Better Together 2026: When Music Builds Schools

For one night in San Francisco, music became a catalyst for something much bigger.

At buildOn’s fifth annual Better Together concert, supporters, corporate partners, Trek participants, and community members came together for an evening that was equal parts celebration, storytelling, and action.

Featuring a headline performance by Allen Stone, the event raised support for our work to build schools, expand adult literacy, and increase access to education around the world. But more than that, Better Together reflected something deeper: the power of people coming together around a shared purpose.

What This Night Showed

This year’s Better Together concert highlighted the movement behind buildOn’s mission.

Here’s what guests experienced:

• A celebration of buildOn’s 3,000th school.
• Stories from Trek participants whose lives were changed through service.
• A live fundraising auction supporting schools and adult literacy programs.
• A powerful concert by Allen Stone that brought the community together around a shared cause.

Together, these moments showed what’s possible when people choose to invest in education and opportunity.

A Milestone Worth Celebrating

This year’s event came at a historic moment for buildOn.

Last fall, we completed our 3,000th school, a milestone that reflects decades of partnership with rural communities around the world. The concert was in part dedicated to that incredible feat, as well as buildOn’s 35th anniversary.

And the movement continues to grow.

Today, more than 410,000 children and adults attend buildOn schools across Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nepal, Malawi, Haiti, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Community members themselves have contributed more than 6.1 million volunteer work days to help build those schools.

As buildOn Vice President of Development Aled Hollingworth shared from the stage, these schools are “not a handout, but ignition. The ignition of a fire that burns bright in these communities long after we leave. We’re not a charity. We’re a movement.”

Stories That Brought the Mission to Life

Throughout the evening, guests heard directly from Trek participants and supporters about what makes buildOn different.

At the VIP dinner, the Hayward family–Boe, Jack, and Eloise–spoke to attendees about their Trek experiences. What stayed with them most wasn’t just the construction work, but the relationships they formed along the way.

Jack Hayward recounted the impact the kids in the village had on him. “It made me realize they didn’t have that much, but their lives were filled with so much joy. And that’s something that I remember every day–to be thankful for what I have.”

His sister, Eloise, reflected on how grinding coffee with community members on Trek changed the way she understood connection across cultures and languages.

“They stood with us and were patient with us. We didn’t speak the same language, but that didn’t stop anyone from teaching us how to do it. And they were all so excited to help us learn. The language barrier was non-existent by the time we left.”

These stories grounded the night in something personal: education is not just about buildings. It’s about solidarity, dignity, and shared humanity.

“They didn’t have that much, but their lives were filled with so much joy.”

Jack Hayward, Trek Participant

Bidding on a Trek Experience

One of the biggest moments of the night came during the live auction.

For the first time, we auctioned off a fully funded Trek experience, giving attendees the opportunity to travel to countries like Senegal, Malawi, Nepal, or Guatemala and help build a school alongside a local community.

From living with host families to working side-by-side on school construction, Trek remains one of the most transformational ways supporters engage with buildOn’s mission.

As Aled shared on stage, every school begins with people willing to show up.

And the impact lasts.

During his remarks, Aled reflected on returning to a school in Kachere, Malawi two years after helping build it. Enrollment had nearly doubled, with more than half the students being girls.

That’s the power of education.

Lessons That Continue to Guide buildOn

During the VIP dinner, buildOn Founder and CEO Jim Ziolkowski reflected on two conversations that helped shape the organization’s mission and philosophy: his meetings with the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa.

As Jim shared from the stage, both leaders reinforced a simple but powerful idea: real change begins with compassion, persistence, and the willingness to serve others with humility.

Mother Teresa reminded him to “do small things with great love,” a lesson that continues to guide buildOn’s work decades later. The Dalai Lama’s message was equally direct: “Never give up.”

Jim connected both lessons to a recent Trek in Haiti. After a long day breaking ground in extremely rocky conditions, he returned to the worksite later that evening after hearing singing in the distance. Despite exhaustion and the difficulty of the work, community members were still digging by the light they had available, continuing with determination, joy, and solidarity. Inspired by their perseverance, Jim joined them in digging through the night.

For guests at Better Together, the stories were more than reflections on the past. They were a reminder of the values that continue to drive buildOn forward today: service, solidarity, and belief in what’s possible when people come together around a shared purpose.

A Performance That Brought People Together

The highlight of Better Together 2026 was of course the headline performance by Allen Stone, whose soulful sound and high-energy performance helped turn the evening into a true celebration of community and connection.

Known for blending soul, funk, gospel, and R&B into a style entirely his own, Stone has built a reputation for performances that are both powerful and deeply personal, and his Better Together set was no exception. His music brought energy to the room while reinforcing the spirit behind the event: people coming together around something bigger than themselves.

From the first song to the final encore, Allen’s performance helped transform the night from a fundraiser into a shared experience rooted in joy, purpose, and possibility.

Why Better Together Matters

The best way to end poverty is by ensuring everyone has access to quality education. That belief has guided buildOn for 35 years.

Better Together is more than a concert. It’s a reminder that real change happens when communities, companies, students, families, and supporters work together toward something bigger than themselves.

One school at a time.
One community at a time.
Because we’re better together.

Want to attend an event like Better Together? Head to our Events page to find opportunities to connect with our movement near you!