Our Programs
At the heart of Global Grassroots is the Academy for Conscious Change, a mindfulness-based leadership program and social venture incubator for change agents who wish to launch social change ventures (micro-NGOs) in their own communities.
Academy of Conscious Change
Phase One: Intensive, Interactive Training Program
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Our intensive, experiential program provides essential tools for diagnosing key social issues. Academy participants design micro-NGO’s that systemically address community issues, are financially sustainable, and have measurable impact. Our curriculum guides participants in constructing a mission, vision, theory of change, operational plan, organizational design, start-up and operating budgets, financial sustainability strategy, goals and evaluation metrics, strategic partnerships, code of conduct, baseline issue studies, and communications strategies.
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Phase One also incorporates mindfulness-based leadership training and personal growth work to build confidence and self-awareness, unlock ideas, and develop leadership capacity. Our approach provides contemplative skills for understanding human behavior, defusing conflict, engaging stakeholders, overcoming fear, and building a sense of ownership by collaboratively diagnosing issues and developing local solutions.
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We further utilize mind-body trauma-healing techniques with a scientifically demonstrated impact for alleviating post-traumatic stress, to ensure our participants who are survivors of war and gender-based violence are well enough to pursue their new endeavors.
Phase Two: Non-Profit Venture Development
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Phase Two provides direct facilitation as participants complete a business plan for a viable community-based, non-profit organization. Hands-on coaching ensures that the new micro-NGO is designed to be self-sufficient, has measurable goals, has a sustainable financial structure, and will work at the root level to create systemic change for women.
Phase Three: Seed Funding
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In Phase Three, ventures meeting our criteria receive a seed grant for 100% of their start-up costs. Funding is disbursed over several tranches to teach basic bookkeeping, financial analysis and reporting, and to protect against cost-overruns.
Phase Four: Apprenticeship
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Once a venture is launched, we provide high-engagement coaching and mentorship with the goal of supporting participants to reach self-sufficiency as soon as possible.
The complete Academy experience lasts between 18-24 months for adults. It concludes with a graduation celebration signaling the team’s readiness to sustain their venture on their own. Our Young Women’s Academy adapts this model so recent secondary school graduates can launch a self-designed venture in their home villages before entering university.