Inside a Nonprofit: Boston Partners in Education

I was in Boston a few months ago, and while the trip was cool enough in itself, one of my highlights was getting to take a look at Boston Partners in Education, a nonprofit that finds its home in schools throughout the area. By partnering volunteers with students who need help in various subject areas, Boston Partners is able to increase the opportunities for success for some kids who might normally be forgotten.

Here’s how they’ve been able to grow and make a difference:

Collaboration

One of the trademarks of a nonprofit that hopes to target Generation Y in its work is collaboration. This is a generation that came of age playing soccer and little league and is used to working in groups on class projects from grade school through graduate school. As such, working with other organizations or stakeholders is not only easy, but expected.

That’s why I like what Boston Partners does – they really get the ‘partner’ in their name right. From their Web site:

Boston Partners in Education builds sustainable partnerships among students, volunteers, schools, and local organizations, all with a single goal: to give the children who are struggling in school the tools necessary to become better learners.

By working with various entities, Boston Partners increase not only its chances for success, but also those whom it serves.

Understanding the target market

Many nonprofits fail to capitalize on Generation Y’s desire to change the world because they simply don’t understand the group they’re trying to reach. Boston Partners takes into account that some of its youngest volunteers are busy climbing the career ladder, but still want to take the time necessary to make a positive impact.

This is why their Power Lunch program works. Aiming to use the lunch hour to make a difference, Boston Partners is able to ask for just a small amount of time. By doing so, they not only generate a lot of attention, but a lot of commitment as well. By using these small building blocks, Boston Partners is steadily growing an important list of interested parties.

But Power Lunch is just one small part of what Boston Partners does to bring about change at local schools. They don’t assume that their youngest volunteers can only give a few hours a year at lunch. They also have programs and possibilities for people to make a deeper impact, offering many opportunities volunteering in math and English/Language Arts in grades K-12 during the school day. They also have two Saturday programs.

Clearly, there’s an opportunity to fit nearly any lifestyle.

Walking the walk

Let’s face it – if you don’t walk the walk, then you won’t get many Gen Y followers. That’s why I love what Boston Partners’ executive director left my interview with her staff early. She excused herself to go read with her grade-school mentee. That’s right – she’s not only asking people to help students learn; she’s out doing it herself.

Not every nonprofit provides this seamless opportunity, but Boston Partners does and its highest levels of leadership take advantage of it. Such a behavior lends credibility to the ask.

Measuring success

When I interviewed the Boston Partners team, they spoke of how they measured success. Meghan Malloy, Boston Partners’ communication and events director, said, “We measure success in the long-term relationships we forge as part of our work. Sure, we keep track of statistics (Boston Partners’ students increased their math scores by 11% last year), but we also track the success of our students over the long-haul via the relationships that develop.”

Gen Y is about relationships, therefore, there has to be more than math present in any opportunity to do good. Boston Partners understands that, and their organization is better for it.

Lots of nonprofits do great work, and many are having success not only in the community at large, but also within the rising tide of younger volunteers. Boston Partners is one example of this as they continue to empower students with the skills they need to succeed.