Partnering Towards Innovation
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." - Steve Jobs

It's because of our partnerships with companies like E*Trade, Goldman Sachs, the Tiger Woods Learning Center & Office Depot that we've been able to serve more than 6,000 youth. It’s been an inspiring process to see companies across the country partner with icouldbe.org to develop comprehensive company-wide e-mentoring programs.

icouldbe.org has had enormous success in working with corporate partners and their community affairs, company foundations and/or corporate giving programs to establish mutually beneficial partnerships. In partnering with values-driven companies we are able to provide opportunities that are truly useful and meaningful to icouldbe.org mentors and mentees.

In supporting the growth of our program, corporate partners have both recruited employees to be e-mentors and provided the financial support needed to sponsor underserved youth. From these many partnerships, icouldbe.org has developed an innovative business model that is scalable, sustainable and measurable. Depending on the number of employees, geographic locations, and availability of funding, icouldbe.org can tailor flexible employee volunteer and involvement programs to meet the missions of the corporate partner and that of icouldbe.org.

Our partnerships begin with determining the size and scope of the partnership, exploring all possibilities until an ideal mutually beneficial relationship is outlined and agreed upon. Some of the most compelling reasons appreciate our approach is that icouldbe.org provides an opportunity for corporate partners to:

• Empower Youth – By giving youth career guidance and education while cultivating future productive members of society, becoming both potential customers and employees!

• Retain Employees – 80% of volunteer programs improve employee retention*

• Increase Profits – 90% of volunteer programs improve morale and attract better employees, which leads to greater profitability* (source: Points of Light Foundation)

• Volunteer Everywhere – Employees from any country, state or city or town can work with teens

• Measure Volunteering Efforts – icouldbe.org provides a proven method to track and demonstrate the exponential value and positive effects of corporate volunteerism.

• Create Efficient Volunteering – Our E-mentoring program is implemented and managed entirely online and at a fraction of the cost of traditional mentoring programs.

• Improve CRA Ratings – For financial institutions, icouldbe.org has established relationships with schools in specific MSA Assessment Areas

• Co-Brand with Leading Non-Profits – icouldbe.org has long established effective partnerships with national non-profits that provide added value opportunities to our corporate partners

For a downloadable version of this text, click here. For more information on ways to partner with icouldbe.org, please contact Kate Schrauth, Executive Director at 646.734.8133, kate@icouldbe.org or Jacqueline O'Donnell, Corporate Partnerships at 646.734.2086, jacqueline@icouldbe.org.