Shaping our shared future
Letter from
President & CEO and Board Chair
At StriveTogether, we’re working toward generational change — the kind of transformation that will shape our nation’s future.
Together with the Cradle to Career Network of place-based partnerships, we’re working to put 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, and we’ve already seen incredible progress across the 70 communities in our network.
In this report, we share our progress from 2024, the first full year of our new strategic plan. We invite you to explore what it looks like for communities to improve outcomes for young people; to change policies to center young people; to train community leaders in vital skills; and to change the narrative so that local success stories can become our national reality.
Thank you for your contributions to our shared vision of a future where every child has every chance to succeed.
In partnership,
Jennifer Blatz, President & CEO, StriveTogether
Russell W. Booker, Ph.D., Board Chair, StriveTogether
2024
Civic Infrastructure Assessment Data
The Impact of Place-Based Partnerships
The following data is shared by the Cradle to Career Network during the annual Civic Infrastructure Assessment. Network members use data to inform decisions, refine strategies, target resources and track progress.
Priority #1
Strengthen the Cradle to Career Network
The Cradle to Career Network is the country’s largest network of place-based partnerships. StriveTogether connects, champions and supports the work of these communities to get better results for young people.
Our target
By 2030, 70% of communities in the Network will be improving four or more outcomes faster than a historical baseline and closing gaps for young people, meaning more young people will be meeting key milestones on the path to economic mobility.
Our progress
In 2024, 35% of communities in the Network with sufficient data have improved four or more outcomes in the last two years, when compared to outcomes from the previous two years.
Starting school ready to learn is critical to future success. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, increased kindergarten readiness leads to better academic outcomes from elementary to high school. Cradle to Career Network member Boston Opportunity Agenda is leading work that’s helping more children be kindergarten ready.
Scores for the community’s primary measure for kindergarten readiness have increased despite pandemic-related setbacks. Kindergarteners achieving the MAP fluency benchmark — tracking progress on literacy skills — rose from 67% in 2023 to 72.4% in 2024.
Supporting this success is a cross-city collaborative of more than 150 parents and representatives from early education centers, nonprofits, schools, health care organizations, philanthropy and more. In an effort led by Boston Opportunity Agenda, these partners are creating a citywide plan for children from birth to age 8.
Local government is a key partner. Boston Opportunity Agenda has been leading the City of Boston’s kindergarten readiness efforts in partnership with the Office of Early Childhood and Boston Public Schools. Boston Opportunity Agenda ensures accountability and coordination among partners engaged in this work.
Their efforts started by determining how to measure success. While MAP fluency scores provide insight into one aspect of kindergarten readiness for enrolled students, there is no unified national assessment that measures kindergarten readiness before enrollment. Addressing this gap is not only about creating a common assessment but also about fostering a unified approach to early childhood education in Boston.
Having a common assessment helps families understand what kindergarten readiness means and how to support their children. The assessment also supports educators, helping early childhood educators tailor classroom activities and enabling kindergarten teachers to create a smooth transition for incoming students.
Boston Opportunity Agenda convened representatives from Boston Public Schools, Head Start, early education and child care centers, fostering new dialogue. This collaborative effort included extensive research into definitions and assessments of kindergarten readiness across the country. The assessment had to be easy to use across different settings, from family child care providers to public schools.
In the spring of 2024, Boston Public Schools implemented a shorter version of their Report Card to assess developmental domains, piloted with community-based organizations. This initiative aligns assessments for children across pre-K settings, contributing to a consistent evaluation of school readiness throughout the city. This alignment allows the community to work toward common metrics and helps ensure that resources are equitably distributed.
In addition to the kindergarten readiness assessment, Boston Opportunity Agenda leads an initiative focused on early childhood developmental screening and support. This project aims to build systems around early developmental screenings, connecting families to information and resources for their children’s development. Additional early childhood initiatives — including a summer school program that introduces curriculum concepts to children entering kindergarten and newcomer supports for English language learners — ensure that children receive what they need for a strong start.
In all aspects of this work, family engagement remains at the center. Families and parent leaders are actively involved in planning and implementing kindergarten readiness strategies. Boston Public Schools expanded the role of its Early Childhood Family Council, which includes two families from each of the 25 community-based Boston pre-K programs.
The progress made through these initiatives has positioned Boston to better address systemic disparities in kindergarten readiness. And the impact will put thousands more children on a path to economic mobility. By 2030, Boston Opportunity Agenda aims to support an additional 7,086 children to be ready for kindergarten, compared to the baseline readiness in the 2022-23 school year.
Boston Opportunity Agenda is continuing to develop and implement a unified, citywide approach to improving this outcome, an approach that aligns Boston Public Schools, local government, community-based organizations and other key partners. Together, they’re building a more supportive landscape for Boston’s youngest learners and a stronger economic future for the city.
Priority #2
Drive Policy Change and Resources
Policy at all levels of government is critical for strengthened civic infrastructure. StriveTogether supports and amplifies local solutions, equips state coalitions to create lasting change, and ensures that place-based partnerships are at the forefront of the national conversation. This work unlocks more public resources dedicated to better results for young people.
Our target
By 2030, $70 billion of public funding will be secured for better cradle-to-career outcomes and strengthened civic infrastructure.
Our progress
In 2024, Cradle to Career Network members reported policy wins totaling $4.1 billion.
In Colorado, school districts and their communities have secured transformative investments in education. These landmark policy wins for districts reflect a commitment to strengthening educational infrastructure and expanding opportunities.
Together, these wins mobilize more than $2 billion in public school funding — fueled by the civic engagement work led by Cradle to Career Network member Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career.
For Aurora Public Schools, Issue 5A will provide $30 million annually to fund capital expenses, freeing up funding for other crucial needs. This means more resources for increasing teacher salaries, mental health support and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Issue 5B secures $1 billion to build new schools, remodel schools, and make critical building upgrades that will benefit tens of thousands of students.
For Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Issue 5E will leverage $830 million for updates to all school buildings, a fully rebuilt Thornton High School, a central food warehouse and kitchen, and expanded space for more CTE offerings.
And for Westminster Public Schools, Issue 4C is an $111 million bond to expand CTE and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs at the Iver C. Ranum Innovation Campus, giving students access to hands-on learning that prepares them for careers in high-demand fields. It will also upgrade safety and security systems and HVAC systems across all school buildings and will build a modern PK-8 campus specializing in STEM/CTE pathways.
At the heart of these wins was deep community engagement. With support from StriveTogether, Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career’s Civic Influencer Fellowship is designed to develop youth leaders aged 16-24 as results-oriented, collaborative decision-makers.
Civic Influencers played a meaningful role in mobilizing support and advocating for these policy wins. They worked alongside partners to register voters, engage with the community at events and over the phone, and reach thousands through social media and email campaigns. Civic Influencers worked with local leaders to secure endorsements from decision-making bodies, providing testimony to boards of education and city councils. They also went door to door to have real conversations with community members. These combined efforts helped voters see the long-term value of investing in education.
Colorado communities have already shown the impact of funding on student success. A historic 2022 mill levy — which Civic Influencers also worked alongside the district to support — has increased opportunity at 27J Schools. The district was able to boost teacher pay, reducing turnover and fostering a stable learning environment. They also hired 63 new school safety staff, cutting disciplinary actions in half, 8,256 to 4,081. Chronic absenteeism dropped from 30.7% to 26.8%. Enrollment in STEM and CTE programs increased by 59%, equipping students with high-demand skills. These enhancements in engagement, safety and career readiness are supporting more students toward graduation and long-term success.
As Civic Influencer Fellow Gabriela Chavez shared, “Strong schools make strong communities.” Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career has a bold vision for the future of their region, with a target of supporting 71,000 more young people to reach critical cradle-to-career milestones by 2030.
This goal names their contribution to the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network’s collective vision of putting 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility, and the target has rallied the region’s partners together. “What I see in this number — this ambitious number — is that we want to take a leap and not just a small step forward,” said Chris Gdowski, superintendent of Adams 12 Five Star Schools.
These funding victories are strong progress toward this vision, providing resources to improve school facilities, expand teacher and student resources, and create new opportunities — supporting more young people to reach key milestones and achieve economic mobility.
Priority #3
Scale Competencies Through the Training Hub
The Training Hub Powered by StriveTogether equips community leaders to deepen their work and put more young people on a path to economic mobility. The Training Hub provides high-quality virtual training for learners in the Cradle to Career Network and beyond, building a stronger field of place-based partnerships.
Our target
By 2030, we’ll deliver 75,000 hours of training to support leaders to work across sectors, change systems and improve outcomes.
Our progress
In 2024, leaders from across the field of place-based partnerships participated in 4,874 hours of learning on the Training Hub.
The Training Hub Powered by StriveTogether is playing a key role in implementing groundbreaking legislation in Maryland. The Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments and Households (ENOUGH) Act is designed to strengthen systems of early childhood development, education, economic development, public safety and community-based health. The legislation invests millions of dollars each year in this work, with $13.1 million invested in its first year.
StriveTogether supported the crafting of this legislation and the launch of grant applications. President and CEO Jennifer Blatz was invited to join Maryland Governor Wes Moore as he signed the ENOUGH Act into law in May 2024. Now, through the Training Hub, lessons from across the Cradle to Career Network are providing the insights that Maryland communities need to strengthen their place-based partnerships.
“This is the moment that our society has been waiting for,” said Gov. Moore as he announced the first cohort of grant awardees. “What would it look like if we could create an approach for transforming our communities that was written by our communities and not for our communities?”
To create this transformation, communities receiving support through the ENOUGH Act need more than funding — they need training and resources to effectively build civic infrastructure and deepen their impact. After the legislation was announced, StriveTogether connected with the Maryland Governor’s Office for Children to share the potential of the Training Hub. The robust content and capabilities of the Training Hub made it the right partner to provide grantee communities with this critical support.
“No one else in our field is offering high-quality, free content to train place-based partnership leaders at the scale of the Training Hub,” said Heidi Black, StriveTogether’s vice president of training.
The Training Hub partnered with the Governor’s Office for Children to select courses aligned with the goals of the ENOUGH Act and built a unique landing page for grantees. Courses selected for grantees support the key competencies of collaborative action. Since the launch of the page, leaders from more than 25 communities have taken courses on the Training Hub related to their ENOUGH Act work. StriveTogether will continue to partner with the Governor’s Office to create more opportunities for grantees, like learning cohorts or customized courses based on their challenges.
StriveTogether is supporting ENOUGH Act implementation with our national partners at Purpose Built Communities, Partners for Rural Impact, the William Julius Wilson Institute at the Harlem Children’s Zone and Blue Meridian Partners. In Maryland, Cradle to Career Network member Baltimore’s Promise will provide technical assistance to grantees. Baltimore’s Promise uses the power of data and collaboration to improve outcomes for youth and their families, centering community expertise. Their support will help fuel the impact of ENOUGH Act grantees.
This legislation sets the standard for other states to join Maryland in investing in place-based partnerships and putting more young people on a path to economic mobility. The Training Hub makes it possible for us to share insights across communities, creating more opportunities for children and families to thrive.
Priority #4
Build Awareness, Understanding and Demand for a New Civic Infrastructure
StriveTogether turns local success stories into a national movement. We showcase the impact of place-based partnerships to build critical support for this work, bringing more individuals, organizations and communities into the collective and scaling our vision of more young people on a path to economic mobility.
Our target and progress
In 2025, StriveTogether is undertaking a study to understand awareness of our organization and core concepts of our work. This baseline data will inform our targets.
StriveTogether is participating in key conversations to ensure that place-based partnerships are at the forefront of strategies to put more young people on the path to economic mobility.
In 2024, StriveTogether was recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as the global leader in Collective Social Innovation. StriveTogether President and CEO Jennifer Blatz traveled to Davos, Switzerland, to accept this award at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.
While there, she connected with social innovators from around the world, learning about some of the most pressing global issues and networking with world leaders. This opportunity was just the start of StriveTogether’s presence in this global community through a multi-year engagement with the Schwab Foundation.
In September, StriveTogether was part of a convening of 35 Schwab Foundation organizations, and StriveTogether will be one of 10 featured in a profile on collective social innovation. In January 2025, StriveTogether’s chief advancement officer, Colin Groth, attended the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, where he participated in an innovative financing session. Through our ongoing involvement in this prominent global cohort, StriveTogether hopes to connect local communities and philanthropy into conversations as well, elevating and fueling the transformative work happening across the Cradle to Career Network.
“It’s validating to be in a room with folks from all over the world who are facilitating cross-sector collaboration toward shared goals, and to be lifted up in that community as a shining star just not for the country but for the world,” Groth said.
StriveTogether has also brought our depth of knowledge to events at national tables in the U.S. as well. In August, Jennifer Blatz and Vice President of Policy and Partnerships Josh Davis were invited to the White House Summit on Capital Support for Place-Based Economic Development.
This convening brought together senior administration officials, philanthropic leaders, non-governmental organizations and implementers to identify new opportunities to make the most of federal investment in communities across the country. StriveTogether was honored to be present alongside key national partners, including Ballmer Group, Harlem Children’s Zone, Partners for Rural Impact, Purpose Built Communities and Results for America.
“Placed-based partnerships prove that local organizations working together can change outcomes for youth and communities,” Blatz said. “As national and global spotlights illuminate this approach, we must ensure that this work is sustained and expanded. Place-based partnerships are what our country needs to reverse declines in economic opportunity and create strong futures for every child.”
Additional Resources
Board of directors
The board of directors provides oversight and strong leadership to guide the organization in supporting the success of every child, cradle to career.
Operating highlights
The financial data included in the full report are preliminary. Audited financial statements will be posted to our website when they become available.
Investors and partners
Our work to ensure every child has every chance to succeed is made possible through the generous support of our investors and partners.
Advance your work
StriveTogether provides training to help leaders strengthen their ability to work across sectors, change systems and improve outcomes.
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