A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

A Blueprint for Success
income students break the cycle of poverty, College Bound St. Louis staff realized that attaining a
college degree alone would not be sufficient. Thus, CB-STL has increased the attention on college
internships, as well as summer activities and academic rigor in the high school programs.
An aspect CEO Zarin noted that she wished she could do differently, given the opportunity, would
be to develop a more aggressive funding strategy (including earned revenue streams) and engage a
more robust group of investors earlier in the development of the program to ensure long-term program
sustainability. This statement reflects a current challenge of the organization as it thinks about
the future years. CEO Zarin explains, “we are focusing on developing reliable funding streams, innovative
ways to earn income, a succession plan for all leadership positions, and a strategy to move
from an AmeriCorps model – if necessary – to a staff-based model should government funding dissolve.”
Given the current economic climate, College Bound St. Louis is “vigilant” about the possibility
of losing federal funding. The organization’s leaders, therefore, are developing alternative funding
opportunities that could both infuse the organization with capital and support other access providers.
Educational Policy Institute 40 www.educationalpolicy.org