This toolkit brings together Cindy Vatalaro’s approach to finding and building partnerships with mission-driven people inside government: from identifying the right person to making strategic asks when funding gets tight.
From the Helia Library — based on the article Government Was Never the Whole Answer, from our Coffee Chat with Cindy Vatalaro.
What’s Inside
One resource, built around Cindy’s step-by-step approach to finding and building relationships with government partners.
01 — How to Find Your Government Human
A step-by-step guide to identifying the right person inside government, making initial contact, and building a relationship that creates real opportunity — for both of you. Use this when you’re ready to stop hoping funding holds and start building the relationships that mean you’ll hear about opportunities before they’re announced.
When resources and templates aren’t enough
This guide will help you find your government human and start the conversation. What it can’t do is help you navigate a complex government landscape specific to your issue area, think through your partnership strategy at the organizational level, or work through what to do when funding has already been cut and you need to move fast. If you’re in the middle of something that feels more urgent than “prepare before you need to,” that’s usually where having a thought partner makes a real difference.
If you want help with government partnerships
Cindy Vatalaro serves as Bureau Chief at California Department of Social Services, where she oversees policy development for the nation’s largest foster care program — and has spent 36 years building the kinds of partnerships this toolkit is about.
She’s a good fit if:
- You’re working in the foster care or older youth space and want to explore a partnership
- You want to connect with someone on the inside who genuinely means it when she says, “Come help me.”
- You’re trying to figure out how your work might connect to government funding streams or initiatives you don’t fully understand yet.
