Root Cause Consulting

Root Cause offers a range of strategy and business planning consulting services to nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and corporations working to solve social problems so they can maximize the impact of their work. We specialize in helping client organizations to develop rigorous business plans focused on accelerating growth and building a foundation for sustainability. Our engagements are unique as we often include executive coaching for our clients' leadership teams, and help ensure that implementation is underway − action while planning − during the business planning process in order to expedite progress.

Root Cause Social Impact Model

Root Cause consultants employ leading management strategies and tools, coupled with knowledge drawn from our own social enterprise initiatives, to conduct all phases of the business planning process. Our approach is unique because it:

• Provides a business lens: We provide organizational and leadership development with a critical business lens, which is all too often a missing element in social impact organizations.
• Links analysis to strategy to action: We help our clients deploy "action while planning" to focus on a selected number of key issues where they can actually begin implementation during the business planning engagement.
• Provides coaching for the leaders: We provide a significant level of coaching throughout the planning process for the leaders of our client organizations, which can include training in meeting management, day-to-day decision-making, hiring, and how to stay focused on the organization's priorities. Business plans often call for major changes that require the development of new skills. Starting coaching early in the business planning process and through implementation helps the leadership team to obtain these skills.
• Makes connections: Throughout the planning process and beyond, we strive to help our clients make connections to the leaders of other organizations for learning and partnering purposes. Root Cause has developed a strong community for social innovators and social impact investors, and our clients become part of this invaluable network of organizations with aspirations to effect change.

Our approach is to involve our clients deeply in the planning process, which helps ensure that the plan is truly "owned" by the client organization. With this careful preparation, our experience shows that organizations will have the capabilities to implement business models successfully to operate, develop funding, measure results, and advance social impact.

For more information on our consulting services, please contact info@rootcause.org.