Samples of Our Work
Here are a few samples of our work.
Business Plans
Root Cause offers a unique strategy consulting service to advise nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and corporations working to solve social problems in thinking and acting strategically, in order to maximize their impact. We specialize in developing rigorous business plans focused on accelerating growth and building a foundation for sustainability. The following is a prospectus created from a full business plan developed by Root Cause for ITNAmerica®.
Recognizing a growing need for an affordable transportation option for senior citizens who can no longer drive, Executive Director Kathy Freund sought to replicate her Portland, Maine-based program—with the goal of building a national nonprofit transportation network for America’s aging population. This business plan focuses on developing a replication and financial-sustainability strategy for replicating ITNAmerica's® successful local model to achieve national scale.
Prospectuses
Much like an executive summary for a traditional for-profit business plan, a prospectus begins with one page that clearly and concisely describes the organization’s goals, in addition to the investment required over a period of time to meet those goals. This is followed by three to four pages that connect the dots between the problem, the organization’s solution, their expected goals and outcomes, and the resources required to accomplish those goals and outcomes. Its primary purpose is to attract investors who may offer financial or in-kind resources, with the intention of getting them to invest and re-invest in an organization based on on-going, proven results.
The following are prospectuses developed by Root Cause Consultants for Social Innovators working with Root Cause’s social enterprise, the Social Innovation Forum.
Report Cards
Measuring performance and social impact is essential to building an organization that not only meets the needs of a given community, but also chips away at the very root causes of a social problem. A prerequisite for any organization striving to achieve lasting social impact is a rigorous self-evaluation system, and a regular schedule for reporting results, both internally and externally. The following are examples of report cards developed by Root Cause for its social enterprises.