The Power of Partnerships
When I started the Children’s Legacy Partnership, I knew that it would be partnerships that would be the key to having the biggest impact possible to break the cycle of poverty for children and families. Having worked for many years in business, education, and charities, I have learned that it is the power of a team that will move you faster toward your goal. It is important to draw on the expertise and collective energy of others. There are four key partnerships that we strive to have and all are equally important.
Stakeholders
A core principle of the Children’s Legacy Partnership foundation is to put program recipients at the center. In our 7-step Empower Process we partner with communities by meeting with local stakeholders to listen to their needs and ideas and determine the capacity for matching support. We know that a true partnership is critical for the success of programs. We never want to make decisions for others from outside their experience based on what we think is needed in a community.
Other Organizations & Foundations
Partnering with other organizations with a particular expertise is also another way to have a bigger impact toward accomplishing our vision. In Uganda we partner with two NGOs: KAPIDA, and the 52 Kids Foundation. They provide an important connection to communities and their needs. These organizations can better identify what approaches may be most effective and advise us on cultural practices.
Other foundations are important for financial support in accomplishing our mission. The NoVo Foundation, and Education First, are current partners in our Empower Youth Leadership Conferences. This partnership has allowed us to greatly scale the work we do with middle school students in the U.S. this year. We were able to grow from providing personal leadership skills to 32 students from 2 schools, to providing programming to 150 students from 12+ schools!
This past month we met with MASS Design founder Michael Murphy, director Matt Smith, and architect Amie Shao. They shared their expertise with us on the steps needed to move forward with potential plans we have for building a women’s health center in rural Uganda. Their knowledge of building in east Africa, and how to measure the impact of a project, will be instrumental and a partnership we look forward to continuing.
Businesses
Our partnerships with businesses help make our programs possible. From the donation of meeting and program spaces, to providing food for events, to ongoing funding, the generous support from businesses is a valued partnership. Investing in the Children’s Legacy Partnership Foundation sets a business apart as being committed to having a social impact in their community. Some of our current business supporters for our Youth Leadership Conferences in Vermont are Larkin Realty, the Holiday Inn, Burlington, and Lantman’s Foods. We look forward to growing these mutually beneficial partnerships in the coming months.
YOU
Without YOU, our donors, Legacy Leaders, supporters, and Ambassadors as partners invested in the future of kids, we would not be able to continue the work we do. Having a steady source of funding helps us focus on the important programs that are helping lift children and families out of poverty. We have a deep commitment and responsibility to continue the work we’ve started. Your donations make a difference each day in saving lives. Knowing that there is a community of caring people working together also gives hope to the kids in our programs and they are always thankful. If you’re not a Legacy Leader yet, we’d love to have you join us. It is truly a caring group of people working together that can make the biggest difference.
