Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, your organization must:

• Primarily serve a historically marginalized community.
• Annual revenue below $1M USD.
• Desire to implement and commitment to plan and execute strategically.
• Willingness to share feedback and/or testimonials of success in the program.
• Active 501c3 if US based, project of a fiscal-sponsored organization, or registered charity in country of incorporation.
• Existing Mission Met clients or Causey customers are not eligible.

To help you understand if your organization is eligible to apply, please review the below definition of a historically marginalized community*.

A histrocially marginalized community consists of individuals and groups who are systematically disadvantaged due to a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or religious affiliation. Marginalization can result from historical oppression, structural inequality, discrimination, and policies that perpetuate exclusion. These communities often have their voices silenced or overlooked in mainstream societal narratives and governance, leading to an exacerbation of disparities and barriers to opportunities.

Characteristics of Historically Marginalized Communities:

• Limited Access to Economic Opportunities: Historically marginalized communities often face higher rates of poverty, underemployment, and unemployment due to systemic barriers to education, training, and job markets.
• Reduced Access to Healthcare and Education: These communities may experience disparities in access to quality healthcare and education, influenced by factors such as geographic location, economic constraints, and systemic biases.
• Social Exclusion: Historically marginalized groups may be socially excluded or stigmatized based on their identity, beliefs, or status, affecting their social interactions and participation in community life.
• Political Disempowerment: They often have limited representation and voice in political processes and governance, impacting their ability to influence decisions that affect their lives.
• Vulnerability to Violence and Discrimination: Marginalization can increase susceptibility to various forms of violence, abuse, and discrimination, further entrenching inequalities.

If the group(s) with whom you engage primarily fall into the above descriptions of a historically marginalized community, we invite you to apply or contact us for more detail.

* "Historically marginalized community" is an admittedly an imperfect term and very hard to define, but we are using it because we want to serve organizations who are doing meaningful work to help to help those who need it most. When in doubt, please apply.

Why are we doing this?

We are launching this program to offer pro bono subscriptions and provide consulting support as part of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). We aim to empower nonprofits serving historically marginalized communities, enhancing their capacity for strategic planning and execution. This initiative reflects our belief in co-creating a more equitable, inclusive world where every person feels valued and can contribute to societal change.

Ultimately, this program is a concrete action toward achieving systemic equity and inclusivity, aligning with our mission to support organizations driving social change.

We hope that it will strengthen the organizations with whom we work and enrich the communities they support. In turn, we expect to be challenged and changed in the process of serving these organizations by experiencing personal growth through increased empathy and open-mindedness, while also gaining valuable insights into effective organizational strategies and exposure to diverse programs that enhance strategic approaches with all of our clients.

Additionally, we see essential, important, and successful work being done throughout the world, and we want to be part of it in a small way. These leaders, organizations, and programs deserve to be lifted up and highlighted to create the most significant amount of impact possible.

Mission Met is a strategic planning consulting and software company that serves mission-driven leaders by helping them develop and execute their strategic plans through a simple and repeatable process. We’ve built Causey to serve mission-driven organizations of all sizes to help them be more effective and achieve their vision and goals.

Our mission is to make strategic planning simpler and more effective for mission-driven leaders.

• With more than 25 years of experience serving nonprofits, Mission Met knows how to help you reach your goals.
• Causey, our strategic planning execution software, supports hundreds of nonprofits in tracking and measuring their strategic plans.

Mission Met has always been committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We support numerous social justice efforts, seek diverse opinions and resources, and provide inclusive and equitable strategic planning processes.

To learn more about our DEIJ efforts and additional resources, visit these pages:

• Mission Met's DEIJ Statement
• How we developed our DEIJ statement