Classes are back in session — and the young women we mentor, support, and uplift at 1,000 Dreams Fund are continuing to reach for their biggest and boldest dreams!

This school year, you can help them go further than ever before.

When you donate to our Back to School Annual Fundraiser: Closing the Dream Gap, you’re joining a powerful community of supporters who are empowering young women to realize their potential every single day.

The Dream Gap Starts Early

The truth is, the Dream Gap is not about capability. Rather, it begins forming when girls don’t see themselves reflected in power, in innovation, or in the spotlight. They start to believe their dreams are too big, unrealistic, or not for “people like them.” 

What’s more, even the most ambitious young women are often forced to scale back their dreams — not because they lack drive or talent, but because the support simply isn’t there.

So, the “Dream Gap” begins surprisingly early:

• By age 5, girls are more likely to be called “cute” while boys are praised as “brave” or “genius.” This small shift in language impacts how they see themselves.
• By middle school, girls are three times less likely than boys to consider careers in STEM.
• Between ages 8–14, girls experience a 30% drop in confidence — while boys’ confidence stays steady.

Globally, more than 129 million girls are out of school (UNESCO, 2023) — and those who do stay in the classroom still face unique hurdles that shape the rest of their lives. 

The Dream Gap in Higher Education

Even when young women beat the early odds to attend college, challenges still persist:

• Women graduate with $2,700 more student loan debt on average than men — and it takes them two years longer to repay it (AAUW, 2022).
• Black women graduate with the highest student debt of any group — nearly $38,800 for a bachelor’s degree (Brookings, 2022).
• First-generation women are twice as likely to leave college without a degree compared to continuing-generation students (NCES, 2022).

These inequities don’t just stop at graduation, either.

From Classroom to Career: Compounding Inequities

Once women enter the workforce, the challenges of the Dream Gap march on:

• Only 29% of senior leadership roles are held by women globally (Catalyst, 2023).
• Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to female founders (PitchBook, 2022).
• Women are under-mentored and under-sponsored in professional spaces, with only 54% of women having access to senior leaders compared to 78% of men (LeanIn.Org, 2023).

It’s no surprise that women also carry the bulk of U.S. student loan debt — nearly two-thirds of the total (AAUW, 2023).

Your Support Can Change This Story

These numbers clearly demonstrate how the Dream Gap compounds over time — from early childhood to higher education to professional career. 

But with your support, we can continue to work to change this story.

When you give to 1,000 Dreams Fund, you are:

• Funding scholarships and grants that remove financial barriers.
• Supporting mentorship and leadership programs that build confidence and opportunity.
• Investing in women-focused philanthropy that shifts systemic underfunding.

Back to School. Back to Dreaming.

This school year, let’s make sure that high-achieving yet underserved young women have the resources, mentorship, and support they need to not only dream big, but succeed.

Every dollar you give has a ripple effect far beyond the classroom. It provides a young woman with the resources to fund educational conferences she couldn’t otherwise afford, the mentorship to help her see new possibilities for her future, and the confidence to pursue leadership roles where she’ll inspire others to dream bigger.

Your generosity doesn’t just fund opportunities — it fuels transformation. You’re not only helping a student graduate; you’re helping her step into her power as a changemaker, a leader, an innovator, and a role model for the next generation.

When you invest in young women through 1,000 Dreams Fund, you are directly helping to close the Dream Gap and create a world where talent and ambition — not barriers — determine what’s possible.

Thank you for standing with us — and with them.

Donate to the 1,000 Dreams Fund Annual Fund today — and help close the Dream Gap, one dream at a time.