As the collaboration has grown, the original partnership among the Burlington (VT) School District, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Vermont established LLL as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that acts as an intermediary organization. As an intermediary, LLL is able to help connect students and schools to employers, colleges, and other resources. Staff are able to support a wide variety of students’ needs and interests by linking them with partner organizations within the collaboration. LLL’s capacity as a connecting entity led it to be one of the founding members of the Intermediary Network, which helps local and national intermediary organizations share effective strategies with one another.

Dedicated staff that support the work of LLL and its partners have helped to facilitate the success and expansion of LLL programs throughout Vermont. LLL is led by an executive director who has participated in the collaboration since its inception in 1997. In addition, LLL has eight other staff members and one to two AmeriCorps VISTA members who support the work of the collaboration on an ongoing basis. LLL also continues to engage past staff members in an adjunct capacity. 

See best practices to learn more about the benefit of having consistent leadership over time.

LLL’s board of directors currently has 17 members, representing a broad range of leaders in the business and education fields, state agencies, and other nonprofits. The board of directors meets quarterly and also holds an annual meeting every fall to approve a new budget and develop a strategic plan.

The board of directors has three committees that meet between full board meetings. The committees are dedicated to carrying out certain aspects of the work.

• The Executive Committee has decision-making authority, conducts budget reviews, oversees staff compensation, conducts the executive director’s annual review, and provides on-going organizational guidance.
• The Marketing and Development Committee focuses on increasing community engagement, publicizing LLL’s efforts, and generating new resources.
• The External Relations Committee helps to identify and build strategic relationships with other non-profits, state agencies, and legislators.

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The collaboration includes partnerships with multiple local schools, colleges, businesses, and community organizations to help provide Vermont students with services and programs that help them succeed beyond high school. As the collaboration has spread across the region and state, additional partners have been established to support the work. Partners are asked to sign memorandums of understanding in order to ensure sustained commitment.

Every spring, LLL holds a Community Partner Recognition Event to highlight the accomplishments of its partners and give out awards for those that have shown an outstanding dedication to creating opportunities for youth.

See best practices to learn more about the benefit of having memorandums of understanding with partner organizations and lessons learned to see how local organizations can help spread the mission of LLL to rural areas of Vermont.

The staff and board of directors of LLL meet annually to discuss and approve a new strategic plan. Each year the strategic plan lays out a framework and specific action steps for carrying out the organization’s mission. The strategic plan contains concrete, measurable goals; the activities that will lead to the fulfillment of those goals; the individual(s) leading the activities; and the deadlines for tasks to be completed. Having a plan and action steps clearly defined allows LLL to accurately measure the progress of its collaborative efforts against its goals. Including a deadline with an actual date attached allows staff to plan ahead and fully accomplish tasks on time.

The staff and board also collaborate on the development of an annual report each year. While the strategic plan is a place to put forth goals, the annual report is an opportunity to reflect on how goals were met and how effective the collaboration was at serving students throughout the year. The annual report contains data on the services and programs utilized, financial information for the organization, and profiles of actual students served by LLL and its partners.

See best practices to learn more about the benefits of having memorandums of understanding with partner organizations.