COVINGTON, Ga. — National education foundation expert and current Newton Education Foundation (NEF) Executive Director Gail Rothman has recently co-authored a book to help other communities come together in support of public school districts.  

The book, Roadmap for Education Foundations: A Practical Guide to Building and Growing K-12 Support, was co-written with Robin Callahan, President of The Callahan Collaborative.  With over 30 years of combined experience, the authors have witnessed firsthand the power of education foundations to transform students’ lives.  They have faced the challenges of growing and leading these organizations and learned lessons along the way. This book shares a roadmap that demystifies and delineates the process of launching and running a successful education foundation. 

Education foundations enhance opportunities for public school students, uniting communities, sparking innovation and fostering a culture of philanthropy in education. Loucy Hay, one of the founders of the NEF, which was relaunched in November of 2023 with Rothman at the helm, was an early reader of the book.  ‘

“This book provides a concise yet comprehensive manual that will help so many communities do what Gail has helped us do in Newton County - inspire people to come together to support public school students and schools,” Hay said. “Gail and Robin have generously poured their expertise into a practical how-to guide for others. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about public education and especially superintendents and school board members who don’t yet have an education foundation.”

Callahan and Rothman met when both were running growing foundations on opposite sides of the country.  They shared a curiosity to learn more so they could impact more students. They were in the first cohort to receive a national certification for education foundation leaders and have served in leadership roles with the National School Foundation Association, now known as the National Association of Education Foundations (NAEF). They are frequent presenters at the NAEF National Conference, where they will launch their book on March 25 in Knoxville. The authors will also host a book launch in Atlanta on March 31. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.  

For more information or to contact the authors, email gail@thecallahancollaborative.com or robin@thecallahancollaborative.com.