Approach

RoadMap offers tailor-made capacity building in which we—as one intermediary—solve countless problems for foundations and philanthropic serving organizations. 

Because capacity building as a sector is often under-resourced in relation to the growing demand of organizations needing such services, RoadMap has become a convener of—and bridge builder between—capacity-building shops and foundations. Our goal is to help strengthen the collective ability of capacity-building shops to meet this demand and bring our work to scale in these turbulent and transformative times. Our approach is built on two formative elements:

#1 Our Incredible Bench 

Our bench of consultants is a powerful, diverse brain trust whose experience touches every movement and nearly every aspect of capacity building, and has been embedded in every aspect of social justice organizations—from front-line organizers to infrastructure strategists and builders. They work with social justice and movement teams of all sizes to weather—and stay the course through—political storms and navigate organizational growth spurts and challenges. 

RoadMap matches and deploys consultants to specific projects depending on the unique needs of the organization. The range of our bench is limitless; there has literally never been an instance where our consultants could not deliver on what a funder or grantee pool needed. Here are some of the ways they bring their compassionate and dynamic problem solving natures to the table.

• They support clients to co-analyze challenges, questions, and opportunities
• They develop strategy and build project plans
• They develop trainings, curricula, and content for cohorts
• They serve as faculty for grantee pools
• They coach executive directors
• They support staff at all levels
• They implement strategic plans
• They benchmark success and pivot when challenges arise; and evaluate impact and future opportunities for growth

Learn more about the range of our work, as well as our specific programs and services.

#2 Our Intentional Process

Our intentional process is the framework against which we meticulously design and customize partnerships. This framework involves:

1. Intake and Proposal: We begin with an in-depth background assessment of your foundation portfolio, enabling us to propose an initial program and budget that resonates with your objectives.
2. Needs Assessment: We conduct pre-assessments and engage in a dialog with your grantees to evaluate their specific needs. This step is crucial to tailor our support effectively.
3. Consultant Matching: Following the intake and assessment process, we assess project needs against the capabilities and availability of our diverse, vibrant, and skilled bench of consultants. We facilitate an introductory conversation between the client and potential consultant(s) to ensure fit, and then develop a scope of work and deliverables plan to not only efficiently and effectively launch the project, but with a lens towards long-term thought partnership and sustained support.
4. Grant Management: Our approach includes overall grantee support to ensure there is no overlap in services. We streamline efforts for maximum impact.
5. Readiness Evaluation: From the foundation’s perspective, we evaluate readiness factors such as cohort or portfolio structure, new program officers, and existing capacity services for grantees. 
6. Yearly Review: We conclude each program with a final evaluation and offer recommendations for the following year. This iterative process ensures continuous growth.

Ready to learn more? Complete this intake form or contact Stephanie Rodriguez directly.