This project, Capacity Building for Fundraising Infrastructure, led by Root 2 Rise will strengthen its organization’s fundraising capacity by partnering with Bold & Write Fundraising Consulting to diversify revenue streams, build sustainable fundraising infrastructure and secure long-term funding needed to expand the program in response to growing demand from school districts.
The Challenge
Root 2 Rise has built a successful leadership model through a student-led tutor-mentor model that continues to generate strong results and increasing demand from school districts. Schools regularly request to join the program, with Sun Prairie seeking to expand services to all three high schools and all nine elementary schools, while more than 90 percent of partner teachers report improved classroom productivity and engagement when working with Tutor-Mentors. However, the organization’s infrastructure has not kept pace with this growth. Since 2017, Root 2 Rise has relied heavily on volunteers and contractors to advance its mission, limiting long-term sustainability. In addition, its primary funding through the Equitable Recovery Program ended in 2025, creating a fiscal cliff. While the organization is actively pursuing new grants, it identified the need for professional fundraising capacity to diversify revenue sources, secure multi-year funding commitments and build the financial infrastructure necessary to sustainably expand its impact.
Project Goals
Root 2 Rise’s main goal is focused on strengthening their fundraising infrastructure and position the organization for long-term sustainability and growth. To accomplish this, the organization will contract with Bold & White to secure multi-sector funding, ensuring they can sustain their expansion into new districts and build durable funding infrastructure for the Tutor-mentor Program.
