Dandelion Dispatch #0231: Matrix Human Services

Matrix Human Services, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, received a federal grant to implement a Head Start program in 38 locations throughout metro Detroit. The grant requirements stipulated that Matrix needed to raise a given portion of the Head Start funds on their own, in order to be eligible for ongoing federal funding.

Increased competition and increasingly demanding grant requirements have placed well-established organizations like Matrix Human Services on precarious footing. Without a clear path to meet their federally mandated Head Start grant requirements, Matrix would become at risk of losing the critical financial support needed to operate the Head Start program and continue to serve thousands of children and families each year.

Matrix needed a sustainable, adaptable, multi-channel strategy to raise funds and public awareness for Matrix Head Start as well as Matrix Human Services as a whole.

How Dandelion Helped

Dandelion acted as a strategic partner and advisor to Matrix leadership, spending the first 30 days of our engagement performing a deep dive into how the program currently works and how funds have traditionally been raised in the past. Our team assisted in architecting a strategy that would establish secure footing in accordance with the federal grant guidelines. We further armed Matrix with the communication tools needed to establish itself as the gold standard for all Head Start programs, positioning the larger Matrix organization as a thought leader in the industry.