One of the great privileges of life as a consultant is that you get to learn from many leaders. As I continue this journey, I hope to capture learnings from engagements as they come to a close. Though limited in scope, I recently completed a project with Horizons Greater Washington (HGW), a local affiliate of Horizons National.

Historically, HGW has been largely supported by families at the independent schools where they host their award-winning summer program. I had the opportunity to work with Executive Director Mike DiMarco and Becca Yates, the Institutional Giving Manager, to expand the organization’s portfolio of foundation donors.

In this process, I got to learn about HGW’s plans to offer additional hours during the school year while maintaining their long-successful summer program. This would serve to deepen their relationship with enrolled students, who they already serve for up to nine years! On several occasions, I also got to hear Mike address the per-participant cost. This is where I had the opportunity to see a solid leader in action.

While nonprofits are often asked to defend that they’re being as efficient as possible with donor dollars, Mike always approached this question from an equity lens. To effectively serve HGW’s students, the organization removes every barrier - transportation, food, supplies, and more. Though costs may be marginally higher than some programs, Horizons Greater Washington makes sure that nothing stands between the student and the highest quality learning opportunities. That’s more important than a decontextualized price tag.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Mike and Becca and to witness the way they keep equity at the center. I look forward to watching the organization’s continued success.