A Bumpy Road to Growth Through Partnerships

There’s no shortage of interest in helping charities with proven programs expand rapidly to new locations. But the recent experiences of some former fast growers makes clear that the path to “scaling up” in the nonprofit world is often riddled with potholes.

A Patchwork of Policies

Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office

Nurse-Family Partnership

What it does: Sends nurses to work with low-income mothers during pregnancy and after birth

Recent growth: It grew threefold over the past decade, thanks in part to a $50 million grant from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and others. The charity worked with more than 31,000 mothers last year.

Continued growth uncertain: Teenage birth rates are declining, and many public health departments, which often send nurses on home visits for Nurse-Family Partnership, are moving away from one-on-one work in favor of public-awareness campaigns, says Roxane White, the charity’s CEO.

The group also must navigate a patchwork of policies to pay for the visits — including federal funding and pay-for-success plans, she says.

Possibilities: The charity has received a planning grant from the Clark Foundation as it works on its next growth plan. Blue Meridian Partners will consider the charity for “large-scale investment,” according to Clark officials.

Budget Squeeze

Citizen Schools

Citizen Schools

What it does: Works with middle schools to provide an extended learning day for students in low-income communities

Money for growth: Received $30 million in growth capital from Clark and other foundations in 2007

Original goal: To be working with 8,000 students by 2012

Obstacles: The growth never materialized, in part because many schools in states with modest spending on education, like North Carolina and Texas, couldn’t afford the $1,200 per-student cost. Today the charity serves about 5,000 students. It has also had to deal with issues of turnover: Steven Rothstein served as CEO for just 18 months before resigning in February.

“When I talk to folks about that time, I often say we, like many nonprofits, were very ambitious and aspirational,” says Emily McCann, the new CEO, who has worked at Citizen Schools for 13 years. “We were always most thoughtful about the ‘stars are aligned’ scenario.”

The new plan: The charity is rolling out a lower-cost program that focuses on its signature offering, an apprenticeship that links middle-school students with professional mentors.

Declining Interest

Teach For America

Teach for America

What it does: Recruits and trains people to teach in low-income communities and works to achieve educational equity

Money for growth: A frequent beneficiary of growth capital, including $50 million in 2010 from the federal Investing in Innovation Fund

Original goal: Shortly after receiving the grant, Wendy Kopp, then the group’s CEO, predicted the charity would grow from 8,200 to 15,000 teachers by 2015.

The reality: In 2015, the charity had just 8,800 teachers.

The explanation: Sharise Johnson, a Teach for America spokeswoman, attributes the shortfall to declining interest in teaching overall, saying, “The last two years, we’ve had recruitment challenges. We are making efforts to address them.”