A community development nonprofit ushers in a new theory of change
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Founded in 1978, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is a nonprofit organization that partners with underserved rural and Indigenous communities across the West through technical assistance, training, financial resources, and advocacy. Its work spans housing, water and wastewater infrastructure, community and economic development, small business, and other essential resources that help communities achieve their own vision for the future.
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Building on work started by the board and senior leadership, we collaborated with RCAC to develop an organizational theory of change. Through document review, discovery, and facilitated strategy sessions, we worked together to define the beliefs that guide RCAC’s work, the strategies that put those beliefs into action, and the long-term change RCAC seeks alongside rural and Indigenous communities.
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Develop a theory of change that connects RCAC’s mission and values to four core strategies: delivering pathways to equity, strengthening internal operations and resilience, expanding partnerships and collaboration, and driving innovation and measuring impact.
Design a visual theory of change and companion narrative to guide organizational strategy, decision-making, learning, and impact evaluation.
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RCAC now has a framework that centers trust, local leadership, and community-led solutions and connects its programs, strategies, values, and long-term impact. The theory of change describes RCAC’s vision for helping rural and Indigenous communities throughout the West become vibrant, healthy, and thriving. The documents are incorporated into staff onboarding and training, planning, evaluation, reporting, grant writing, and other organizational processes. The publicly shared framework gives RCAC a consistent way to communicate and highlight its impressive and far-reaching work.
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Oct 2024–May 2025
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Andrea Mader — Facilitor, content drafting and finalization, client communications
Jodi Wolfe — Creative direction, graphic design, and visual storytelling
Jordan Greene — Content drafting support
Julianna Smith — Graphic and layout support
“Andrea [was able] to easily contextualize what we were talking about because of her experience working with similar aligned organizations and communities. I appreciated the full suite of services and capabilities from the facilitation, development, and graphic design. It was seamless and efficient from our perspective.” —Keoni Lee, RCAC board member
