The Challenge
Educational First Steps (EFS) core program, Four Steps to Excellence, partners with child care centers across North Texas to provide the key ingredients to running quality early-childhood education programs. Its child center accreditation process was taking a time-consuming 60+ months to complete, taxing the EFS staff and limiting the number of centers that could receive this critical education. In order to expand its reach, EFS needed to reduce the amount of time and hours involved in running its cornerstone program.
Our Impact
Common Impact identified a team of cross-functional associates from Fidelity’s Workplace Investing group that would be able to share the right mix of expertise to streamline Four Steps to Excellence. Leveraging their the operational, organizational development and business acumen, along with the program expertise of the EFS staff, the pro bono team reduced the accreditation process to 40 months, cutting off a third of the time needed to provide the same quality of education to child centers.
The Results
- 33% increase in the reach and impact of EFS’ key program
- Sparked additional Fidelity investment and “hands-on” volunteering with EFS
- Developed the talents of participating Fidelity associates, including customer-focus, problem solving, innovation and change management