Pay It Forward Accelerator
A community-supported grant program funding GMS alumni and emerging leaders ready to move from idea to impact in underserved communities.
ABOUT PIFA
What is the Pay It Forward Accelerator?
PIFA is a identifies, supports, and celebrates changemakers who are committed to paying forward the opportunities they’ve received and creating pathways for others to thrive. Through funding, mentorship, and hands-on leadership experience, we invest in the whole person – not just the project. We believe that lasting change happens when we invest in leaders who understand that true success is measured not just by what we achieve, but by what we enable others to accomplish.
HOW IT WORKS
A two-phase process
Phase 1
Merit-Based Review
Reviewers assess applications against established criteria. Top-scoring applications advance to a finalist cohort to participate in a community engagement and fundraising campaign.
Phase 2
Community Votes
Supporters engage in a participatory funding round in which donations function as votes. All contributions are pooled into a collective fund, and voting results help determine the ranking of finalists for award distribution.
CURRENT COHORT
PIFA 2025-26 Changemakers
Six Changemakers are currently leading projects across the country — servicing their communities and building skills as leaders.
Name
Project
City, State
Name
Project
City, State
6
Changemakers
14
Finalists
54
Applications
Name
Project
City, State
City, State
Name
Project
City, State
Name
Project
City, State
Name
Project
Applications for PIFA 2026-27 open in August
Open to GMS alumni and individuals with a GMS alum endorsement
Detailed timeline coming soon.
Questions? Email us at admin@scholarsequity.org