Vision & Values

Our Vision

Root Cause envisions a world in which the public, private, and nonprofit sectors work together to invest and re-invest in the most efficient, effective, and sustainable solutions to social problems, regardless of organizational structure, ego, or political agenda.

Our Values

Focus above all else on the social problem being addressed, regardless of organizational structure (government, for-profit, nonprofit), ego, or political agenda.
Take a rigorous, thoughtful, and creative approach to work that integrates a broad range of perspectives.
Strive to integrate practice, applied research, and public policy.
Take an entrepreneurial, goal-oriented approach to work, with a commitment to integrity, diversity in all forms, and learning by listening, acting, and on-going self improvement.
Collaborate to support new and existing systems, institutions, and infrastructures in order to provide all types of organizations with access to the information, capital, and tools they need to develop enduring solutions to social problems.

We pursue our vision and values through six initiatives:

Consulting

Root Cause offers a unique strategy consulting service to help organizations think and act strategically to maximize social impact. We specialize in developing rigorous business plans focused on growth and sustainability. Root Cause consultants employ the latest management strategies and tools, coupled with knowledge drawn from our own social enterprises, to conduct all phases of the business planning process. Our engagements often include executive coaching for our clients’ leadership teams to ensure timely implementation of the business plan.

Knowledge Sharing

Root Cause is committed to sharing knowledge developed through our hands-on experience in the consulting practice and social enterprises to support enduring solutions to social problems. Current publishing includes:

Solutions, a bi-monthly e-mail providing practical tools, strategies, and knowledge for social entrepreneurs.
How-to Guides, a practical series on business planning, measuring impact, and more.
Case studies, including a four-year analysis of a roll-out strategy.
A white paper on social entrepreneurship and public policy for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s annual report to the President of the United States.

Social Impact Research

Social Impact Research (SIR) provides actionable information for the social impact investor. SIR aggregates, analyzes, and disseminates information to help social impact investors identify and support the most effective, efficient, and sustainable organizations working to solve social problems. Modeled after private sector equity research firms, SIR produces research reports, analyzes philanthropic portfolios, and provides educational services for advisors to help their clients make effective and rigorous philanthropic decisions.

Social Innovation Forum

The Social Innovation Forum seeks to build an alternative philanthropic marketplace. We encourage social impact investors to invest and reinvest in innovative, results-oriented organizations who are striving for efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. Through an annual rigorous selection process, we choose Social Innovators with promising approaches to addressing specific social problems. We provide our Social Innovators with strategy consulting, executive coaching, and introductions to a Philanthropic Investment Community composed of government leaders, foundations, and individual donors who are willing to offer time, talent, relationships, and money.

InnerCity Entrepreneurs (ICE)

InnerCity Entrepreneurs promotes job creation, wealth generation, and community development by helping a diverse group of urban entrepreneurs strengthen and grow their existing businesses. ICE partners with community-based organizations to offer a “streetwise M.B.A.”: a unique nine-month certificate program that facilitates access to new markets, capital, and knowledge through management training, peer-to-peer learning, and networking opportunities. After graduation, ICE entrepreneurs continue to work together as part of the ICE Alumni Network.

Public Innovators

Public Innovators, a nonpartisan Root Cause initiative, promotes a new role for city, state, and federal government that advances social entrepreneurship in order to identify and accelerate innovative, results-oriented solutions to pressing social problems. Public Innovators builds off two Root Cause reports: “Social Entrepreneurship and Government: A New Breed of Entrepreneurs Developing Solutions to Social Problems,” published by the Small Business Administration, and “Advancing Social Entrepreneurship: Recommendations for Policy Makers and Government Agencies,” a copublication with The Aspen Institute.