In the 1990s, the Board of Directors recognized that delivery of preventive services rather than ameliorative care would have a better impact on improving the day-to-day lives of children and youth of New York City’s poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The critical decision to deliver services through the New York City school system to students proved challenging initially. However, we knew our product was good and our pilot program results were strong. We applied good, old-fashioned marketing and relationship-building tactics to expand our presence and increase the number of teams throughout the school system. Marketing, a misunderstood discipline in the not-for-profit sector, clearly helped the agency grow, both in terms of demand for services, but also in terms of increasing our donor base and raising funds.

As we implemented our direct service program – Open Heart-Open Mind – at more sites, it became clear that our work was only touching a small fraction of students in need. No matter how much we grew, it would be impossible to maintain the quality of the program and reach all who could benefit. In 2006, after developing and codifying our Open Heart-Open Mind best practices, we decided to offer trainings in our proven models to school staff on a fee-for-service basis. Our hope was to impart our philosophy and tactics so that even more children would receive appropriate social services. Our experiment was well-received.

Today we provide trainings through our Center for Capacity Building to staff of more than 50 New York City charter schools; a significant cohort of ten in Bridgeport, CT, schools; afterschool workers at agencies throughout the five boroughs of New York City; and school staff at over 100 New York City public schools. We have developed expertise in training effective and efficient pupil/personnel teams, the gateway to support services. We also recently published parent guides on two important issues: test-anxiety reduction and bullying. Taming the Test Monsters and Taming the Bullying Monsters are receiving good reviews and selling well through our sponsored links on Google and our own direct marketing efforts.

We are in the midst of the most economically challenging time most of us have ever seen. I am pleased that Partnership With Children is well-positioned to weather this storm. Over the last seven years we have focused on financial rigor, carefully watched monthly expenditures, judiciously embarked on program expansion balanced with infrastructure building and instituted a more balanced funding stream of revenues. In 2008, we launched the Centennial Fund, a major gift campaign, to ensure the sustainability of our recent growth. Our timing was good; we raised over $2 million to support the growth of our Center for Capacity Building, provide staff with professional development and keep the momentum of Open Heart-Open Mind moving forward. We know the next couple of years will be difficult and are prepared to modify our plans accordingly so that we continue to provide much-needed services to our children. We understand that children need partners to succeed!

I am frequently asked how different managing a not-for-profit is from managing a publishing company. I always respond that there are many similarities, but the most important difference is underscored when I pass the wall hanging, created from artwork of students on the theme of peace in the aftermath of 9/11. It reminds me every day, literally and figuratively, that at the end of the day our work helps level the playing field so that all children can succeed in school, life and society. It’s a worthy goal and I am pleased to be making a difference!