Celebrating Organizations Driving Change Together
Written by Heather Barberio, BS
There’s a crispness in the air, colors flying all around, and the heightened expectation of celebration with each passing week, which can only mean one thing… yep, you guessed it… Fall ball season is upon us. Whether you’re a dedicated fan of your favorite team (be it little league baseball, college football, professional soccer, or anything in between) or if you’re a bemused observer wondering what the rest of the world is going on about, we all understand that it takes a team of individuals putting their best skills and efforts forward to take home the trophy. You may love your favorite star player, but you must admit that they wouldn’t stand a chance all alone against a rival team.
At TLC, we believe the same is true for organizations driving change together. As a consultancy, we recognize that the strength of our organization lies in the individuals who make up our collective being, strategically placed to utilize their strengths and talents in complementary ways with the rest of the team. When each person in our consultancy thrives in their unique position, our entire organization also thrives in its impact on the people we serve. However, we don’t want to stop there. We believe that every student deserves the chance to thrive in school—and beyond—and we are dedicated to bringing that vision to glorious reality. That’s why we created a varied platform of partnership opportunities so that other organizations like ours can build upon the strengths we offer and extend the reach of their own impact, in order to accomplish a truly magnificent victory - together.
“As a consultancy, we recognize that the strength of our organization lies in the individuals who make up our collective being, strategically placed to utilize their strengths and talents in complementary ways with the rest of the team.”
So what exactly are these partnership opportunities, and how do they benefit the people we serve as well as the organizations we partner with? Why not just expand our own organization's staffing and do the work ourselves? Great questions! I’m so glad you asked. Let’s dive into the four strategic partnership levels and find out what makes each one such an essential player in the game of student success:
Network Partners
These are mission-aligned organizations or individuals who help expand our reach by sharing visibility, cross-promoting, and building relationships within their local ecosystem. These partnerships are our way of saying, “Hey! We think what you’re doing is great! And we think a good number of our people could benefit from hearing more about what you do,” and our partners are doing the same in return. What makes these partnerships so impactful is the bond of trust that is forged between shared ideals and then extended to the local networks we both serve. If you’re a Ted Lasso fan, indulge me for a moment when I say that I can’t help but think of Mae’s Pub here. If you’ve not seen the show, bear with me (and add it to your watchlist later). In essence, Mae’s Pub was the local spot for people to gather, while Richmond FC was the local soccer team. At first, you had a few fans there, curiously watching each game over a pint. But as the season went on, Mae’s pub brought in more and more people to rally around the team. And Richmond FC brought back more people to celebrate each victory. It was a win-win! The team got enormously more support as the season went on, and Mae’s Pub brought in significantly more business! In the same way, our local partnerships share the joy and satisfaction of one another’s successes as we work together to expand each other’s networks and provide an added layer of trust for the people we serve.
“What makes these partnerships so impactful is the bond of trust that is forged between shared ideals and then extended to the local networks we both serve.”
Program Partners
These are collaborators who co-implement services designed to enhance support for students, families, and educators. Program partners provide the incredible opportunity to share in one another’s greatest strengths to offer more robust services to the families and school districts that we serve. These partnerships are once again founded on mutual trust and values, strengthened by complementary expertise, and celebrated in making a bigger impact together. Where Local Partnerships expand the reach of one another’s impact, Program Partnerships increase the strength of one another’s impact. Rather than duplicating efforts, we strive to partner with organizations we can trust to deliver services our internal team at TLC does not have the capacity to provide, and likewise to offer our services to expand the capacity of our Program Partnership’s work.
Research Partners
These are thought-leadership collaborators committed to advancing the field through inquiry, dissemination, and shared learning. Our Research Partnerships bring together some of the most brilliant minds in the field with the students, families, and educators who most directly benefit from research into the complex issues they face. Distinct from our other partnership opportunities, Research Partnerships expand the depth of one another’s impact by providing access to real-time research and real-life people. In addition to shared learning, these partnerships also provide a level of mutual exposure and credibility as we work together to create a more robust understanding of what it takes for students to truly thrive.
Financial Partners
Lastly, these are mission-driven collaborators committed to making an impact in their local area through their resources and financial support. These partnerships recognize the value of the services and network that TLC provides and seek to be a part of the shared success by providing financial support to extend the longevity of our work. These partnerships may come in the form of:
Donors - providing one-time or ongoing financial or in-kind support to TLC’s efforts.
Sponsors - providing financial support and cross-exposure during outreach events.
Grantors - providing financial support for one or more areas of TLC’s variety of services.
Regardless of the size of the contribution, these partnerships offer both organizations the opportunity to support one another’s missions and local impact.
At TLC, partnership is not just a loose idea of getting some benefit from an outside entity. To us, our partners are relationships that we hold personally with honor, compassionate competence, and unwavering integrity. Built on mutual trust, overlapping ideals, complementary skills, and shared resources, all four levels of our partnerships share in celebrating driving change together. If one of these opportunities feels like a good fit for your organization, or if you’d like to learn more about what a partnership could look like, would you consider reaching out? We’d love to continue the conversation with you and see where it leads!
“To us, our partners are relationships that we hold personally with honor, compassionate competence, and unwavering integrity.”
