Chapter 7 - Developing Strategic Partnerships

Getting the right partners on board

Partnership development and management has been a critical part of the work at Eva’s Phoenix since its inception, and the program would not exist without active partners from many sectors. In the beginning, as outlined in the Turning the Vision into Reality section the relationship that Eva’s Phoenix cultivated with key city staff was essential. Equally important was the ability to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities that presented themselves at the municipal and provincial levels.

The types of partners needed to support Eva’s Phoenix changed as the work evolved from the developmental and building stage to the program implementation stage, but the process of partnership development remained similar. Partnerships were developed through both personal and professional networks of Board and staff members. As the program developed and gained a track record existing partners brought new partners on board. It was important to identify champions in specific sectors (e.g. construction) who could persuade others to come on board. Sectoral champions had credibility with their peers, and knew the arguments that would be most persuasive as well as the “asks” that would be well-received. One important lesson was that Eva’s Phoenix did not limit their search to traditional partners, but sought out any individuals or organizations who were are willing to take a risk on a new and innovative program.

Part of the success of Eva’s Phoenix in attracting support for the project was the development of a compelling social and economic case. Many people are interested and hopeful about youth, and making the link between employment and self-sufficiency is often persuasive to people across the political spectrum. The fact that the youth themselves were involved in the planning and building of the facility also strengthened the case. To receive a copy of the Eva’s Phoenix - Case for Support or the Eva’s Phoenix capital fundraising video, contact rachel@evas.ca.

Economically there is much research that supports the case for housing – it is much more cost effective to ensure people have adequate housing than to deal with the repercussions if they are not. At the political level, opportunities can be identified for public recognition of those who support successful programs through media coverage and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. To the business and labour communities, the project had a very practical results-oriented appeal, and provided valuable training for potential new employees, particularly in sectors with shrinking pools of labour.

In its first 5 years of operation, Eva’s Phoenix has partnered with over 200 private sector and labour sector employers to train youth.

For a copy of the Eva’s Phoenix Employer Handbook (PDF 348 kb)

The agencies of the youth-serving sector in Toronto have been partners since the inception of Eva’s Phoenix by participating in a Resource Advisory Committee in the development phase, facilitating regular on-site workshops and programming, referring youth and providing specialized support to Eva’s Phoenix clients.

Eva’s Phoenix
Key partners

Ian Somerville was a key partner throughout the building of the Eva’s Phoenix facility. His general contracting firm specializes in unique industrial projects and it already enjoyed a good relationship with the city. What was initially an interesting construction project – building dwelling units along an interior “main street” - became even more intriguing with the prospect of involving the youth who would ultimately be living in the facility. Fuelled by the enthusiasm and attitude of Maria Crawford, Eva’s Phoenix Executive Director, Ian participated in a 2-day strategic planning session organized by Eva’s with stakeholders including labour representatives, community agencies with experience running employment programs, and government funders, and developed a training plan for youth to become involved in the construction.

Youth were paired with skilled senior tradespeople and the training included not just the basics of hammering and nailing, but also health and safety practices and important “soft” skills such as effective teamwork. Support was provided by St. Christopher House, a community agency with experience supporting at-risk youth in employment programs that had been contracted by Eva’s Phoenix, the construction company and also key trade unions, including the carpenters’ union (Local 27), which provided an experienced instructor and hands-on training. Ian’s company got further involved in the project, helping with fundraising, donating staff time, and negotiating in-kind donations and discounts from suppliers. The unions continued their participation by opening up the lines of communication between the newly trained youth and employers in the various trades.

Everyone involved felt the benefits of the partnership. Eva’s Phoenix was supported in its project, and the youth learned valuable skills and developed a sense of ownership for the facility. The construction crew and union representatives learned from the youth and played important professional and personal mentorship roles, sharing their experience and having an opportunity to give back to the community. Staff helped to make these partnerships work by creating a trusting environment, including between the construction firm and the agency, and also between the tradespeople and the youth.

Ian Somerville says the project was a success because it was practical and “real world”, and was not overly complicated by process. It was grounded, providing real life experiences and tangible results through training and shared learning, with the creation of an actual product (the facility). Bob Krull, general manager of sales at Innocon (a company that donated ready-mix concrete to the construction of Eva’s Phoenix) says that what sold him on the Eva’s Phoenix model was that it was results-based and provided youth with training that would help them find meaningful employment.

Significant Partners for Eva’s Phoenix include: