About Us | 18th and Spring Inc.

The Problem We Solve

The Education Gap Is Real — and Urgent

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 11.6 million children in the United States live in poverty. In Georgia alone, 1 in 5 children lives in a food-insecure household, and the majority of students in Atlanta Public Schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — a primary indicator of economic hardship.

Research from the Brookings Institution shows that children from low-income families are 6 times less likely to graduate from college than their higher-income peers. The achievement gap begins as early as kindergarten and widens with each passing year without intervention. In Atlanta's historically underinvested neighborhoods — including Vine City, Bankhead, and Westside — school dropout rates exceed 30% in some corridors.

The evidence is clear: without targeted, sustained support, educational inequity perpetuates generational poverty. 18th and Spring Inc. was founded to interrupt that cycle.

Atlanta graduation rate (underserved areas)68%

National average graduation rate85%

Our scholarship retention rate92%

Mission & Vision

Why We Exist — and Where We're Going

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Our Mission

"To empower underserved children in Atlanta and beyond by providing equitable access to education through scholarships, learning resources, and enrichment experiences — so that every child can discover their full potential."

We exist because the accident of birth should never determine the ceiling of a child's ambition.

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Our 10-Year Vision (2025–2035)

By 2035, 18th and Spring Inc. will have directly served 10,000 children across Georgia, established a $2 million endowment for perpetual scholarships, and partnered with 50+ schools to embed our enrichment model into the standard curriculum.

We envision a Georgia where a child's educational outcome is determined by their effort and talent — not their family's bank account.

Strategic Goals

SMART Goals: 2025–2028

Our first three-year phase is defined by five measurable, time-bound objectives that build the organizational infrastructure and community trust needed for long-term impact.

S

Specific: Scholarship Expansion

Award a minimum of 150 scholarships annually by 2027, targeting K–12 students in Atlanta's five most underserved zip codes.

M

Measurable: Supply Distribution

Distribute school supplies to 500+ students per semester, tracked via intake forms and post-distribution surveys with 90% completion rate.

A

Achievable: Volunteer Network

Recruit and train 250 active volunteers by end of 2026, with a structured onboarding program and 70% annual retention rate.

R

Relevant: Enrichment Trips

Organize 20 educational field trips and STEM workshops per year, each aligned to Georgia state academic standards and evaluated for learning outcomes.

T

Time-Bound: Financial Sustainability

Achieve a diversified funding portfolio (no single source exceeding 30% of revenue) and a 6-month operating reserve by December 2027, reducing dependence on any single grant or donor.

Who We Serve

Our Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries: Children ages 5–18 living in households at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, enrolled in Title I public schools in Atlanta, GA. Selection criteria include demonstrated financial need, school enrollment verification, and geographic eligibility.

Secondary Beneficiaries: Parents and guardians of enrolled children, who receive parenting-for-literacy workshops and resource navigation support. Teachers and school counselors in partner schools also benefit through our co-facilitated supply drives and classroom resource grants.

Tertiary Impact: The broader Atlanta community benefits through reduced dropout rates, increased civic participation among youth alumni, and the economic multiplier effect of a more educated local workforce.

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Ages 5–10

Early literacy and foundational skills support

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Ages 11–14

Tutoring, mentorship, and enrichment

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Ages 15–18

College prep, scholarships, campus tours

Theory of Change

From Investment to Impact

Our Theory of Change maps how resources and activities translate into lasting educational transformation.

1

Inputs

Donor funding, volunteer time, corporate partnerships, school relationships, staff expertise

2

Activities

Scholarship awards, supply drives, tutoring, field trips, STEM workshops, college tours

3

Short-Term Outcomes

Improved attendance, higher grades, increased school supplies, expanded aspirations

4

Long-Term Impact

Higher graduation rates, college enrollment, career readiness, generational poverty reduction

Underlying assumption: Children who have their basic educational needs met and are exposed to enriching experiences develop the confidence and skills to pursue higher education and economic mobility.

Measurement

Key Performance Indicators

Scholarship recipients per year (Target: 150)127

Scholarship retention rate (Target: 90%)92%

Supply distribution (Target: 500/semester)430

Volunteer retention rate (Target: 70%)74%

Enrichment trips per year (Target: 20)18

Monitoring & Evaluation

How We Measure Success

Our M&E framework is built around a quarterly data collection cycle. We use intake surveys, post-program assessments, school report card reviews (with family consent), and annual beneficiary interviews to track progress against our KPIs.

Quarterly

Program Activity Reports

Attendance logs, supply distribution tallies, scholarship disbursement records reviewed by Program Director.

Semi-Annual

Beneficiary Progress Reviews

Academic progress check-ins with scholarship recipients; parent satisfaction surveys; volunteer feedback forms.

Annual

Independent Impact Evaluation

Third-party evaluation of program outcomes, financial audit, and board review of strategic goal progress.

Our Team

The People Behind the Mission

18th and Spring is led by a dedicated core team supported by a network of over 180 volunteers. Our organizational structure is designed for agility, accountability, and community trust.

Matt Bronfman

Principal & Executive Director

Oversees organizational strategy, donor relations, and community partnerships. Brings 15+ years of nonprofit leadership experience in education equity.

Denise Washington

Program Director

Manages day-to-day program operations, volunteer coordination, and school partnerships. Former Atlanta Public Schools counselor with 12 years of experience.

James Carter

Development Officer

Leads grant writing, corporate fundraising, and individual donor cultivation. Has secured over $500K in institutional grants since joining in 2023.

Volunteer Program

Attracting, Training & Retaining Volunteers

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our operations. Our three-phase volunteer strategy ensures that every person who joins our team is equipped, engaged, and retained:

Phase 1: Attract

Community Recruitment

We partner with local HBCUs, churches, corporate employee volunteer programs, and neighborhood associations to recruit diverse volunteers who reflect the communities we serve.

Phase 2: Train

Structured Onboarding

All volunteers complete a 4-hour orientation covering child safeguarding, cultural competency, program protocols, and trauma-informed communication.

Phase 3: Retain

Recognition & Growth

Monthly volunteer spotlights, annual appreciation events, leadership pathways to Team Lead roles, and flexible scheduling to accommodate working adults.

Funding Strategy

How We Fund Our Work

We employ a diversified funding model to ensure long-term financial resilience. No single revenue source exceeds 30% of our annual budget.

Individual Donations30%

Foundation Grants28%

Corporate Sponsorships22%

Events & Crowdfunding12%

Government Grants8%

Sustainability

Built to Last Beyond Year 5

Our sustainability strategy rests on three pillars designed to ensure 18th and Spring thrives long after its founding phase:

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Endowment Building

We are actively building a restricted endowment fund, targeting $500K by 2027, with annual interest funding a permanent scholarship stream independent of operating revenue.

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Institutional Partnerships

Multi-year MOU agreements with Atlanta Public Schools and three corporate sponsors provide predictable, recurring funding that reduces grant dependency.

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Earned Revenue

By 2026, we will launch a fee-for-service consulting arm, offering our enrichment curriculum to private schools and corporations seeking community engagement programs.

Risk Management

Identifying and Mitigating Key Risks

We proactively identify and plan for the risks most likely to affect our ability to serve children. Below is our current risk register with mitigation strategies.

Risk Category	Risk Description	Likelihood	Mitigation Strategy
Financial	Loss of a major grant or donor (>20% of revenue)	High	Diversified funding portfolio; 6-month operating reserve; monthly donor cultivation
Operational	Key staff departure (Executive Director or Program Director)	Medium	Succession planning document; cross-training; competitive compensation benchmarking
Reputational	Safeguarding incident involving a child or volunteer	Low	Mandatory background checks; child safeguarding policy; incident reporting protocol; annual training
External	Economic recession reducing donor capacity	Medium	Endowment fund; government grant pipeline; reduced-cost program models for downturns
Compliance	IRS 501(c)(3) compliance or reporting failure	Low	Annual independent financial audit; retained nonprofit attorney; board finance committee oversight

Our Values

What We Stand For

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Equity

We believe in giving every child what they need to succeed — not the same thing, but the right thing for their unique circumstances.

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Dignity

Every child and family we serve is treated with unconditional respect, compassion, and recognition of their inherent worth.

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Community

We are rooted in the neighborhoods we serve. Our programs are co-designed with community members, not imposed from outside.

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Accountability

We hold ourselves to rigorous standards of financial transparency, program evaluation, and honest reporting to our donors and beneficiaries.

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Innovation

We continuously learn from our data and our community to improve our programs and adopt new approaches that increase our impact.

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Collaboration

We believe no single organization can solve educational inequity alone. We actively seek and nurture partnerships that multiply our reach.

About 18th and Spring Inc.