Grantmakers can and should take pride in supporting effective organizations - we certainly do. But the credit for the Arbor Rising portfolio’s impact accrues to the grantees themselves.
After all, we didn’t teach that young person to code – our grantee did. Like the lever at right, our case for impact rests on our ability to help grantees better perform the heavy lift necessary for social change. ​
We measure our success by the degree to which the systems we build together serve as leverage, empowering our portfolio to serve more young people more efficiently, all with less risk of burning out.
In this way, our impact propagates like a chain reaction: from the investments we make in grantees, through the improvements in their management, to the differentiated outcomes they are able to achieve with program participants.
GRANTEE EFFORTS
SOCIAL IMPACT
OUR INVESTMENT
We help grantees become even more focused, impactful, and sustainable.
78%
of grantees meet or exceed our outcomes-focused culture standard
124,000+
participants have received trajectory-changing support from AR grantees
67%
of grantees go on to secure one or more $1M+ funding wins
Measuring Impact
How do we know if we have been successful in our efforts to empower our grantees?
Our tailored, high-dosage, capacity-strengthening support is designed to help grantee leadership develop management systems and cultivate a laser-focus on outcomes. We measure grantee progress on a detailed scorecard which targets tight programming, prudent resource allocation, and aligned stakeholders. As depicted here, we are pleased to note that during their time in our portfolio our grantees consistently develop the systems and culture essential for driving impact.
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Stepping back, the ideal overall assessment of our engagement would be objective, timely, and mission-centered. Since no single yardstick (including the aforementioned scorecard) features all these qualities, we encourage our board, donors, and other stakeholders to gauge our effectiveness by triangulating between a handful of metrics.
Impact Snapshots
Our grantees invest deeply in human potential. From early childhood development to school enrichment to job training programs, we support organizations which can be the difference-maker in the life of a young person.
COOP Careers propels underemployed, underrepresented college grads into the digital economy through a 16-week apprenticeship, moving average wages from $22k to $56k within one year.
AR INVESTED
1,030
$625k
consulting
hours
unrestricted
funding
OUR INVESTMENT HELPED UNLOCK
A 7x increase in COOP's revenue and participants served
"Support from Arbor Rising has been transformational in our efforts to scale our program. The team's insight and investment have allowed us to propel many more first-generation college students on the path to strong first careers."
Vince Marigna
Former Executive Director, Braven-Newark
