Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program

Fall 2010 Projects

All About Animals Rescue, located near Detroit, Mich., is dedicated to reducing the homeless pet population in Michigan through low-income spay/neuter programs and adoption services.  SVC Consultants devised a marketing plan to raise awareness for AAAR’s vital services among the diverse three-county area it serves. SVC MBA Consultants: Kristine Adey & Geoff Harshman

The Association for Corporate Growth, National Chapter, provides networking and professional development for individuals involved in building corporate value through M&A, strategic partnerships, organic growth and capital funding.  SVC Consultants worked with ACG to research and analyze membership trends in an effort to enhance recruitment and retention efforts.
SVC MBA Consultants: Dawn Perlas & Cara Weikel

A Wider Circle, based in Bethesda, Md., takes a holistic approach to ending poverty by providing basic need items to families moving out of shelters or living in neglected neighborhoods and offering comprehensive programs on health and wellness.  SVC Consultants worked with the board to develop the plans and processes for a corporate funding board, which will ultimately provide a more sustainable stream of funding for the organization.
SVC MBA Consultants: Marybeth Coppola & Mollie Moday

The Financial Clinic is a New York-based organization that builds working poor families and individuals’ financial security by addressing their immediate financial challenges and helping them create trajectories for long-term goals and financial mobility.  SVC Consultants assisted the clinic in developing an online model of their service delivery, including pricing models and platform recommendations.
SVC MBA Consultants: Amos Cruz, Ragavan Manogaran & Priyanshu Raj

Friendfactor, based in New York, NY, is a new social networking platform that aims to elevate the gay rights movement with a simple and inclusive concept: friends helping friends.  SVC Consultants researched and developed recommendations for user support—specifically, building out a peer-to-peer, crowdsourced system for handling questions and other user issues.
SVC MBA Consultants: Gunangad Chowdhury & Nick Olson

FutureSelf, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., exposes youth to the transformational power of the creative process in the context of commitment, exploration, self-expression and community by offering art workshops, art classes and job training.  SVC Consultants worked with the organization to develop sustainable evaluation methods that will better track its impact on the youth it serves, including both in the short and long terms.
SVC MBA Consultants: Abhijit Patel & James Rappaport

Liberty’s Promise is an Alexandria, Va.-based organization that supports young DC-area immigrants in need while encouraging them to be active and conscientious American citizens.  SVC Consultants researched and developed a marketing/communications plan designed to increase awareness, and made additional recommendations on fundraising ideas and increasing board involvement.
SVC Undergraduate Consultants: Arielle Blivaiss, Lauren Feldman, Michelle Hardesty & Sonaly Patel

Maryland Hillel, located just moments from the Smith School’s building, strives to enhance the lives of Maryland’s Jewish undergraduate and graduate students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.  SVC Consultants researched and recommended strategies to enhance Hillel’s kosher catering operations, including branding, surveys and web-based marketing.
SVC MBA Consultants: Santosh Chavan, Benjamin Pollack & Jonathan Schilit

M.O.M.I.E.S. TLC is a D.C.-based nonprofit organization that aims to transform education for at-risk children of color through an educational model that uses social justice and cultural education as the foundation for improving academic outcomes for our children.  SVC Consultants analyzed the organization’s current revenue-generating products and made recommendations on streamlining product offerings and implementing alternative fundraising strategies.
SVC Undergraduate Consultants: Jillian Chavis, Chris Coraggio, Evon Davis & Xiao Lin

National Security Initiative, sponsor of the annual American Security Challenge, aims to increase the visibility of innovative technology and help the commercialization process so that such technology can reach either the public or commercial marketplace faster.  SVC Consultants researched and developed marketing messages and strategies to raise awareness for the Challenge among its critical stakeholders.
SVC MBA Consultants: Phil Baylor, David Croushore & Ian Cruse

South Dakota Head Start Association (SDHSA), located in Sioux Falls, is a leading voice supporting the work of Head Start programs and their partners through education, advocacy, training and networking for quality early childhood education and services to families.  SVC Consultants developed marketing and social media recommendations to raise awareness for the importance of SDHSA’s offerings.
SVC MBA Consultants: Eric Walthall & Brian Whittaker

The Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance (SEFAA) in Atlanta, Ga. was created to champion fiber arts through education, community outreach and exhibitions, and to provide a friendly, creative, inspiring environment for anyone interested in the fiber arts.  SVC Consultants helped the relatively new organization develop its budget and fiscal processes, and provided it with pro-forma and other templates to utilize as it continues to grow.
SVC MBA Consultants: Vladimir Inozemsev & Shashank Saini

Sports4Hope, based in D.C., seeks to prevent and reconcile conflicts by inspiring hope, improving the quality of life, and empowering youth in conflict-affected areas through sport and peace education.  SVC Consultants worked with the organization to develop ideas for strategic corporate funding streams, as well as crowdsourced fundraising ideas. SVC Undergraduate Consultants: Sahil Rahman, Nicolas Sere, Alex Sposito & Mark Wang

Back to past projects by semester.