Working with other nonprofits benefits everyone 

Everything we do and every decision we make at Big Brothers Big Sisters has a common thread: What is best for our children? Whether it is deciding which child is paired with a new Big, what fundraising activities to undertake, or what organizations/businesses with which to team, all decisions are framed with the best intentions of our kids in mind.

When it comes to determining which organizations to partner with, our goal is to work with other non-profits, especially those that serve children. Why? The entire community is better served when we work together to solve a challenge. Most challenges we face are complex and best solved with a multi-pronged approach. In taking this tactic, each organization brings their expertise to the table, leading to well-rounded solutions. And in the end, this means the kids’ needs are better met.

In this issue, we feature a long-term partner, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo (CIS). We’ve worked with CIS for more than a decade and hundreds of local children have benefited. CIS, which serves Kalamazoo Public Schools’ students, identifies which kids would benefit the most from having a mentor and in turn we match those students with Bigs. With this arrangement, we reach the kids who benefit the most from our services and maximize the impact of both agencies.

Partnerships like this also help ensure that non-profits are not duplicating services. Basically, each organization has its own area of expertise and, when we all utilize that expertise, those we serve benefit.

And a final, but very important, reason for partnerships is that they are fiscally responsible. Big Brothers Big Sisters and all non-profits must be good stewards of funds that are donated to our agencies. By working with other child-centered organizations, we make the best use of the money that has been entrusted to us by you, our supporters.

We will continue to nurture the partnerships we have and to develop new collaborations so we can help local children change their lives for the better, forever.