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Examples of the work we do

Each year, Mendicant Group works on dozens of different projects that help charitable and nonprofit organizations improve their impact. The following are just a few examples of recent projects:

Helping a provincial association grow: When the Ontario Environment Industry Association (ONEIA) had grown to a point where it could bring on a part-time executive director, they turned to Mendicant. In our ongoing work with their board, committees and part-time staff, we identified new lines of business, revamped their events, helped focused their government advocacy and launched a new website. The result? In a three-year period, we were able to grow the organization’s revenue by more than 180%, paying off its accumulated deficit and putting the organization on a path towards growth.

Helping a large charity plan for growth: The Board of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation presented the organization’s staff with a challenge. They were willing to help the organization raise funds to greatly increase its impact in the community. And the CYBF turned to Mendicant to help plan for this impact. In a project that took just three months, our team conducted benchmarking research with other organizations around the world, helping the Foundation identify how it could expand its offering and reach even more young entrepreneurs across the country.

Putting social enterprises on a sound footing: One of the most exciting new areas in the charitable and nonprofit sector is the growing field of social enterprise. If organizations can establish successful revenue-generating operations inside their nonprofit shell, they can not only support their mission and generate surplus revenues for the organization as a whole. In 2009, we worked with WoodGreen Community Services to determine how it might leverage its experience in fighting Toronto’s rising rates of bedbug infestations to create a social enterprise to employ the people it helps. Through thorough research, we were able to deliver a plan that identifies a niche for their organization and map out how it can explore growth in this area in coming years.

Getting a new foundation on its feet: The Keystone Foundation was a small charity with a big mission – to raise money for assistive housing, services and education programs for the physically challenged. The Foundation’s board engaged Mendicant Group to help it identify the next steps to set up the basic infrastructure to support their mission and begin raising funds for their cause. Mendicant delivered a business plan that laid out a clear path forward that maximized the potential return to the Foundation and minimized its risk. Volunteers, in turn, took this roadmap and managed the growth of their organization themselves, saving them time and money.