The Prairie Center for Racial Justice (PCRJ) is a worker’s cooperative focused on anti-racist education, support, and policy advising. Led by Dr. Verna St. Denis, PCRJ aims to transform learning, work, and decision-making spaces by addressing racism embedded in colonial systems.

Challenge:

PCRJ sought to transition from academic expertise to a viable social enterprise model. While experienced in teaching and delivering anti-racism education, they faced challenges in business conceptualization and defining measurable outcomes for their services.

Solution:

PCRJ participated in the IRP program to develop a scalable social enterprise. Through online materials and coaching sessions, they learned to think at the social procurement level and refine their pricing model. They pivoted from a sliding scale pricing to full-price services, using surplus to subsidize community programming.

Photo: Left to right: Becky Sasakamoose Kuffner (Director); Dr. Manuela Valle-Castro (Director); Dr. Verna St. Denis (Senior Advisor); Sharissa Hantke (Director)

The IRP support bolstered PCRJ’s confidence and decision-making process. They secured significant contracts, mapped out viable funding options, and improved cash flow forecasting. With plans to secure a line of credit, lease office space, and train more facilitators, PCRJ is poised for continued growth and impact in its second year of operations.

“The support we have received has increased our confidence.” says Hantke. “We are so grateful for the IRP support, which has helped us to prioritize the decisions our group needs to make next to ensure we have viable funding options. The extra support we received with creating a cash flow has helped us to be more accurate in the revenues and expenses we are expecting for our first year as a business! Coaching was tremendously informative regarding sponsorship, finding RFPs, and seeking financing.”

With several significant contracts already secured, the next steps for PCRJ are to secure a line of credit to cover operational cash flow gaps and to lease office space.  They are also looking forward to training more facilitators in the coming year in order to scale in year two of operations. 

Common Good Solutions’ expertise can help you navigate complex business decisions and achieve your mission-driven goals. Contact us today to explore how our services can support your organization’s journey toward sustainable growth and social impact.