When RestoreOKC leaders arrived at Harvard University in mid-July for the Success Planning Community of Practice, they joined educators, researchers and practitioners from across the country—all exploring the same question: How can communities better support children and families? The initiative, led by the Institute for Success Planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s EdRedesign Lab, selected Restore for its fifth cohort, bringing together organizations to share ideas, strengthen relationship-centered practices and learn from one another.
For RestoreOKC, the invitation affirmed something the Northeast Oklahoma City nonprofit has believed since its founding a decade ago: Lasting change begins with relationships, not programs.
Credit: Photo Provided
“We’re using very simple techniques,” said Chief Strategy Officer Jonah Johnson. “Relationships, listening and responding, and collaborating.”
Those principles have guided RestoreOKC’s work since its earliest days. Rather than importing a successful model from somewhere else, the organization has spent the past 10 years listening to neighbors, identifying emerging needs and building responsive programs. What began as community development has grown to include education, health, housing and workforce initiatives—not because those areas were part of some long-range plan, but because residents consistently identified them as priorities.
Johnson said Restore’s approach is simple: Listen first, then build programming around what neighbors say they need.
That philosophy caught the attention of the Institute for Success Planning.
Relationship-centered success planning places trust—not programs—at the center of improving outcomes for children and families. Rather than treating family engagement as an abstract goal, the framework emphasizes practical strategies such as home visits, one-on-one conversations and intentional partnerships that uncover existing strengths.
The partnership provides the research and evidence to reinforce the work the organization has been doing all along. According to the Harvard Gazette, “a Harvard-Cornell study found that relationship-based personalization improves test scores, increases high school graduation rates, boosts college enrollment and contributes to greater lifetime earnings.”
“The program is saying, ‘Here’s the research that supports what you’re doing,’” Johnson said. “‘Here are some additional tools that can help you scale your impact.’”
That idea of scaling, however, means something very different at RestoreOKC than it does at many nonprofits. Growth is often measured by bigger numbers—more locations, more clients served, more programs offered. RestoreOKC’s leaders see success differently.
“Typically, scale represents a wider net of service,” Johnson explained. “But for Restore, it’s about going deeper.”
Instead of expanding into new communities, the organization wants to strengthen outcomes within Northeast Oklahoma City by addressing what RestoreOKC’s Director of Education LaTasha Timberlake described as “whole life” needs. Once basic needs are met, families may need educational opportunities, creative outlets, career pathways or stronger community connections. Each layer builds upon the last.
“We’re able to be more strategic,” she said. “Instead of more transactional practices, we can foster greater access and opportunity.”
The partnership also provides tools to measure those deeper investments. Restore will work alongside researchers to develop meaningful metrics, evaluate outcomes and build systems that extend beyond individual programs or staff members.
“Programs come and go,” Johnson said. “But with strategic systems thinking, ideally these systems outlive the people who originated them.”
Credit: Photo Provided.
Those systems also extend beyond RestoreOKC itself. That collaborative philosophy is reflected in YouthTron, a network of nonprofits serving young people throughout Oklahoma City. These organizations contribute different areas of expertise while working toward shared outcomes. No single organization can meet every need, but together they can create a coordinated system of support that surrounds families rather than leaving them to navigate disconnected services.
Throughout the week, one value that surfaced repeatedly was humility.
“The systems that are being built out of Restore are rooted in humility,” Johnson said. “It’s not about ego. It’s not about individual advancement. It’s really a collective effort to do what’s best for the neighbor.”
That mindset, he believes, is what allows Restore to keep listening instead of assuming it already has the answers. Relationships aren’t built only with the people Restore serves, but also among partner organizations, volunteers and neighbors doing the work together.
Restore will continue working with its cohort through monthly virtual meetings beginning this fall while applying those lessons locally.
For those interested in supporting RestoreOKC, fall offers plenty of opportunities—from donating backpacks or uniforms for the Aug. 6 Back-to-School Bash to attending a September Coffee Tour. Or, add this weekly reminder to your calendar: Eastside Fresh Market, Tuesdays at 4 p.m. Engagement opportunities abound; no trip to Cambridge required.
To learn more about RestoreOKC, visit restoreokc.org.
This article appears in Best of OKC Winners.