Throughout my time with Spark - first as a supporter and donor, and now as CEO and a
We began with a partnership with one school; we paired 11 students with
mentors in Redwood City, CA. Today, we are partnered with nearly 30 schools. We are serving more than 1,000 students this year
– our largest annual student cohort ever – which means we will have reached
more than 4,500 students cumulatively by the end of our tenth year.
This service is only possible with the support of donors and funders who
believe in Spark’s impact and value. In
2005, Spark received its first gift of $10,000 from the Peninsula Community
Foundation (now known as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation). In 2008, the
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation provided us with $300,000 to engage in our early
development phase. And from 2007 to today, the Peery Foundation, Spark’s largest
historical funder, provided $750,000, which was fundamental to our replicating
across four major metropolitan regions.
To date, Spark has exceeded $3.5 million in funds raised from many great
individual, foundation and corporate supporters. That momentum has lead to Spark
most recently being awarded a slate of new and big funding commitments over the
last 18 months from notable national funders, including $1.2 million from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to
support the development and launch of our alumni programming that supports our
students transition into high school; $650,000 from the Brin-Wojcicki Foundation for capacity-building, strategic planning and local program
implementation; $240,000 from the All Points North Foundation
for public
policy work and our Spark Online Institute for teachers; and $100,000 from
the Rockefeller Foundation for general operating support.
In just 10 years, we have not only grown, we have improved by tailoring
our program to the needs of students and educators in the middle grades, as well as mentors. The institution of “Spark Skills” like teamwork,
time management and goal setting helps students build capacities for
success. The development of Spark Online
provides on-demand resources and training to mentors and educators.
Data-sharing partnerships with school districts mean we can accurately measure
our short- and long-term impact. Yet, I believe we have barely scratched the
surface of what Spark can do for the thousands of students who can benefit from caring mentors,
workplace apprenticeships and targeted skill-building.
This is only the beginning. While we expand our reach to record-setting
numbers, this year we are also embarking on our next organizational strategic
plan, mapping growth along with quality and sustainability. We imagine a time when mentoring and
career exposure are part of the middle school experience for all students - so
that young adults like Jonathan continue to feel that they get a, “head start in life.” And working
professionals like Bruce continue to have the opportunity to give back during
the workday and report that mentoring with Spark is, “one of the most enjoyable
projects I've done in recent memory.”
Though these ideas are
inspiring and motivating, we remember now - after 10 years of pairing students
with mentors in engaging apprenticeships - that the work spearheaded by Spark’s
talented staff everyday is all about helping today’s youth prepare for successful
futures.
Thank you for your support,
and I’ll be eager for us together to continue this journey with Spark!
