When we first hatched the idea for LEO, the biggest unknown was whether there was demand among service providers for the evidence we hoped to generate. To help reduce this uncertainty, before we launched, we ran a two-day “get to know you” session where leaders from six Catholic Charities and the same number of academics met at Notre Dame. The social service agencies outlined their signature programs and the academics discussed how evaluations are done and suggested how they might be welded into their programs. Our fear was that over the two days the two groups would have little in common and awkward silence would prevail. To our delight, the conversation was active, exciting, and in the end, four projects were in the works allowing LEO to launch.
As we approach the 11th anniversary, we are constantly reminded that the most rewarding component of our work with LEO is the same today as it was back in that pre-launch conference–our interactions with our service provider partners. Their passion for their work and their devotion to helping their clients find a way to a better future is humbling. Truly poverty’s fiercest adversaries and their creativity in solving problems, ability to stretch limited resources, and their desire to make systemic change in a sometimes-stagnant system provides fuel for our incredible staff.
Poverty is complex.
Poverty is stubborn.
Poverty is aggressive.
Poverty fights hard.
But poverty has met its match with our partners. Because our partners are brave. They are tenacious. They are creative. They want to solve poverty.
LEO partners with poverty’s fiercest adversaries. They know that understanding what works is critical to outsmarting poverty.
Did you know that more that 60% of our partner organizations are referred from within the Notre Dame family? Please visit How to Partner With Us to learn more about how to nominate an organization in your community to be a LEO partner.
Best Wishes from Campus,
William Evans
Co-Founder, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities
Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Economics
University of Notre Dame
James Sullivan ’93
Co-Founder, Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities
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