The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation (EMCF) and nine other donors are joining together to raise the collaborative-funding model to a level more in keeping with the scale of the challenges we face. Together we are launching Blue Meridian Partners to invest at least $1 billion in high-performance nonprofits that are poised to have truly national impact for economically disadvantaged children and youth. Blue Meridian Partners is being incubated at EMCF and chaired by Stanley Druckenmiller, whose investment in and chairmanship of the Harlem Children’s Zone has been an inspiration to me and many others. I will serve as CEO of the venture, in addition to my existing responsibilities at EMCF. Chuck Harris and Woody McCutchen will serve as Managing Directors of Blue Meridian Partners, supported by colleagues Kelly Campbell and William Foster from the Bridgespan Group. Six General Partners, listed in alphabetical order, have committed $50 million or more: The Ballmer Group, Philanthropy The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller The Duke Endowment (with a focus on North Carolina and South Carolina) George Kaiser Family Foundation (with a focus on Tulsa, Oklahoma) The Samberg Family Foundation. Four Limited Partners intend to commit $10 million or more: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation The JPB Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.