WHEN STAKEHOLDERS SPOKE UP, THIS NONPROFIT LISTENED

BY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE REAL-LIFE CHALLENGES OF ITS CLIENTELE, STEP UP FOR STUDENTS IS MAKING EDUCATION MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR FAMILIES

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IN FLORIDA, FAMILIES HAVE A lot of options to choose--and pay for-the right education for their kids. In addition to public schools, Floridians can use taxpayer funds to pay for private schools or to cover homeschooling, tutoring, and even school supplies for their students in pre-K through 12th grade.

The nonprofit organization Step Up for Students is responsible for administering scholarships for these families. In the past three years, the organization has grown by more than 200% and currently serves more than half a million students.

Managing that kind of rapid growth can be difficult for any organization. At Step Up for Students, it meant rethinking how decisions were made and how problems could be solved across the organization. It also meant encouraging employees to unleash their creativity.