“When communities are strengthened around their most vulnerable children, the impact compounds across generations, making this work both deeply human and strategically meaningful.”
David Shnitzer, CARE Private Wealth
Nearly 150 million children around the world have been orphaned by circumstance, and in 2010, David Shnitzer set out to help change how the world responds. We’re proud to recognize David Shnitzer, of CARE Private Wealth, in Newton, MA, as an Emerging Impact Award finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Awards. He co-founded ONETrack International to build awareness of the global orphan crisis and promote innovative orphan-care solutions, including its “Transition to Home” approach to family reunification, tailored to the culture and communities where it works.
Shnitzer’s involvement began with a simple realization: many diaspora communities were disconnected from the urgent needs unfolding in their countries of origin. That disconnect felt both unnecessary and fixable. Rather than simply donate to a cause, he set out to build a model of ongoing engagement, creating structured, lasting pathways for others to participate.
Today, ONETrack International serves 7,000 people each year across Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia and the Balkans. Its team in Greece also supports refugees from the war in Ukraine. Through its “Transition to Home” approach, the organization removes orphaned children from overcrowded and under-resourced institutions and places them in households of surviving family members within their own communities, providing funding for education and health needs, and to support caretakers in host families.
“Seeing groups take ownership, continue giving, and even expand their involvement beyond initial commitments is deeply meaningful,” said Shnitzer. “It reflects a shift from charity to partnership, which is ultimately what creates lasting, community-driven impact.”
Shnitzer is especially proud to have built a framework that allows small groups to collectively support orphan care in a sustained and organized way, an approach that has become a saleable model for others to replicate.
“David’s commitment is driven purely by a desire to serve,” said Todd Finklestone, Director of Operations at ONETrack International. “He leads with humility, inspires those around him, and consistently channels his professional expertise into meaningful impact.”
As an Emerging Impact Award finalist, ONETrack International will receive a $25,000 grant from Invest in Others to help extend their impact with orphans around the world. We look forward to celebrating Shnitzer’s story at this year’s Invest in Others Awards Gala.
