Managing Change and Creating Momentum: How Park Street Tripled Impact with Fractional Leadership

80% of annual revenue secured within 3 months. Over 1,000 youth impacted. A scalable model built for long-term success. 

*Updated on July 22, 2025

Park Street Education reimagined its delivery model, secured 80% of its annual fundraising goal in just three months, and is now on track to triple its impact. This transformation happened through clear purpose, bold decisions, and the right fractional leadership at a critical moment. By embracing change while staying rooted in its mission, Park Street turned uncertainty into lasting impact. 

The Challenge

Park Street Education was founded in 2020 to provide equitable learning opportunities for underserved youth. In its early stages, the organization launched as a virtual day school and after-school program to meet urgent needs during the pandemic. As schools reopened and students returned to classrooms, Park Street was at a crossroads. 

The need for accessible education had not gone away. In fact, many students were further behind. A poll commissioned by the Fraser Institute found that nearly 80 percent of Ontario parents of K-12 students believed their child had fallen behind due to the impacts of COVID-19. Park Street recognized that systemic and geographic barriers to learning had only deepened. 

“Throughout the pandemic, Park Street positively impacted students and parents,” said Co-Founder,Sam Leach. “But as the world continued to change, our offerings needed to change too. Securing adequate funding to run programs and stay true to our mission was crucial, yet we were far from securing any meaningful funding.”

The original model no longer fit the context. Without a clear plan or long-term funding, the organization faced an uncertain future. Park Street’s leadership team was committed to their mission. What they needed was fractional support to help them adapt to new realities without compromising what mattered most. 

Sidekick's Entrepreneurial Design™ Framework to assess the 4Ps - Purpose, Passion, People, and Profit.

The Solution

It was clear from the start that Park Street had a firm grip on its purpose: to remove barriers to education. That clarity served as a constant north star and inspired the team at Sidekick as we stepped in as a fractional partner. In this embedded role, we led the development of Park Street’s organizational structure, supported its brand strategy, and provided steady leadership across operations and administration. 

By operating in a fractional capacity, we filled critical gaps at a time when the organization was navigating change and uncertainty. This allowed Park Street to stay mission-focused while gaining the strategic clarity and operational lift needed to move forward with confidence. 

Together with the Park Street team, we conducted a comprehensive product and market analysis to understand the evolving needs within the education sector for the 2022 to 2023 school year. We engaged directly with parents and students to gather input and combined those insights with Park Street’s core strengths. This process shaped decisions around which services would create the most impact for underserved youth. 

When revisiting the business plan, it became clear that a shift in programming would allow Park Street to grow its reach and deepen its impact. The mission remained unchanged, but the environment had evolved. In our fractional role, Sidekick guided the organization toward a new delivery model focused on scalable after-school enrichment programming. We developed a refreshed operational plan designed for long-term sustainability and alignment with community needs. 

To support this pivot, we created a strong case for support and a focused funding strategy centered on values-aligned partnerships. Working closely with Park Street’s Co-Founders and core team, we used a human-first approach to build alignment, clarity, and momentum around the new direction.  

In addition to strategy and planning, Sidekick equipped Park Street with the tools, training, and confidence to secure funding independently and sustain momentum long term. This included marketing materials, fundraising infrastructure, and the confidence to lead future efforts independently, with a clear and compelling story in hand. 

“Looking at the impact made to date, speaking with our parents, students and teachers alike to understand their involving needs, while re-visiting our initial plans and analyzing the feasibility in the market really helped position Park Street for success when it came to our offering and funding required,” said Sidekick Co-Founder and Park Street’s Fractional General Manager, Nora Griffiths.

The Impact

Within three months of pivoting service offerings and the funding model, Park Street reached 80% of its annual funding goal through key grants and corporate donations. Park Street’s shifted focus allowed the team to secure two grants of $300,000 over 3-years from 2022-2025 and again from 2025-2028 from TD Bank Group.  

“With these new funding opportunities, we are able to at minimum triple the impact in our first year working with Sidekick and set up for future funding opportunities. Sustainable funding allows Park Street to continue to provide life-changing opportunities for underserved youth, fostering their love of learning, and ensuring their confidence and wellbeing soars. Having Sidekick’s strategic support has helped us stay focused on what matters most while navigating a time of growth and change.” said Sam Leach.   

With this funding, Park Street will support over 100 students per year for the next three years with free after-school enrichment courses and private tutoring offered to youth in its continuous efforts to remove barriers to education. 

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(Photo description 1: Image of young girl standing and smiling. White text on red background outlining The Challenge, The Solution, and The Impact of this case study.)

(Photo description 2: Image of four diamonds forming one large diamond, outlining the Purpose, Passion, People, and Profit assessment for Park Street Education.)