Earlier this month the Partnership’s Backbone staff was contacted by Shannon and Nicole, two moms with kids in Marin county schools concerned that Learning pods were deepening educational inequities. These moms were in the process of launching a crowdfunding campaign – the Marin Education Equity Fund – to raise money for Learning Pods and tutoring supports for students in Marin who could not afford private services. In addition to this urgent direct-support, they knew that …
“Ultimately, our educational system in Marin requires deep transformation to ensure that the needs of all students are met without additional, privately-funded solutions.”
That’s where Marin Promise Partnership came into the picture.
Shannon and Nicole felt the urgency of the situation and wanted to act quickly. So, dedicating the money to an existing collaborative effort seemed both efficient and impactful. Not only would Partners receive money for their tutoring services, but they would also have a say in how the funds would be allocated, and they would gain publicity and recognition for their work together on equitable systemic change as a cross-sector, collaborative Partnership.
“Together, partners are already identifying the students most in need and have the established networks and expertise to maximize the impact … Marin Promise Partners will make the final determinations around how funds raised here are best utilized…”
Shannon and Nicole launched their campaign just last week. The Backbone staff has quickly pivoted our workload to support this opportunity and will be connecting with existing Partnership Teams to develop criteria and a process to allocate the funds. This is an exciting pilot into the world of collaborative funding. We look forward to connecting you with Shannon and Nicole’s campaign and to working with you to learn and improve as we go.
Please visit Shannon and Nicole’s Marin Education Equity Fund website to learn more about their campaign, check out their Instagram page @marin4equity or contact them directly at nicolejbartolini@gmail.com if you have any questions.
