic partnerships.

$2,500 and $1,000 — Join the Investment

Every gift moves us closer to the $120,000 goal and helps show partners that this community is invested in Barrier Breakers’ next stage.

Prefer to give monthly?

Sustainable organizations are built through sustainable support.

Monthly donors give Barrier Breakers something especially valuable: predictable revenue we can plan around.

Who should be at this table?

We’re looking for funders who understand that sometimes the highest-leverage investment isn’t funding one more program — it is building the organizational capacity that allows a strong program to reach many more people.

If a foundation, company, individual philanthropist, or another potential partner comes to mind, we would love an introduction — or a conversation about the best way to approach them.

Gifts of any amount are welcome. For foundations, companies, and individuals interested in becoming a Founding Partner or making a major or multi-year investment, please contact Barrier Breakers directly.

Build What Lasts: Invest in Barrier Breakers’ Next Stage

Help Barrier Breakers build the leadership capacity to grow our partnerships, strengthen our future, and open doors for more students.