The 2020 Diversity in STEM Report // “Tell me” vs. “I’ll tell you” partners

Over the past four years of operating Code2College, I’ve had companies fall into one of two camps: the “tell me” and “I’ll tell you” camps.

First, let me provide some context. Code2College is a nonprofit that leverages volunteers from the Tech ecosystem to deliver a variety of programming including professional skills training, STEM career exposure, coding & web development education and ongoing mentorship to minority and low-income high school students.

We partner with companies to source many of our volunteers, as well as hire our high school interns for placement into paid, technical summer internships.

Over the past four years, I estimate that I’ve requested and/or taken over 2,000 coffees, lunches, drinks, Zooms, Hangouts and in-person meetings to source opportunities for our students.

In that time, I’ve learned a lot about stakeholder engagement, customer cultivation, expectation-setting and operating within a relational (vs. transactional) framework.

I’ve also learned that “tell me” and “I’ll tell you” are the two main types of (prospective) corporate partners.

“Tell me” companies want to understand how they can plug in and support your existing program

“I’ll tell you” companies schedule a “giving day” two weeks out from today and ask you, the nonprofit, to create programming for twenty employees for an hour where they get to ‘interact’ with students

“Tell me” companies write a check and then ask how else they can help (i.e. “Tell me what else we can do”)

“I’ll tell you” companies create a circuitous, opaque process during which you must seek out the “right” person to speak to before potentially gaining access to apply for capital with the illusion of implementing a “rigorous process”

“Tell me” companies internally promote community engagement opportunities

“I’ll tell you” companies externally trumpet how much they’re doing in the community

Over the years, I’ve worked a number of “Tell me” companies and partners.

If you’re a nonprofit seeking real partnership, a professional seeking a company that “walks the walk” or a company that is seeking inspiration and guidance on how to support a nonprofit, particularly one that is focused on Diversity in STEM, I encourage you to read the 2020 Diversity in STEM Report from Code2College.

It’s a 40+ page document that goes into great detail about how companies who truly support Diversity in STEM, in words and actions, have invested volunteer hours, resources and capital to support diversity in the STEM landscape and workforce.

Find the 2020 Diversity in STEM Report here: https://code2college.org/diversity-in-stem-report/