STAY UP TO DATE WITH OUR NEWSLETTER (Click Here)

Opportunity 2040


Opportunity 2040 is a bold initiative designed to enhance economic mobility for 150,000 additional Dallas County students each year, while also increasing the living wage attainment rate of young adults (ages 25-34) from 30% to 50% by 2040. This will impact 85,000 adults and halve the child poverty rate in Dallas County. Each graduating high school class, equipped with an Associate degree or industry-aligned certification, could gain $13 billion in lifetime earnings, significantly boosting the regional economy and reducing employer recruitment costs.

Dallas Skyline Header Edit For Opportunity 2040

Dallas County faces severe economic challenges that significantly impact its residents. The county ranks 7th in the nation for young adults living in poverty and 6th for child poverty. Currently, only one in three young adults in Dallas County earns a living wage, with even lower rates for Hispanic and Black populations at 17% and 22%, respectively.

A significant portion of alumni (45%) have attended some college but have not earned a degree, while only 28% of alumni between the ages of 25-30 hold a post-secondary degree. According to a Georgetown workforce report, by 2031, 85% of all good jobs will require some form of post-secondary qualification.

Additionally, regional ISD alumni earn an average salary of $45,000, which equates to just 75% of the living wage needed for a family of one adult and one child. There is also a notable $22,000 salary gap between alumni with post-secondary degrees and those without.

Opportunity 2040 Smiling Children

Addressing a growing need

Opportunity 2040 stands apart because it targets both in-classroom and out-of-classroom strategies, focusing on PreK enrollment, teacher effectiveness, college advisement, and critical factors like public benefits, housing, and healthcare. It prioritizes leveraging public funding to address root causes rather than just treating symptoms. The Plan’s sponsors, Commit Partnership and the Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), have attracted over $250 million in funding due to their trusted leadership and track record, ensuring transparency and accountability to deliver a strong return on investment.

Opp2040 Website Illustraion Fy25

A collective effort

Currently, less than one in three of our working-age young adults earning a living wage. Success will only be possible through Commit and CPAL’s partners, supporters, and stakeholders. What started as a joint effort has accelerated through collaboration with local investors and significant national funding led by Blue Meridian Partners and we are highly grateful for all who have joined hands in this transformative journey.

Together this consortium is beginning to support scalable, reinforcing investments to address the many systemic factors and help pave the way for all Dallas County children and young families to live in communities where opportunity knows no bounds.

Get involved

To learn more about supporting this effort, contact Abby Mayer at abby.mayer@commitpartnership.org.

Founding Investors

Addy Foundation
Amy and Drew McKnight
Anne and Rob Raymond
Bill and Wendy Payne/W.C. Payne Foundation
Blue Meridian Partners
Boone Family Foundation
Byrne Family Foundation
Canyon Partners
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Carolyn L. and David B. Miller
Christopher and Ann Mahowald
Communities Foundation of Texas
Dan and Betsy Healy
David & Carolyn Miller
Deedie Rose
Don & Joanie McNamara
Edward W. Rose III Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
Ellen Wood
Erik Miller
Eugene McDermott Foundation
FW Murphy Family Foundation
George and Fay Young Foundation
Harry W. Bass Foundation
Hickok Family Donor Advised Fund
Highland Park United Methodist Church
Hirsch Family Foundation
Jay & Pilar Henry
Jere and Carolyn Thompson
Jim and Kathy Adams
Jodi and Lucas Cutler
Jody and Terri Thornton
Kevin and Alicia McGlinchey
Kirk and Jane Rimer
Lucy and Henry Billingsley
Lyda Hill Philanthropies
M.R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation
McKelvey Family Foundation
Meadows Foundation
Mike and Micki Rawlings
Mike A. Myers Foundation
MJD Starfish Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Perdue
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Bancroft
Murray and Libby McCabe
Muse Family Foundation
Pat and Dawne Tribolet
Rainwater Charitable Foundation
Rees-Jones Foundation
Riggs Family Foundation
Robert and Nancy Dedman Foundation
Robert S. Kaplan
Rusty and John Jaggers
Ryan and Kristine Burke
Scott Rohrman
Sealark Foundation
Steve and Nancy Rogers
Suzanne and Patrick McGee
Texas Instruments
The Dallas Foundation
The Hardie Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
The Melchizedek Fund of CFT
The Perot Foundation
The Trammell and Margaret Crow Foundation
Todd and Abby Williams Family Foundation
Todd and Kasey Lemkin
TREC Community Investors
Vin Perella
William T. and Gay F. Solomon Advised Fund