Place-based partnerships in Houston, Texas; Marin County, California; and Colorado’s north metro region will each receive $3 million over four years
January 13, 2026
CINCINNATI, OH — StriveTogether is investing $9 million in three regions’ work to increase economic mobility by helping more young people reach key milestones. Funding will accelerate local efforts to strengthen cradle-to-career outcomes and expand economic mobility.
The three regions receiving funding are part of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, the country’s largest network of place-based partnerships. This investment builds on $26.4 million invested in 2024 and contributes to a total of more than $124 million invested by StriveTogether in cradle-to-career, place-based partnerships since 2018.
Too many Americans face financial instability and diminished opportunities. In the face of these uncertainties, place-based solutions offer a path forward with transformative potential. Through place-based partnerships, communities in the Cradle to Career Network change the way their communities work together by building stronger connections, sharing resources and using data to drive continual improvement. Together, partners create effective local solutions to address our most pressing challenges.
“Investing in place-based partnerships is one of the most powerful ways to expand opportunity in this country,” said President and CEO Jennifer Blatz. “This investment reflects StriveTogether’s belief in local leadership and community-driven change to get measurable results for young people.”
Communities in the Cradle to Career Network are improving seven critical outcomes for young people, from being ready for kindergarten to securing a good-paying job. These cradle-to-career milestones form a pathway to future success. For instance, when students have what they need to be proficient in reading by the end of third grade, they’re four times more likely to complete high school. Individuals who finish high school earn about 23% more than individuals who don’t, and earning potential increases for each level of education beyond high school.
In Houston, Texas, Good Reason Houston drives systemic change in public school systems to get better student outcomes. StriveTogether funding will support work to strengthen early literacy and pre-kindergarten enrollment; advance regional and state policy alignment for student success; and deepen cross-sector collaboration to drive citywide improvement.
In Marin County, California, Marin Promise Partnership works toward a future in which every child can reach their full educational potential. StriveTogether funding will support work to strengthen neighborhood-based supports for early learning, college readiness and completion, and employment opportunities; align partners to collaborate and use data more effectively; and elevate neighborhood wins to influence county and state policy.
In Denver’s north metro region, Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career is working to help 71,000 more young people reach key cradle-to-career milestones on their path to upward mobility by 2030. StriveTogether funding will support work to expand postsecondary access, persistence and credential attainment; strengthen workforce alignment and career-connected pathways; embed youth-centered decision-making; and scaling local wins to influence state policy and resource decisions.
These communities and others across the country are proving that alignment through place-based partnerships leads to results. When communities center young people, use data to make decisions and target resources toward strategies that work, real change becomes possible. StriveTogether’s investment will help accelerate this momentum, ensuring more young people have the opportunities and support they need to thrive from cradle to career.
About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national network of community partnerships that bring together neighbors, including youth and families, nonprofits, businesses, schools and more, to work toward a future where youth can thrive in their communities. Cradle to Career Network members change the way their communities work together by building connections, sharing resources and using data to put more young people on a path to economic mobility. Our work helps young people meet seven key life milestones so that they have the opportunities they need to reach their goals, and, ultimately, thrive. Learn more at StriveTogether.org.