We Are For Good Podcast — Episode 690

"A Case Study in Building Trust and Authentic Partnerships"

Guest: Jacob Adams, Founder, Inner Spark
Date: March 11, 2026
Hosts: Jon McCoy (B) and Becky Endicott (C)

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep-dive conversation with Jacob Adams, founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab, about building genuine trust, authentic partnerships, and advancing transformative change within education and nonprofit spaces. The hosts explore Jacob's philosophy on going deep instead of wide, measuring true impact, embracing transparency—especially in fundraising—and how learning, reflection, and community-based work challenge the sector's status quo.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. Jacob’s Backstory and Mission ([02:31]–[04:09])

• Jacob’s Early Years: Jacob describes himself as a curious, outspoken child who always questioned the status quo, set up for academic success by his mother but continually challenging why things were done the way they were.
  • “I think just always been a kid that was curious, always had a lot to say, and always was trying to push it back on things that I didn't feel like, made sense.” — Jacob [03:30]
• Path to Inner Spark: From “being the kid who talked too much” to founding Inner Spark, Jacob’s journey is rooted in reimagining schools as places where kids, especially marginalized youth, truly want to be.

2. The Inner Spark Model & Rethinking Scale ([04:35]–[11:07])

• Transforming from the Inside-Out: Inner Spark partners deeply (not widely) with a small number of schools to develop environments responsive to students’ actual needs—rather than force-fitting kids and families into predetermined systems.
• Critique of Scale Fetish: Jacob pushes back against the nonprofit norm of pursuing endless scaling, sharing that shallow, widespread interventions produce less meaningful learning and outcomes.
  • “Yeah, the number of kids that we work with is super high. But what did we learn? Like, what changed? Who really knows?” — Jacob [07:07]
• The Lab’s Approach:
  • Dreamweaver Role: Staff member who intimately knows students/families and helps schools adapt to their needs.
  • Student-Led Programs: Children design and deliver after-school activities, tapping family/community expertise.
  • Iterative Experimentation: The team pilots changes (e.g., extended play/recess), studies their effects, and shares findings with administrators and externally.
  • “We're trying to develop a model that helps schools adapt. We're not just trying to show that we have all the answers. And I think nonprofit is going to fall into that, that problem a lot.” — Jacob [10:53]

3. Transparency, Vulnerability, and Trust in Fundraising ([11:07]–[13:49])

• Embracing Radical Honesty: Jacob shares how being publicly transparent about missing fundraising goals (for example, in a candid LinkedIn post) actually accelerated trust-building with a major donor.
  • “The world wouldn't look the way it is if everyone's annual report was true. ... Everyone’s crushing it. Everybody's doing exactly what they told the grant maker they were going to do.” — Jacob [12:24]
• Impact on Donor Relationships: Naming failures and asking for advice built relationships rooted in authenticity, which often led to quicker and more meaningful support.

4. What Makes an Authentic Partnership? ([13:49]–[16:32])

• Beyond Proposals: Jacob explains the difference between “proposal partnerships” (surface-level, for appearances) and real, evolving collaboration.
• Case Example: Partnership with LMU’s Ideal Institute grew through conversations about strengths and needs, resulting in joint programming leveraging each side’s expertise.
  • “It's almost like a relationship... We start to find out, like, oh, the thing they do really well is...school wide professional development...the thing that we do really well is like more intense coaching and then these learning cycles...” — Jacob [15:07]
• Longevity: Still working with Inner Spark’s original partner school from 2017, emphasizing commitment and embeddedness.

5. Measuring What Matters: Learning > Outcomes ([16:32]–[23:13])

• The Problem with Outcomes-Obsessed Grantmaking: Jacob critiques the obsession with measurable outcomes and numbers, which incentivizes serving only the “easiest” cases, fudging reports, or gaming the system.
• Learning as True Impact: Advocates for grantmaking and evaluation to focus on what the organization is learning, not just what it claims to have changed.
  • “I think that should be the grant application. ... Not, you know, what are you gonna. What outcomes are you gonna achieve? But, like, what are you trying to learn, and how are you gonna learn?” — Jacob [22:41]

6. Meaningful Philanthropy and Relationship Building ([23:19]–[26:44])

• Unexpected Generosity Story: Jacob shares a recent example where a “lurker”—someone subscribed to the newsletter but previously unknown—made a large donation, then deepened their involvement by offering advice and opening networks.
  • “To choose us and don't even know me. Was. Was that said a lot.” — Jacob [24:03]
  • Emphasizes that the relationship (not the check) is the real philanthropic act.

7. “One Good Thing”: Advice for Nonprofits ([26:44]–[27:42])

• Jacob’s core mantra: “You own the learning.”
  • “You own the learnings. There's so many other things like that we can't control, like the outcomes... But what you can do is to be able to focus on learning, focus on sharing the learning and making sure what you're doing is actually like, responsive...” — Jacob [26:44]
• Encourages all nonprofits to immerse themselves in ongoing learning, short feedback loops, and responsiveness—the foundation for authentic, durable impact.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “I think just always been a kid that was curious, always had a lot to say, and always was trying to push it back on things that I didn't feel like, made sense.” — Jacob [03:30]

• “Yeah, the number of kids that we work with is super high. But what did we learn? Like, what changed? Who really knows?” — Jacob [07:07]

• “We're trying to develop a model that helps schools adapt. We're not just trying to show that we have all the answers.” — Jacob [10:53]

• “The world wouldn't look the way it is if everyone's annual report was true.” — Jacob [12:24]

• “I think that should be the grant application...Not, you know, what are you gonna. What outcomes are you gonna achieve? But, like, what are you trying to learn, and how are you gonna learn?” — Jacob [22:41]

• “You own the learnings. There's so many other things like that we can't control, like the outcomes. You don't own those.” — Jacob [26:44]

Quick Reference Timestamps

• [02:31]–[04:09]: Jacob’s early years and origin story
• [04:35]–[11:07]: The Inner Spark model, critique of scale, deep partnerships
• [12:07]–[13:49]: Fundraising honesty & building donor trust
• [13:49]–[16:32]: Nature of authentic partnerships
• [17:34]–[23:13]: Measuring transformation, centering learning (not numbers)
• [23:45]–[26:44]: Story of meaningful donor relationship
• [26:44]–[27:42]: Jacob’s core advice: “You own the learning.”

Memorable Moments

• The team laughing about all three “inviting” Jacob as a guest—highlighting serendipity and shared community vision. ([00:36])
• Jacob’s candidness about missing goals—reframing so-called “failure” routines. ([11:07]–[13:49])
• The detailed Dreamweaver example: how listening to kids, piloting changes (like play) connects school, family, and community for true transformation. ([07:07]–[10:53])
• The heartfelt story of a newsletter subscriber becoming a donor, then a key advisor—demonstrating the unexpected ripple of honest storytelling. ([23:45])

How to Connect with Jacob & Inner Spark

• Website & Newsletter: innersparklab.com
  “It’s basically like this conversation, but in newsletter form.” — Jacob [28:27]
• LinkedIn: Jacob Adams
• Instagram: @innersparklab

How you can help:
Amplify Inner Spark—share the episode, forward the newsletter, spread the word!

• “If you listen to this, send it to 5, 10 folks. If you subscribe to the newsletter, forward it 5, 10 people. And then, you know, we'll, we'll take it from there...” — Jacob [29:08]

Final Takeaway

Jacob’s Mantra:
“You own the learning.”
Focus on learning what matters, sharing it openly, and building community and partnerships—this, not high-polish outcomes reports, is the path to authentic, long-term impact in the sector.