Almost all of the nonprofit partners challenged themselves through extensive business planning, which resulted in looking at their organizations, themselves, and the world around them through a different lens.

Individuals at the CEO, senor staff, and board levels from all investment partners also feel they have greater individual understanding and self-awareness. Leaders reported in interviews with an external evaluator that "I now know the changes I have made in how I think and work as an executive-to think and work several years out into the future." "Until the partnership I never realized how critical leadership is, how I function as a leader, how important it is to have the leaders to move forward." "I am less frantic in how I work, more self-reflective."¹ Ken Slaughter, a board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, said, "This process has had a significant impact on our board. We are thinking very differently, more strategically, about all aspects of what we do. Not just how we plan, but also how we execute and, importantly, how we raise money. The process has unleashed a new level of energy."

"Heads Up's growth over the last several years can be measured in the number of kids and college students we involve or the schools with which we partner, and Venture Philanthropy Partners' support has been critical to our achievements in this respect. Yet it may be growth in a second respect where our relationship will have its most lasting impact. I believe there has been a more expansive idea of growth at work within Heads Up that is, at times, even more important—one that embraces not only the numbers of families served but the quality of the services delivered, the maturity of our operations, and the thoughtfulness we bring to our organization's development and the volatile policy and programming environment in which we live."

— Darin McKeever, Executive Director, Heads Up

1. From the external assessment of VPP conducted by Fred Miller, President of the Chatham Group, winter 2005. Miller interviewed over 70 stakeholders of our investment partners-executive directors, board members and senior staff-to assess the effectiveness of the Children's Learning Fund and provide feedback to VPP going forward. Anonymity was strictly maintained throughout the assessment process.