MetAiBlockPhase 0 Proposal
Partner-Ready Story, Positioning, and Pilot Acquisition
At a Glance
- Build-enabling infrastructure before MVP development
- Single source of truth for pilot school recruitment
- Materials for Blackbaud conversation in February
- Partner hub that answers 80-90% of questions without a meeting
- 1-week delivery from receiving inputs
Unified Narrative
Connect To Give + Claim My School + Spelman proof
Pilot Partner Package
Clear commitments, roles, and mutual value
Partner Hub Page
Web portal with story, assets, and CTAs
Why Phase 0 Comes First
Right now, everything depends on a pilot institution and Blackbaud alignment. Before we price and build Phase 1 (web MVP), you need a "single source of truth" that answers predictable questions and de-risks adoption.
Phase 0 is not "marketing fluff." It is build-enabling infrastructure that:
- Answers the predictable questions schools will ask (what do we get, what do we do, what do you need from us, how does Blackbaud fit, how do we measure success)
- Makes the Spelman proof usable without requiring Spelman to be the operational co-build partner
- Provides a simple partnership checklist and success scorecard so adoption is de-risked
- Creates materials to recruit: a pilot school, a development partner, and potential funders
- Improves the quality of the February Blackbaud conversation by making assumptions explicit and exposing integration requirements earlier
Dependency Map
Partner-Ready Hub
School Commitment
Integration Clarity
Phase 1 Development
Phase 0 Outcomes
By the end of Phase 0 you will have:
Merges Connect To Give + Claim My School + Spelman proof into one cohesive storyline
Clear commitments, roles, and mutual value for schools
To secure a build partner school quickly
Centralizes story, assets, checklists, and next actions
Scope of Work
Goal: Make the ecosystem "stupid simple" to explain and repeat.
Deliverables
- Donor Circle Operating System Storyline (core narrative) including:
- - The ecosystem: institution, circles, leaders, donors, giving goals
- - Spelman proof: what happened, what it produced, why it is repeatable
- - Why Connect To Give exists (circle engine)
- - Why Claim My School exists (entry point for circle leaders)
- - How both ladder into a multi-school movement
- Clear separation of responsibilities: what you do, what the institution does, what Blackbaud does
- 60-second pitch version and 3-minute pitch version (written)
- One-page summary suitable for forwarding to decision makers
Acceptance Criteria
- - A new stakeholder can understand the model in one read and restate it in 60 seconds
- - The narrative explicitly answers: "What exactly do we get?" for institutions
Goal: De-risk adoption and make "yes" easy.
Deliverables
- Build Partner School Commitments Checklist (checkbox-ready):
- - Executive sponsor
- - Advancement ops lead
- - Blackbaud admin coordination
- - Data export approval and cadence
- - Circle leader nomination and outreach support
- - Content approval loop
- - Pilot feedback loop and cadence
- Mutual Value Scorecard:
- - What the institution gets (fundraising lift, structured circles, reporting, data hygiene uplift, credibility)
- - What Connect To Give gets (pilot, proof, refinement, references)
- - What success looks like (clear measurable metrics)
- Partnership model options (2 to 4 options):
- - Examples: pilot fixed fee, performance-based component, sponsor supported, hybrid
- - This is not final contracting, it is negotiation-ready structure
Acceptance Criteria
- - A pilot school can see exactly what is required and what they receive
- - Success metrics are clear enough to prevent scope confusion later
Goal: Convert Phase 0 into pilot acquisition momentum.
Deliverables
- Ideal pilot criteria rubric:
- - Uses Blackbaud
- - Has urgency and leadership support
- - Has ability to recruit circle leaders
- - Has internal ops capacity
- - Has alumni engagement potential
- Shortlist framework:
- - Recommended initial targets and why
- - Note: Spelman remains proof-of-model, not required to be co-build partner
- Outreach sequence and stakeholder map:
- - Who to contact first, second, third
- - Meeting path: intro, discovery, sponsor alignment, commitments, kickoff
- Pilot onboarding path:
- - What happens when a school says "interested"
- - What they review and sign off on before build begins
Acceptance Criteria
- - You have a clear path for moving a school from "curious" to "committed"
Goal: Create one central portal that houses the full story and all partner materials.
Deliverables
- Phase 0 Partner Hub Page (web page or mini-portal, consistent with existing brand):
- - Storyline sections (Connect To Give, Claim My School, Spelman proof)
- - Partner checklist and success scorecard
- - Pilot criteria and next steps
- - "Book a meeting" and clear CTAs
- Asset organization and packaging (clean structure for uploading and maintaining assets in Drive)
- Optional: password-protected partner view if needed
Acceptance Criteria
- - You can send one link to a school or Blackbaud and it answers 80 to 90 percent of their questions without a live meeting
What We Need From You
To complete Phase 0 quickly, you will provide:
- Access to existing sites and assets
Connect To Give, Claim My School, any landing pages
- Spelman proof materials
Write-up, results, story details, any supporting docs
- Initial pilot target preferences
Any existing relationships with potential schools
- Preliminary partnership economics preferences
Ranges are fine - helps frame options
- Existing investor/externally-facing decks
Any language you have used previously
Once approved, we send a Google Drive link and you drop assets into labeled folders.
Timeline
Target: 1 week from receiving inputs.
Intake, asset pull, narrative outline
Draft hub content, checklists, scorecards, pitch versions
Review session with you, revisions
Publish partner hub and final package
Timeline assumes you can return Phase 0 answers and assets quickly.
Out of Scope (Intentional)
Phase 0 does not include:
Web MVP Platform
Building the actual application
Blackbaud Integration
Technical integration work
Full Branding Redesign
We reuse your existing brand assets
Legal Contracting
We provide options and language, not legal docs
Optional Add-On
February Blackbaud Meeting Support
If you want, I can join your February Blackbaud meeting to accelerate integration clarity and reduce unknowns.
- Pre-meeting prep: questions and integration assumptions checklist
- Attend the 30-minute call
- Post-call summary: confirmed constraints, integration approach options, and next steps
Cost: Flat participation fee (to be quoted once meeting date/time confirmed)
Next Steps
Approve Phase 0 scope
Review and accept this proposal
Receive Drive link + submit inputs
You and Britt complete the question set and upload materials
Build and publish
We deliver the partner hub and final package
Questions?
Charles Smart, CEO/Co-Founder, MetAiBlock
Phase 0 Fee (Fixed)
50% to start, 50% on delivery