Dear Friends,
We’re writing with urgency and hope.
This Giving Tuesday, December 2, the Futures Initiative needs your support to reach our $10,000 goal. We’ve already raised $6,500 so we’re almost there. Will you help us cross the finish line?
Why this matters now
At CUNY, New York City’s public university system, we serve students across all five boroughs for whom higher education is not a luxury but a lifeline. In a moment when public universities face devastating funding cuts and attacks on academic freedom, the Futures Initiative stands as proof of what’s possible when we invest in equity and innovation.
Everything we do, we do in service of the communities we represent.
What your support makes possible
The numbers tell one story: 263 undergraduate leaders. 52 doctoral students. 4 Postdocs. 2,628 HASTAC Scholars. Over 50 team-taught courses that reimagine what learning can be.
But the human stories tell another: Our Peer Leaders achieve a 73% graduation rate that exceeds national averages because they receive mentorship, leadership training, and a community that believes in them.
This is what the Futures Initiative does: we provide scholarships, programs, and community that empower students to not just navigate higher education, but to transform it. Our PhD Fellows program. Our undergraduate Peer Leaders initiative. Our University Worth Fighting For Series. Our podcast exploring what education for justice really means.
We need your help
Higher education remains the most crucial tool for social mobility in this country. But that tool only works when students have the resources and support to wield it. In these times, when so much of what public universities do is under threat, your contribution is an investment in the next generation of scholars, educators, and leaders.
Every dollar counts. Every share matters.
Here’s how you can help:
- Donate
- Share this appeal with your networks
- Watch and subscribe to our podcast on FI’s YouTube channel
- Join us at our free public events
- Subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected
Thank you for standing with us. Together, we will shape what’s next.
On behalf of the Futures Initiative Team,
Shelly Eversley
Professor + Faculty Chair, Futures Initiative
Adashima Oyo
Executive Director, Futures Initiative
