On June 30, 2026, GFS marked the successful conclusion of an historic, five-year, comprehensive campaign to galvanize critical financial support for four strategic priorities—all central to the school’s mission and vision. 

Picture This: A Campaign for Learning in Community launched quietly in 2021, with a $40 million goal to fund the first phase of our Sustainable Campus Plan, build endowment for financial aid and community education initiatives (e.g., Breakthrough and Community Basketball and Enrichment programs), and meet the increasing demand for unrestricted annual support through the Annual Fund. 

At the time of this writing, the GFS community has contributed more than $60 million—demonstrating a collective belief in the school and its vision. For some perspective on this monumental effort, we sat down for a conversation with four School Committee members to reflect on the campaign, the distance traveled, the challenges overcome, and the milestones achieved.  

 

What was your first impression of Picture This? Why did you think it was the right path for GFS to chart?

David Feldman: We knew this would be an ambitious campaign. We needed to reimagine our campus. The campus planning process was revolutionary—it allowed us the chance to advance our programming while staying rooted in the history of this place. This is the first phase of a four-phase Sustainable Campus Plan. The hope is that future phases of the Plan will continue to happen, but the look and feel of the campus that everyone loves will remain unchanged.  

Hardin Coleman: The clarity of the school’s vision was remarkably compelling and well-developed. It provided a clear view of what the school could be, not just redoing or remedying past decisions, but preparing for the next generation. To me, that reflected the thoughtful nurturance and care that the school leadership is giving to the education they curate. 

John Relman: My commitment to the school has always been unshakeable because GFS is the reason I do what I do as a civil rights attorney. This is the place where my eyes were opened to social justice and what it meant to live an ethical life—how to put principles into practice and how to adjust when those principles seem ineffective. It was immediately clear to me that the campaign had to be bold enough to support the school’s mission and values, while still sensitive to GFS’ unique history and sense of place, and that great care and effort had been taken to accomplish both objectives. 

Of the four campaign pillars, one of the most visible is the new All School Commons. How has this new space changed things on campus, and what’s your impression of it?

D.F.: The Dining Hall offers enough space for whole divisions to eat lunch together and creates huge opportunities for so many things on campus, like community events and full faculty meetings. The arts wing of the building also brings together different disciplines in a way we’ve never had under one roof before; there have been art installations involving music and video, photography pinned up all over the walls, and I have watched as audiences spill out of the Loeb Performing Arts Center after plays to mingle with the actors in the new lobby. It’s all very exciting.

 

J.R.: The genius of the new building is that the Meetinghouse remains at the center of campus, but the All School Commons provides connective tissue that integrates the school with the community through the new Greene Street entrance. The architecture preserves the past, like the iconic Boys' Gym [now the Dining Hall], while serving the future as a place where students can gather. Even the construction reflects our Quaker values: humility, frugality, and simplicity. 

Carmen Guerra: I knew the building would be functional, but I didn't expect how beautifully it would turn out. I also love how many sustainability features it has, like the green roofs! I have even gotten to use the space for events and School Committee meetings, and it’s just been a joy to be in that building. 

Why are the other campaign goals, including growing the Annual Fund and the endowment, essential to the future of GFS?

H.C.: To me, GFS is the phrase: "Behold, I have set before thee an open door." Growing our scholarship funding at GFS is important because I believe the kids here will eventually be running the organizations that make big changes in the world.

J.R.: In a community like GFS, it’s important that every contribution—of any size—matters. The fact that the Annual Fund is growing as part of the campaign is a huge statement. It shows buy-in and trust in the school across our entire community, including current families, alumni, faculty, and staff.

D.F.: As members of the School Committee, we’re fiduciaries and aim to ensure this school is here for another 180 years. Looking to the future, the biggest priority is growing financial aid funding. We’ve exceeded our $10 million goal for this campaign, but this is just the start, and it will always be a priority. To truly meet the needs of our community and continue to attract students, we need our endowment to double—at minimum. 

C.G.: Growing the endowment is really important to me personally because I grew up in a family that didn’t have the means to send me to college. I have gotten to be a physician and cancer researcher primarily thanks to benefactors who set up funds to give kids like me support. I can’t wait to see that investment in similar students at GFS. Those individuals are often so driven, and that will take them so far in life. All we have to do is give them access. 

How does the collective process of reaching these goals reflect the community’s commitment to Quaker values?

C.G.: One of the things that I remember about the process from the very start was that it involved every person in our community. We held several community meetings to unveil the campaign—that part to me felt very much in line with the values of Quakerism.

J.R.: The school is a “force multiplier.” If you see through storytelling what these dollars are producing in terms of lives lived and change being made, it gives people hope. It helps people decide that GFS is a priority for their giving.

H.C.: The culture of giving has shifted—historically, giving wasn't a major part of many Quaker organizations. Now, alumni understand that you can’t just raise tuition to pay for these opportunities. People are hearing from their peers that they are “in”, and this demonstration of generosity is contagious.

D.F.: We have not strayed an inch from our mission. For those of us who benefited from this education, if we can recreate that for a new generation, it's foundational. We’ve seen many new donors stepping up to provide leadership and meaningful support, which has been quite inspiring.
 

 

Looking back 50 years from now, where do you think this campaign will rank in the school’s trajectory?

J.R.: I think there will be a "before" and an "after" with this campaign. These efforts have strengthened the school in ways that I don’t think anyone here could have imagined.

C.G.: We changed the school’s trajectory forever with this campaign. I’m so grateful as a parent, and as a member of the School Committee, that so many students will be able to benefit from this now, and well into the future. 

D.F.: The success of this campaign is amazing given the state of the world. The gift we can give to future generations is that we’ve enhanced the school significantly and left it in a position that those who come next can build on.

 

This article was originally published in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of the GFS Bulletin.