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1. Always let the school set the agenda.
The wonderful thing about working with a school or a local literacy nonprofit is that the plan, strategy, and much of the partnership administration has already been taken care of. The biggest gift the community partner (a business, church, etc.) can bring to the partnership is: Love without Agenda. No plan is perfect, but as the supporting partner, your role is to take your direction from the school.
2. Be generous
As the partner, you will have numerous chances to find more ways to be generous to your school: ways to give, ways to serve, and ways to encourage. Look to fulfill them as your group’s capacity allows. Don’t be surprised if someone else takes the credit for the good deeds you do (that’s human nature). Pastor Roy says, “Be Jesus-generous in an anonymous type of way.”
3. Let your leader be the point person
In the first year of developing that partnership, when your business/church/organization is setting up norms and habits, the leadership must come from the top. If you, as the leader, believe in the mission, your people will follow. Once systems have solidified and your partnership grows, the top leader will often share the leadership with others.
4. Get to know your community
Schools are uniquely geographically bound. They are a proper meeting place and representative of the entire neighborhood: culturally, economically, and ideologically. Find community assessment tools to learn about these dynamics. Informally, hang out near your school partner at coffee shops, parks, and community events to hear the stories of what that community cares about.
5. Always seek out wisdom and discernment as you move forward in the partnership
You are not the first organization to support a local school with literacy mentors. Find those who have gone before you. You can also seek out support organizations (like Children’s Literacy Project) for educational opportunities and camaraderie.
