10.30.2019
Corporate Partners Give Time and Talent
As a nonprofit focused on serving youth in foster care, Treehouse sometimes has projects or capacity-building needs that go beyond the resources or expertise we have within our organization. Fortunately, we’re surrounded by a generous business community that is willing to take on pro bono projects so we can stay focused on what we do best. We are grateful for the many teams of professionals who donate their time and expertise in support of our mission.
We’re highlighting just four of our partnerships here: Dorsey & Whitney (law firm), HumanPoint (engaged teams), Vision Media (media plans) and Edelman (global communications firm).
Dorsey & Whitney
Under the guidance of Andrew Quecan and Stephanie Gambino, a team of Dorsey & Whitney summer associates reviewed all Washington state law related to education policy and services for children and youth experiencing foster care and/or homelessness. That included all laws that passed in 2019, bills to watch in 2020, reporting requirements for all laws and whether/how racial equity is embedded in current policies.
“We hope to use this thorough, detailed legal review to inform any additional action and develop future legislative strategy that improves education outcomes,” said Dawn Rains, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer at Treehouse.
The firm also reviewed the internal documentation for our Driver’s Assistance program, which provides funding for driver’s licenses, driver’s education and car insurance.
“Transportation isn’t optional for any of us, and there are a lot of expenses that can be a deterrent for our youth getting to school and work,” said Nicole Herron, Director of Resource Services at Treehouse. “Dorsey & Whitney’s expertise and quick turnaround were critical to getting our program up and running quickly and processing auto insurance payments.”
HumanPoint
A special thanks to HumanPoint’s Amy Hedin and Megan Schuller, who conducted Treehouse’s latest all-staff survey. Amy lead the survey design process and presented the results to our staff. Megan did the heavy lifting on the analytical work and summarized the survey results.
“We’ll use the results to shape a number of important decisions,” said Ray Oen, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Treehouse.
Developed just for Treehouse, the survey focused on manager and team effectiveness, racial equity, professional development, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, and Treehouse culture.
Vision Media
Steve Reed and his team at Vision Media have placed Treehouse public service announcements with TV stations and streaming services throughout the state every May for the past few years during National Foster Care Month. They’ve also secured airtime for PSA versions of some of our celebrity mentoring videos, including the ones featuring Mike McCready and Tom Douglas.
“Steve is very thorough when he places media,” said Jessica Ross, Chief Development Officer at Treehouse. “We can’t thank him enough for the awareness his campaigns generate for Treehouse and our youth.”
Edelman
Speaking of the Tom Douglas video, we absolutely couldn’t have done it without Lissa Capps, Ellina Stein and everyone else at Edelman who supported us from concept through the finished video.
“Ellina’s team oversaw planning, videography and editing to deliver a beautiful video—all in time for a crowd-pleasing debut at our Champions Luncheon earlier this year,” Jessica said.
The team later hosted a job shadow for two Treehouse youth who are interested in production careers.
Visit treehouseforkids.org/takeaction to learn numerous ways to partner with youth in foster care through Treehouse, including volunteering, hosting a drive or event, advocating legislators and donating.
About the Author
Trent Freeman is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Treehouse. He is passionate about storytelling as a tool to drive positive change for youth in foster care.