Behind the Scenes at Bridging: Meet the Strategic Partnerships Team
Behind the scenes at Bridging, a new and versatile group known as the Strategic Partnership (SP) team cultivates an abundant network of community partners who participate in Bridging’s important work of furnishing homes with hope.
Director of Strategic Partnerships Diana Dalsin and Community Engagement Coordinators Joel Bisser (in Roseville) and Danyelle Marthaler*, (in Bloomington) inspire and engage prospective and longtime partners: corporate groups, civic groups, faith communities, senior living residences, youth groups, educational cohorts, and neighborhood groups.
Diana Dalsin
Joel Bisser
Danyelle Marthaler
When it comes to the SP Team, flexibility, creativity, and stellar communication skills are key! With contagious energy and passion for Bridging’s mission, they meet diverse groups and invite them to participate in Bridging’s mission. Their schedules are not the typical 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and their responsibilities are community-facing and vast.
From the launching point of each new partnership, the Strategic Partnerships Team drives Bridging’s impact through relationships, service, and procurement.
Building Relationships
“We’re relationship builders,” says Joel. “We strive to build and maintain long-lasting partnerships. Pounding the pavement and getting out in the community is so important. We can’t assume that because Bridging has been around for nearly 40 years that people know about us and that they’ve donated all of their stuff. We have to keep meeting people and sharing the work we do, so we can furnish more homes.”
Bridging fulfills a vital community need by providing a full foundational home setup to more than 5,300 households each year as individuals and families enter housing stability.
A collaborative web of community partners and resources is critical to meet our community’s rising demand for Bridging’s services.
The SP team continuously connects with new partners by tabling at community fairs, responding to group volunteering inquiries, and providing speaking engagements. Whenever possible, the SP team invites partners in for a tour of Bridging.
“For years, I’ve heard people say that Bridging has a very “grassroots” vibe,” says Diana. “You can see the mission at work the minute you walk into the warehouse. When the volunteers outnumber the staff and you are surrounded by the comforts of home, you can’t help but smile and know that you’re part of something bigger. Partners are excited to join us in this important work of furnishing homes, by giving their time, stuff, and financial resources.”
Service That Matters
Community Engagement Coordinators Joel and Danyelle are highly skilled at coordinating group volunteering experiences that meet Bridging’s most pressing needs and provide a team-building experience tailored to each group’s size and interests. In 2024, 239 teams of group volunteers donated 66,833 hours in support of Bridging’s mission.
“We simply could not do what we do without volunteers,” says Danyelle. “When I host a group of 25 people for three hours, they are providing us with 75 hours of time and effort we need to process linens and towels. Their efforts create dignity of choice by ensuring shelves full of quality items available for client shopping. With three warehouses of inventory to organize and manage, group volunteers make a big impact.”
Volunteer groups assist with a variety of essential tasks like sorting blankets and sheets and maintaining Bridging’s high-quality standard. They also move furniture, restock shelves, unload donations, and load trucks with furnishings that will soon be delivered to clients.
Dresser builds are a favorite team-building activity for group volunteers. A group funds and builds dressers onsite at their place of business or at a Bridging warehouse. For many individuals and groups, a tour of a Bridging warehouse or group volunteering can spark interest in donating quality furnishings to Bridging.
Procurement of Quality Furnishings
The Strategic Partnerships Team plays a critical role in product procurement. New and long-term partners provide generous donations of quality furniture and household items throughout the year, offering clients ample inventory and dignity of choice as they furnish their homes.
“We want to meet groups and donors where they’re at. If a group wants to coordinate a silverware drive, we’ll do that, or if they want to donate pillows, we’ll try and go that route and create a meaningful experience for them,” says Joel.
Corporate and civic groups host essentials drive at their organizations to increase Bridging’s inventory of specific household furnishings. Over the past 12 years, the Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation has donated 90,500 pillows through its annual pillow drive, helping recipients of Bridging’s services get a good night’s sleep.
The SP team coordinates with senior living communities, hotels, and colleges to secure donations of gently-used items from their common areas when they remodel. Co-ops and condo associations whose residents may be down-sizing will often choose to donate their furnishings to Bridging after learning about the mission from an SP speaking engagement.
Cooperative agreements with junk haulers and city officials help ensure that residents donate quality items they no longer need to Bridging, reducing environmental impact and landfill fees. Focused on environmental stewardship, Bridging’s commercial and residential partnerships keep 15 million pounds of stuff out of the landfill each year.
Gratitude for Meaningful Connections
At the end of the day, the Strategic Partnerships Team is grateful for their connection to Bridging’s mission and the thriving community of longtime, new, and future partnerships that will sustain Bridging’s mission well into the future.
“As Founder Fran often said, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get!’ We invite our community, donors, and partners to choose from a full “menu” of engagement options. We want people to come back for more all year-long and find a meaningful way to connect to the mission,” says Diana.
“Bridging partners can trust that we are authentic and transparent as we ask for their support. It’s important to be specific, show gratitude, and continue to invite them to the table to find solutions as the need for our services continues to rise.”
Thank you to Bridging’s partners and the SP team for your incredible commitment!
*Danyelle Marthaler has left Bridging since the writing of this blog.