Graham SLAM Featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy

Our innovative Graham SLAM initiative was recently highlighted in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a leading news source for nonprofit leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise. 

As growing uncertainty around federal funding looms, private donors are becoming even more instrumental in sustaining nonprofit organizations. This feature article spotlighted two of Graham’s longtime supporters, husband-and-wife team Georgia Wall and Don Gogel. Wall and Gogel’s early and continued support helped Graham SLAM reach new heights, evolving the initiative from a privately-funded pilot program in 2014 to a proven model that has been scaled city-wide. 

Wall and Gogel initially donated $200,000 to the Graham SLAM pilot, which gave Graham the credibility to seek additional funding from foundations and other private sources. Since then, they have continued to support the development and expansion of the initiative, donating another $1 million in 2024 so that the model can reach new populations.

Referring to the investment required to try something new, Kimberly Watson, Graham’s President & CEO says, “Government contracts don’t pay for this. There was nothing that we could divert any other funding from.”  

Graham was fortunate to have the backing of Wall and Gogel who believed in Graham SLAM from the start.

“Even for kids that have had the best of supports, I think 18 to 25 are some of the hardest years,” says Wall, who serves as a Senior Vice Chair on Graham’s Board of Directors. “They’re struggling with who they are, and who they want to be, and where they want to go. No one is ready to be completely independent at the age of 20 or 21.” 

Since Graham SLAM began, 1,200 young adults have received professional education and career coaching to help them reach a living-wage career path by age 26. The high school graduation rate is 81 percent for students with coaching, more than triple the 24 percent average graduation rate for youth in foster care in New York. 

We are thrilled to have Graham SLAM and its critical private funders featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy! As leading donors Georgia and Don advise, nonprofits should first identify the most crucial work they do, then amplify this message to donors whose personal missions align with this work. 

We hope this powerful story inspires donors across the country to invest in innovative nonprofits who are poised to make a huge impact in their communities and nationwide. 

Learn more about Graham SLAM!