This study tracks initial effects of a philanthropic effort, while disentangling its effects from a major concurrently administrated school improvement initiative. Significant positive effects attributable to both efforts were noted in a middle school student sample. The full impact of the philanthropic and school improvement initiatives will manifest over the years as more and more students mature and matriculate through the system. As we continue to track and monitor student cohorts, we plan to examine the impact on dropout rates, school performance, and attendance and to attempt further to disaggregate school improvement efforts from those of the philanthropic effort. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)