Engaging Board Members and Investors: Practical Lessons From the Field

1. Engaging Board Members and Investors: Practical Lessons From the Field Prepared for The Strive Network National Convening September 27, 2013 Ed Rivera President and CEO United Way of Central New Mexico

2. What is Mission: Graduate? Mission: Graduate is a cradle-to-career education partnershipin Central New Mexico, which includes the counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia. • These four counties are home to 218,422 children under 18 years of age, or 42% of all children and youth living in New Mexico in 2010. • The region is also home to 887,077 people of all age groups, which is about 43% of New Mexico’s total population. In January 2013, a group of our community’s top leaders signed the Central New Mexico Education Compact, which articulates a vision, goal, and key objectives for the partnership.

3. The Central New Mexico Education Compact • Vision: A world-class, seamless, and coordinated education system that provides equitable opportunities for all children and youth to excel and succeed in school, graduate with a postsecondary degree, and enter a career of their choosing in central New Mexico. • Goal:To add 60,000 new postsecondary credentials and degrees to central New Mexico by 2020. • Objectives: • Eliminate the achievement gaps that perpetuate inequitable educational outcomes throughout the educational continuum, from pre-school through college • Increase high school graduation rates • Increase college and university enrollment • Increase college and university graduation rates • Align these education objectives with local and regional efforts to recruit and cultivate the growth of new businesses and entrepreneurs to ensure that all graduates have bountiful opportunities for gainful employment

4. Signatories to the Central New Mexico Education Compact Kathie Winograd, President, Central New Mexico Community College (Co-Chair, Mission: Graduate) Jim Hinton, President & CEO, Presbyterian Healthcare Services (Co-Chair, Mission: Graduate) Sherry Allison, President, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Del Archuleta, President & CEO, Molzen-Corbin & Associates Richard J. Berry, Mayor, City of Albuquerque Winston Brooks, Superintendent, Albuquerque Public Schools V. Sue Cleveland, Superintendent, Rio Rancho Public Schools Pat Collawn, Chairman, President, & CEO, PNM Resources Del Esparza, President, Esparza Advertising Robert G. Frank, President, The University of New Mexico Maggie Hart Stebbins, Chair, Bernalillo County Commission James Jimenez, Jimenez Consulting Natasha Martell, Education Manager, Intel Corporation Donald Power, Chairman & CEO, Jaynes Corporation Ed Rivera, President & CEO, United Way of Central New Mexico Kent Walz, Editor, Albuquerque Journal

5. 60,000 New Degrees is Not Just a Goal; It’s a Mission

6. Our Guiding Question How can we build upon existing assets to align and coordinate services to keep kids in school – happy, healthy, and ready to succeed?

7. Student Success Roadmap • Outcome Indicators: • 1A. Kindergarten readiness • 1B. 3rd grade literacy • 1C. 8th grade math proficiency • 1D. High school graduation • Outcome Indicators: • 2A. College enrollment • 2B. College retention • 2C. Certificate or degree attainment Outcome Indicator: 3A. Employment in a high-wage job in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, or Valencia County Outcome Indicator: 4A. Opportunity gap

8. Why This Effort Is Different • This is a focused effort with audacious, yet achievable, goals. • We are using data intentionally for the purposes of: • Creating a sense of urgency; • Identifying needs, assets, and gaps; • Developing and aligning activities around common indicators; • Setting priorities; • Facilitating continuous improvement; and • Measuring impact. • The initiative spans the cradle-to-career continuum, with the focus on students and their families versus the search for a single solution. • We are starting from a position of strength. There are many local efforts already underway, both within our educational institutions and in the community.

9. Building the Case • Conversational and discovery journey • Much of what we need to know comes through engagement • Is building it the right thing? Will partners and funders come? • Feedback supports the importance of a strong foundation • Meaningful engagement helps to build the case • Acknowledging ‘program rich’ vs. ‘systems poor’ situations • Using Data to reinforce the value proposition

10. A Few of the Challenges • Who owns the work and who develops the agenda? • Are the ‘right’ leaders involved? • What strengths does the backbone organization add? • Is the backbone organization a servant leader? • Does the work “fit” in the business model of the backbone? • How does a community agenda raise money for all the work? • How do you balance the case: backbone vs. program needs?

11. Working with Funders • Timing of the “ask” • A request shouldn’t come as a surprise • Collective Impact is within the ‘frame’ of many/most funders • Cultivation, engagement, consultation with funders • Many funders are looking for transformative impact work • Community engagement/oversight reinforces accountability

12. For More Information Ed Rivera President and CEO United Way of Central New Mexico Ed.Rivera@uwcnm.org Angelo J. Gonzales, Ph.D. Executive Director, Mission: Graduate angelo@missiongraduatenm.org http://MissionGraduateNM.org