How We Work

Springboard supports small-scale, living-learning models of higher education.

Springboard is a private operating foundation that uses a "Venture Philanthropy" model.

We work with leaders of small-scale living learning institutes to articulate and map out actionable plans to achieve their goals of educating young adults for lives of meaning and purpose. We also help identify and cultivate investors to support capacity-building needs.

We help partners move forward on their goals.

We focus on long-term engagement to ensure our partners develop the resources and capacities they need to soar independently.

See Our Strategic Priorities In Action…

  • We support the early development of exemplar projects through intentional capacity-building. 

    Examples:

    • Worked with Seguinland to double their impact by adding a Spring Semester program, hire a Director of Community Life, increase admin capacity, develop Board and fundraising capacity, and plan for and secure land donation for a second campus

    • Worked with Thoreau College to develop and fund a plan to add two full-time faculty members

  • We demonstrate impact through academic research and narrative writing, and act as a hub that connects researchers to field sites, research tools, and funding.

    Examples:

    • We facilitated a research-practice partnership between Outer Coast and University of New Hampshire education researcher Dr. Kathy Rohn Chau to launch a first-of-its-kind research initiative on the microcollege model, starting in Fall 2025. 

    • We publish qualitative research and storytelling that highlights the impact of the microcollege model.

  • We help stakeholders (founders, staff, students,researchers and funders alike) work more effectively together.

    Examples:

    • In 2025 we established the Microcollege Investment Fund in order to resource high-impact catalyst projects at each of our partner institutes. We identify and build relationships with funders, and match their priorities to specific, meaningful projects.

    • We support emerging founders by curating a series of blueprintsthat document the building blocks of a microcollege model. From the practical (schedule, financial model, org chart) to philosophical (best practices for coaching student self-governance) – these blueprints provide information and inspiration that support the development of new projects.

    • We present our work everywhere from national conferences to college seminars to grow exposure for these impactful models.

Our flourishing ecosystem looks like this.

Springboard Foundation

*We match donors to high-impact partner projects

*A researched evidence-base motivates funders to invest

*Our consulting increases partner’s organizational capacity & impact

National Funders

Network of Partner Institutes

*Momentum in the field drives the need for research

Springboard Research Collaborative

“

Springboard is leading what I think is some of the most important education work for emerging adults, which involves weaving and support of a network of microcolleges. Microcolleges are, I think, the solution in higher education which is resilient to the metacrisis while also providing possibilities for the resolution of the (deepening) meaning crisis.

— Zak Stein (Educator, Author, and Futurist)