DWL worked with Achieving the Dream to help their team develop and implement consistent, mission-aligned capacity-building services to institutions of higher education. Prior to her move to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the Program Officer of Digital Learning and Evidence-based Teaching, we had a chance to ask our client Dr. Ruanda Garth-McCullough why she hired us and how we helped her team. Ruanda said:

Development Without Limits has been a partner and a sounding board that supports us in realizing our vision and presenting our ideas in the optimal way to connect us to faculty that center equity and students throughout their teaching and learning practices. The way DWL presents our equity-centered ideas sheds light on our values and clearly conveys our central message and call to action to educators.

As a result of working with DWL, we have engaging and appealing capacity building services that amplify the language and mission of our organization with our clients.

~Dr. Ruanda Garth-McCullough, former Director of Program Development, Achieving the Dream

I have worked with other coaches and consultants. One thing the puts Jennifer in another category is how she influences naturally. She is very authentic and has this energy that allows one to feed off of.  

~Deanna Galarza, Director of Leadership Development, LA’s BEST

Joy of Giving Something Foundation (JGS) came to DWL with Big Questions: how do we train afterschool workers to deliver high quality photography programming to kids from all age groups and backgrounds? What does high quality engagement look like? How do we build out a field of afterschool workers who care about visual arts? How do we leverage this investment in professional development to build sustainability for our grantees?

10 years later JGS continues to partner with DWL on dozens of projects. They bring a level of expertise in education, training, and facilitation that is unparalleled in my experience. Through every phase of a project – from conception to execution to assessment – DWL has the tools, experience, and personnel to get the job done.

Without the assistance of DWL our grantmaking would lack depth and integrity. JGS is slowly building a reputation as innovators in philanthropy, providing the kind of grant assistance that other foundations often overlook. Monetarily, our grants may not be the largest. But working with DWL allows us to add the kind of value to our initiatives that has a lasting impact on the organizations we support.

Working with DWL you can count on a high level of professionalism. They know how to find creative solutions to complex challenges. They are thought-partners, social engineers, productivity consultants, and truth tellers. I can’t imagine doing this work without DWL!

~Wayne Maugans, Program Officer, Joy of Giving Something Foundation

DWL helped our organization formalize our capacity building efforts and gain “quite a bit of recognition from our key funder.”

~Michelle Mitchell, Former Project Director for Urban Youth Empowerment Program, National Urban League now at TIDES Foundation

Watch Michelle’s testimonial here.

The leadership coaching cohort program made me feel incredibly uncomfortable in the beginning! After the first couple of sessions I knew that unpleasant feeling was a sign that I was ready for learning and growth. I had to take an honest look at myself and allow myself to be vulnerable, which is something that does not come easy for me. The academy has been a safe place to explore myself as a leader and get to know other leaders on a meaningful level.

~Program Director, Maine’s 21st CCLC

The idea of collective learning, crowdsourcing and sharing everything has been transformational.  I’ve learned that power is sharing, leading others to success and everyone rising. My work with DWL has led to connections in the field. Strong facilitators with realistic expectations and ongoing discussions with peers make me more likely to implement positive practices at work.

~Maine 21st CCLC Site Director after participating in DWL’s Kairos Leadership Academy

I am so grateful for the coaching sessions with Belinda. She is truly amazing! She created a safe and supportive environment for me to learn, reflect, and grow. Our sessions were organized and purposeful. The resources and activities were practical and have already made a big impact on me and how I lead each day.

~Jennifer Dietrich, Director of Policy, Partnership for Children and Youth

www.partnerforchildren.org

We loved working with Development Without Limits. They worked with us to build an authentic and easy to implement professional learning program that has helped us onboard partners more efficiently and effectively.

~Brita Nordin, Former Chief Product Officer, BellXcel

www.bellxcel.org