Dear B2SA Community,
After nearly two decades of getting school supplies into the hands of students who need them, Back 2 School America (B2SA) will wind down operations on June 30, 2026.
Over the past year, B2SA’s board took a careful look at what it would take to sustainably grow our reach. Ultimately, we chose to prioritize furthering the organization’s mission rather than continuing to operate independently.
We are pleased to announce that B2SA is donating our remaining funds to Cradles to Crayons (C2C) to support the expansion of their school supply program, Ready for Learning. Both organizations share a belief that has been at the heart of B2SA from day one: every child deserves to walk into the classroom with what they need to learn and thrive. That conviction, along with C2C’s capacity to grow this work, made the partnership the right next step. You can learn more about Ready for Learning at cradlestocrayons.org/readyforlearning.
What B2SA built was a community effort from the start. Together with thousands of corporate volunteers, school and community partners, donors, and advocates, B2SA has distributed more than 400,000 kits and 12 million school supplies to children in need in 25 cities across the U.S. To every supporter, donor, volunteer, school, family, and friend who showed up for kids over nearly two decades: thank you. What you helped build will keep showing up for years to come.
We also want to extend a special thank you to B2SA Founder Matthew Kurtzman. Nearly twenty years ago, Matthew created a community outreach program for the Illinois Currency Exchange Charitable Foundation, which included providing school supplies to children in the communities the currency exchange association served. He later formalized the initiative as Back 2 School Illinois before growing it into a national platform. His dedication to the mission has been evident in everything he has done, and his impact will continue through the legacy of B2SA.
For questions, our Interim Executive Director, Christina Jensen, will continue supporting B2SA through the end of 2026. You can reach her at christina@b2sa.org.
With gratitude,
Amy Wagner, Board President
Back 2 School America
At Back 2 School America
Our mission is to provide school supplies and other tools throughout the year to ensure educational success of children in need across the USA.
In an effort to level the playing field and reduce the financial burden on families and teachers, the B2SA program has supplied more than 400,000 children with
Our Numbers:
403,387: Number of Kids Receiving Our Back 2 School Kits
12,070,350: Number of School Supplies Distributed
USA Statistics:
38% of all children in the US live in low-income households. 17% of all children live in families that are at or below the poverty line. ~2022 National Center for Children in Poverty
In 2023 the US the average student debt owned by college graduates was $37,650. ~Education Data Initiative
$140.39 is the average spent by parents on school supplies for each child in 2023. ~Statistica
In 2023, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890.07 on back-to-school items this year, approximately $25 more than last year’s record of $864.35 and a new high. ~National Retail Federation