In a world where wars, other tragedies, and a deeply polarized political landscape inevitably touch everyone, it is imperative that institutional leadership has clarity about their approach to navigating challenging conversations. An institution’s approach will be most effective when its actions are rooted in its vision, mission, and values. Below, we outline some effective practices, resources, and questions to ask as your organization navigates discussions of current events.

Our final article in a series of three for LILIPOH magazine, The Importance of Reciprocity is out now, in the Summer 2025 issue. Authored by Alma Partners colleagues Masumi Hayashi-Smith, Aiyana Masla, and Joaquin Muñoz, the series addresses questions and concerns related to cultural appreciation and appropriation.

This summer, Alma Partners brought fresh ideas and deep inspiration to two national gatherings: the AWSNA Conference in Toronto and the National Small Schools Conference in Philadelphia. Dr. Linda Williams’ keynote at AWSNA urged educators to embrace self-work, build courageous communities, and “find your fire” - earning a standing ovation. Vicki Larson connected with partners across the Waldorf ecosystem, and at NSSC, Alex Borders introduced Fractional Director Services as a cost-smart way for small schools to build sustainable capacity.

Contact us today and find out how we can support your school.

In our latest Resource List update, we’ve added several new items, including an episode of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast. called CARE-FRONTATIONS: Three Keys for Giving & Receiving Criticism. We always welcome suggestions for additional resources you have found useful! Contact us to share anything you’d like to see on future iterations of the list.

Grants are a vital component of a sustainable funding mix. Yet, we all know that winning grants is a competitive, time-intensive, and unpredictable process.  We recently partnered with a nonprofit that wanted to adopt a more strategic approach to grant funding.  Our work together resulted in a proactive grant program that saves time, improves proposal quality and cultivates year-round relationships with foundations. Today, the organization is submitting significantly more applications and seeing more wins. Interested in how we can help you? We’d love to start a conversation.

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Starting a major gifts program can feel overwhelming. We recently partnered with Awbury Arboretum to change that. In just a few weeks, we designed a major gifts strategy tailored to their mission, built the tools and systems to support it, and coached the team through implementation. The result? A values-aligned program that’s already deepening donor relationships, energizing the board, and unlocking transformational giving. Thinking about launching or reimagining your major gifts work? Let us help you. Contact us at connect@almapartners.net

Even the most well-designed fundraising strategy can lose its effectiveness over time as fundraising conditions change, donor behaviour evolves, and institutional priorities shift. What worked a few years ago may no longer match your goals or your community’s expectations.

The question is: Why is your fundraising strategy no longer delivering the results it used to?

At Alma Partners, we help schools identify that gap and realign their strategy, messaging, and day-to-day practices to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s goals.

Congratulations to Alma Partners Co-Founder Randolph Carter, who was recently honored at the MCRC@ADVIS 2025 DEIJB Conference. Randolph was a founder of the Multicultural Resource Center (MCRC) and, at the April 25th conference in Philadelphia, spoke on a panel entitled Legacy, Strength, and Vision: Honoring the Past, Grounding the Present, and Shaping the Future of Equity in Education, alongside Sherry T. Coleman, Darryl J. Ford, and Blair Stambaugh.

In a time of political division, climate emergency, and rising rates of mental-health crisis among teens, we urgently need spaces where young people feel connected, inspired, and empowered. The Alma Partners SLC:

• Creates a space where student leaders can dialogue honestly across differences and adult supporters can model engaged, responsive leadership

• Builds students’ confidence, sense of belonging, facilitation skills, and leadership capacity

• Develops cross-school networks that empower youth and center their voices.

One of the most powerful shifts we see in schools doesn’t come from a new marketing campaign, a bigger ad budget, or even a beautifully redesigned website. It comes when the people inside the school start speaking with one voice.

At Alma Partners, we often work with schools that are moving at full speed. It’s a pace that’s familiar, even necessary at times, but it’s also unsustainable.

Last year, we partnered with a school that had been living in that reactive rhythm for a while. Every marketing effort felt like a last-minute sprint:
“We need a postcard now!”
“Let’s throw some money at Facebook ads!”
“Our open house is in two weeks, and we’re not full—help!”
Sound familiar?

In this month’s Resource List update, we’ve added several new articles, including two from Drugwatch on the impact of chemical hair straighteners on Black women’s health, since we aim for our this ever-evolving document to offer not only curricular support for teachers, but also to link readers to evidence-based information that they can use in their communities.

As we reflect today on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we offer our Resource List as a source of support, inspiration, and sustenance for everyone working to expand inclusion and belonging in their communities, for all those working for justice for marginalized peoples, for liberation for each of us. May our work honor the memory of Dr. King.

As a group and as individuals, we have been thinking and talking about the national election results for the past few weeks, as we imagine all of you have been doing. As you’d expect, we have questions and hopes and fears, but there’s one thing we feel clear about: our unwavering commitment to each other, to you, and to the work we all do together. In that spirit, we offer our big resource list, updated regularly and shared every other month here on our blog.

We are publishing a three-article series in Lilipoh Magazine on cultural appreciation. The first article of the series, focusing on understanding power, has just been published!

Theater productions are incredible opportunities to introduce students to the beautiful and complex nature of our world. Theater is a portal to other times, places, and cultures. Because theater is so vivid and emotional, there are also many places within it where our own biases can lurk. This document offers ideas for, and examples of, a show brought to the stage with context and consciousness. May all your productions open your students’ eyes and swing open doors of wonder and empathy.

Out of decades of experience leading and supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Committees (who use many variants of the acronym, including EID, EDI, JEDI, and more), we know that strong leadership and clear structure are essential to a committee’s sustainability and working relationships. How can a DEIJ Committee - often made up of volunteers - synthesize a range of opinions, function transparently and effectively, and impact their community for the good of all? 

In independent schools, tuition can be a site of inclusion or exclusion, depending on a school’s policies and practices. Accessible tuition is an essential way for schools to put their values into practice by acknowledging socio-economic diversity, wealth inequality, and the inherent value of all students, regardless of financial access. By developing Accessible Tuition policies, schools can intentionally and purposefully create communities that enable students from a range of backgrounds to learn together.

We hope that you are all settling into the school year. Here is the latest version of our big resource list, which we add to regularly. We hope it will serve you in your curriculum planning; in your conversations with students, colleagues, and families; and in your personal striving.

We hope that all of you are getting some Summer rest, and that your dreams of recharging, reimagining, and refilling your cup are coming true.