Apparo’s vetted partner network helps civic initiative drive Charlotte’s economic mobility

Leading on Opportunity, an entity of Foundation for the Carolinas, supports Charlotte on its generations-long journey to improve economic mobility for all. Using strategy, policy and data, they help partners across Charlotte-Mecklenburg solve complex social challenges that no single person or organization can tackle on their own.

AJ Calhoun, Director of Research and Impact, reached out to Apparo for help to optimize the technology behind their nonprofit data tool, The Opportunity Compass. AJ explains, “When it comes to addressing economic mobility, it can be confusing to know where to focus efforts and how to know if we are truly improving. The Opportunity Compass is a localized tool to help answer those questions, identify the most powerful drivers of economic mobility and measure our effectiveness in moving in the right direction. It takes the right technology to wrap all this together.

“We received pro bono and discount support to build the tool, but needed external support to manage it. We knew we needed to hire a consultant with the right expertise and needed help making our selection.”

Through Apparo’s Expert Link vetted partner program, Jennifer Ray (Apparo’s Directory of Technology Engagements) helped connect AJ with technology vendors with the right expertise. Marshall Worth, CEO of The Data Bull, and Jonathan Waites, CTO of JiLaSoan Technologies, helped AJ understand his organizational needs, level-set his expectations, provided cost benchmarks and contract-related advice. AJ shares his appreciation, “The most important outcome from my work with Apparo was the confidence I gained. I knew I was asking the right questions, describing our needs properly and paying the right price. I feel confident that we are using our resources responsibly. Without Apparo, I would not have had such a comprehensive understanding.”