With the recent launch of the Scaling Marketplace, the Social Impact Exchange has established a new system and unprecedented opportunity for aggregating capital from hundreds of funders to finance dozens of effective scaling initiatives on an annual basis.  The marketplace launched with eight game-changing nonprofits (four health- and four education-focused organizations) that have been vetted for evidence of impact, scalability and financial sustainability based on evaluation studies and a growth business plan, and are supported by members of the Exchange’s Funder Working Groups.

Here we provide a brief spotlight of the eight nonprofits in the Scaling Marketplace and their game-changing impact. For more in-depth information on each organization’s growth campaign, funders can sign up to join the marketplace at: www.socialimpactexchange.org/scalingmarketplace.

 

Scaling Marketplace Education Nonprofits

1. THE ACHIEVEMENT NETWORK

The Achievement Network (ANet) shows schools how to use the data captured on student learning in the classroom, right away, to provide meaningful, individualized instruction to meet diverse student needs.  At scale, this helps educators close the achievement gap in low-income communities and achieve breakthrough results for all students.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: ANet’s distinct advantage is its deep and deepening database of instructional strategies for teachers that have been proven to be effective, which informs its professional development and coaching. A teacher working with ANet is offered specific insights and multiple strategies tailored to individual students’ learning needs. This is a teaching and learning sea change. Combined, ANet’s tools and coaching lay the foundation to drive much stronger student achievement in the new era of the Common Core.

Current Impact: National network of 474 schools, operating in nine regional districts, serving 130,000 students.

$15 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2017):

• Reach 850 schools and over 250,000 students
• Expand into 5-6 new regions across the country
• Replicate track record of student achievement in all its schools and across all areas of proficiency

$8.4 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Strategic Grant Partners; Michael and Susan Dell Foundation; and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

2. EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING

Expeditionary Learning (EL) offers a comprehensive, evidence-based, and student-centered approach to instruction that is specifically designed to assure that teachers are fully prepared to implement the Common Core Standards. 

Why it’s a Game-Changer: EL is the only organization providing professional development capacity building for teachers that is based on a practitioner-created curriculum and support services that are thoughtfully aligned with the Common Core standards. EL’s tools not only cover the “what” of teaching Common Core; they also address the “how” by going deeper and focusing on the instructional shifts needed to teach the standards effectively.  EL has become a critical part of the national effort to develop teachers’ capacity to help students reach the higher academic bar set by the Common Core Standards and advance student achievement.

Current Impact: Works with 160 schools in 30 states serving 400 teachers and 50,000 students. At least 400 additional schools in New York State and New Jersey use EL’s Common Core Literacy curriculum.

$9.5 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2015):

• Continue to improve the performance of the 160 schools engaged in EL’s whole school model
• Significantly ramp up its Common Core professional services line of business to serve 10,000 teachers
• Have a positive impact on the academic achievement of 245,000 students around the country

$2.065 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

3. NATIONAL CENTER ON TIME & LEARNING

The National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) is dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement, enable a well-rounded education, and help children meet the demands of the 21st century.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: The hallmark of NCTL’s work is to provide students, especially in disadvantaged communities, with “more and better time” for learning through Extended Learning Time (ELT) models. As the only education organization whose strategy integrates technical assistance, public policy reform efforts, public will-building, and knowledge development and dissemination, NCTL is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the exponentially growing interest in ELT. NCTL has demonstrated unusual effectiveness in accessing and leveraging public funding to build the ELT movement, andis already transforming public education in the United States.

Current Impact: Technical assistance for implementing the Expanded Learning Time model at 40 schools, impacting approximately 20,000 students in five states.

$11.7 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2017):

• Expand the technical assistance program from 40 to 80 schools, growing from 20,000 to 40,000 students in five states
• Improve the quality of education for an additional 15,000 students outside the five partner states
• Help five new states develop robust ELT policies, benefiting 100,000 more students
• Advocate for more federal funding to implement ELT, impacting an additional 250,000 students
• Build support for the ELT movement by engaging 100,000 coalition members in an organizing effort across 10 states

$3.7 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: Carnegie Corporation of New York; Ford Foundation; The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation; and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

4. NEW TEACHER CENTER

New Teacher Center reduces the achievement gap in our nation’s schools by accelerating the effectiveness of new teachers through comprehensive mentoring and professional development programs.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: NTC’s strong focus on new teacher retention uniquely positions the organization in the field of teacher professional development. NTC’s emphasis on new teacher induction—a critical factor in its high teacher retention rates—sets the organization apart from other teacher development programs. NTC’s unique model and its online professional development and mentor training make the program more scalable and cost effective to school districts than other professional development programs. NTC’s ability to simultaneously improve retention and save districts money on recruitment expenses makes it one of the most important human talent initiatives in the U.S. education picture.

Current Impact: NTC has helped improve the effectiveness of 23,000 teachers across the country

$23 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale:

• Increase from 23,000 to 60,000 the number of participating new teachers in five years
• Continue demonstrating increased retention, improved teacher practice, and growth in student achievement where NTC is working

$21.9 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

 

Scaling Marketplace Health Nonprofits

1. CENTER TO ADVANCE PALLIATIVE CARE

The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) is dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. with serious, complex illnesses and their families have access to high-quality palliative care. CAPC provides healthcare professionals with the tools, training, and technical assistance necessary to start and sustain successful palliative care programs in hospitals and other health care settings.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: Studies show that most people with a serious illness experience inadequate treatment, fragmented care, poor communication with their doctors, and enormous strains on their family caregivers. The results: millions of Americans suffer immensely through chronic and end-of-life illness, and the largest percentage of healthcare is spent on their care. CAPC is the nation’s leading resource for increasing access to quality palliative care for seriously ill persons in the U.S. and their families.  Because of CAPC, palliative care has become a recognized and respected medical sub-specialty in this country, increasingly understood as an essential piece of the healthcare cost and quality puzzles.

Current Impact: CAPC has trained over 1,100 hospitals, leading the effort to increase the number of hospitals providing palliative care from 658 in 2000 to 1,962 in 2011 (85% of U.S. hospital beds).

$13.15 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2017):

• Increase the number and quality of palliative care programs in two-thirds of the largest U.S. hospitals
• Increase access to high-quality palliative care in community-based settings at 25 health systems and ACOs nationwide

$8.512 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: The John A. Hartford Foundation, with support from California HealthCare Foundation and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

2. IMPACT

IMPACT is an evidence-based, collaborative care model that integrates the treatment of depression and other common mental health conditions into primary care settings where patients are most likely to seek help.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: IMPACT’s evidence-based model meets a critical health need that aligns with the goals of the Affordable Care Act, including patient-centered, integrated care designed to produce better outcomes at lower cost. Unlike other models, IMPACT has translated the evidence on a behavioral health intervention into effective clinical and public health practice – demonstrating the potential for radical change in the delivery of routine health care and treatment of adult depression in the U.S. The model improves health outcomes, reduces unnecessary health care expenditures, and improves the productivity and economic well-being of those it serves.

Current Impact: Training and technical assistance is provided to more than 5,000 primary care physicians and 600 clinics in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

$12 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale:

• Treat 8,000 additional patients and train 5-8 federally qualified health centers in rural communities over three years in Northwest region states
• Additional scaling goals will be determined through a more in-depth business planning process

$8.4 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: $3M has been provided to date by the federal government through SIF. The John A. Hartford Foundation has matched this grant with $3M; other philanthropic funders have contributed an additional $2.3M combined.

3. PLAYWORKS

Playworks transforms the physical health and emotional well-being of children across America by providing safe and meaningful play before, during and after every school day. Playworks’ research-based model utilizes recess, classrooms, and after-school sessions as an opportunity for students to learn essential life skills such as teamwork, conflict resolution, empathy and fair play, offering a unique solution for bullying and improving school climate.

Why it’s a Game-Changer: Playworks differentiates from virtually all other school recess programs by simultaneously addressing three critical issues affecting children and schools in the country: 1) the lack of vigorous physical activity by students, 2) the problem of bullying and other student disciplinary incidents, and 3) the need to improve school climate, including more academic instruction in safer and more positive learning environments. Playworks’ impact on reducing bullying, increasing exercise, improving school climate, and capturing more time for academic learning has been so helpful that schools have shown a consistent willingness to pay for its services.

Current Impact: The Playworks model is implemented in 23 cities and 370 schools, and impacts 175,000 students a year.

$26.4 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2017):

• Directly serve 1,700 schools and 750,000 students annually through it’s direct service and training program models
• Inspire healthy play models in an additional 60,000 schools nationwide through movement building activities

$21.25 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Einhorn Family Charitable Trust; and Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit.

4. PROJECT ECHO

Project ECHO is a proven model for treating complex diseases in underserved communities and expanding access to specialty medical care for vulnerable populations. Through videoconferencing technology, primary care physicians in rural and medically underserved areas learn how to provide specialty care to low-income patients with complex chronic illnesses. 

Why it’s a Game-Changer: Project ECHO is the only initiative using a “telemedicine” training model to fill the gap between supply and demand for patients requiring state-of-the-art treatment for complex chronic diseases. Anticipating the shift away from fee-for-service payment, Project ECHO provides practitioners with a remarkably effective and efficient way to build their skill set, provides better services, and improves patient results. Project ECHO’s promise lies in its ability to quickly disseminate state-of-the-art treatment protocols to thousands of clinicians in medically underserved areas. By facilitating the treatment of patients with complex chronic diseases in their home communities, Project ECHO helps avert costly, preventable treatment that results when patients cannot be cared for locally.

Current Impact: Project ECHO operates 29 medical hubs across the country that are providing higher quality specialty care to more than 50,000 patients.

$29.3 Million growth capital raise to reach next level of scale (projected by 2017):

• Expand to a total 100 Academic Medical Centers in the U.S., training thousands of clinicians who provide high-quality specialty care to underserved patients around the country.

$9.869 Million raised-to-date with lead funding committed by: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and California HealthCare Foundation.