The Improve Group
The Improve Group is a 25-year-old evaluation and research consultancy that helps mission-driven public, nonprofit, and corporate clients measure impact, plan strategically, and assess programs through professional services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Improve Group does
The Improve Group is a research and evaluation consulting firm founded in 2000 in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving mission-driven organizations across the public, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. The firm delivers professional services across seven core lines: Evaluation, Impact & Needs Research, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building & Training, Informing Systems & Policy, Global Service, and Specialties (which include Teal organizational advisory, Public Benefit Corporation reporting, and equity-centered and trauma-informed evaluation). It applies methodologies such as empowerment evaluation, the Tri-Eric Community Readiness Assessment, and Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitation methods, supported by thought leadership content including the IG-ology educational blog series. There are no software products; the entire offering is delivered through human consulting engagements.
The firm operates a project-based professional services model, acquiring clients through direct consultative engagement, conference participation (American Evaluation Association, Minnesota International NGO Network Summit), workshops (Evaluation for Grantseekers through the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits), and content marketing. Customers span Minnesota state agencies (Minnesota Department of Human Services for 15+ years, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities), local government (Hennepin County Public Library), nonprofits (Second Harvest Heartland, Bountifield International), corporate social impact programs (Target, Blackbaud, MNPHARM), and higher education (University of Minnesota). In 2024, after approximately 24 years as a Public Benefit Corporation, the firm transitioned to a worker-owned cooperative while retaining its Minnesota Certified Targeted Group Business status and winning the federal President's Management Agenda Learning Agenda Challenge.
The Improve Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Improve Group
- Legal name
- The Improve Group, SBC
- Website
- https://theimprovegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Improve Group is a 25-year-old evaluation and research consultancy that helps mission-driven public, nonprofit, and corporate clients measure impact, plan strategically, and assess programs through professional services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Improve Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Evaluation & Strategic Planning Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD), Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Performance Management & Productivity Consulting (BPAHAGAL)
Keywords
Where The Improve Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Improve Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Evaluation and Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for evaluation services, impact research, strategic planning, capacity building, and policy advisory work. Projects range from short-term assessments to multi-year evaluation engagements with government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
The Improve Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Improve Group delivers a portfolio of seven professional consulting service lines: Evaluation, Impact & Needs Research, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building & Training, Informing Systems & Policy, Global Service, and Specialties (including Teal self-management advisory and Public Benefit Corporation reporting). Services are delivered by expert consultants through project-based engagements with nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, and corporations. The firm does not sell software products but applies mixed-methods research design, participatory data collection, logic model development, and ToP facilitation methods.
Product overview
The Improve Group is a research and evaluation consulting firm — not a software product company. Its offering is a portfolio of professional consulting services delivered by expert consultants. The core portfolio consists of seven service lines: Evaluation (external/internal program evaluation), Impact & Needs Research (community needs and outcome assessment), Strategic Planning (organizational planning facilitation), Capacity Building & Training (client capability development), Informing Systems & Policy (public sector policy analysis), Global Service (international development evaluation), and Specialties (Teal organizational advisory, PBC reporting, equity-centered and trauma-informed evaluation). These services are supported by specialized research products including the Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey (in partnership with Nonprofit HR) and Public Benefit Corporation impact reporting support for clients like MNPHARM. The firm won the federal President's Management Agenda Learning Agenda Challenge in 2024. The portfolio is delivered entirely through consulting engagements, not a software platform or product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Evaluation External and internal evaluation services that help nonprofit, government, and mission-driven organizations assess program effectiveness, measure outcomes, and report on impact for funders and stakeholders.
- Impact & Needs Research Research services that assess community needs, program impact, and social conditions to inform decision-making and resource allocation for public sector and nonprofit clients.
- Strategic Planning Facilitation and consulting services that help organizations develop forward-thinking strategic plans to guide organizational growth and evolution amid changing conditions.
- Capacity Building & Training Training and organizational development services that strengthen client capabilities in evaluation, data use, and program implementation through workshops and ongoing coaching.
- Informing Systems & Policy Policy analysis and systems-change consulting that helps public sector clients improve regulations, rate-setting, and program administration through evidence-based policy work.
- Global Service International evaluation and research services supporting development organizations, NGOs, and government agencies working in global contexts, including food supply chain and post-project sustainability assessments.
- Specialties Specialized practice areas spanning Teal self-management advisory, Public Benefit Corporation benefit reporting, equity-centered evaluation, and trauma-informed approaches for organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Olmstead Quality of Life Survey: reached over 2,000 people with disabilities to establish baseline for Minnesota's integration goals
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Improve Group
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Improve Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Improve Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Strengthening Evaluation Contracting Partnerships Initiative (SECPI)coreSara McGarraugh led a conversation about the Trust Triangle at a Gathering Space for Strengthening Evaluation Partnerships hosted by SECPI. The gathering space supports evaluation consultants to learn from each other's approaches, foster truer partnerships, and broaden professional networks.
- Stakman-Borlaug Center (University of Minnesota)coreWorking with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and The Improve Group, the Stakman-Borlaug Center conducted Food for Progress Post-Project Sustainability Assessment. $721,000 two-year project evaluating three closed agriculture assistance projects.
- Bountifield InternationalcorePartnered to evaluate efforts to strengthen the food supply chain in Senegal. Bountifield is a St. Paul-based nonprofit dedicated to helping families in developing countries access innovative farming tools for sustainable harvest processing and market access.
- Minnesota Council of NonprofitsminorHosting the Evaluation for Grantseekers virtual workshop through MCN platform. IG Consultant Sara Stalland McGarraugh serves as workshop facilitator for nonprofit members seeking to improve evaluation design for grant proposals.
- Minnesota Metropolitan Council Equity Advisory CommitteeminorCEO Leah Goldstein Moses was invited to join the Metropolitan Council's Equity Advisory Committee to contribute expertise on equity in evaluation and social impact measurement.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Improve Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wilder Research: Minnesota-based research and evaluation arm of Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, providing mixed-methods program evaluation, community research, and strategic planning for nonprofits, government, and foundations across the Twin Cities and beyond — directly overlapping The Improve Group's service portfolio and Minnesota client base.
- Rainbow Research: Minneapolis-based evaluation and research consulting firm specializing in participatory evaluation, equity-centered inquiry, and community-based research — directly comparable to The Improve Group in methodology, mission-driven client focus, and Minnesota regional footprint.
- Harder+Company Community Research: California-based social research and evaluation firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and government with mixed-methods evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building — a close functional peer in size, mission orientation, and service mix, though operating on the West Coast.
- Equal Measure: Philadelphia-based evaluation and learning consulting firm focused on social impact, equity, and philanthropic effectiveness — directly comparable to The Improve Group in serving foundations and nonprofits with evaluation, learning, and capacity-building services.
- Informing Change: Bay Area-based evaluation and learning consulting firm serving foundations and nonprofits with strategy, evaluation, and capacity-building services — a direct peer in mission, methodology, and client profile, particularly in philanthropic evaluation.
- ORS Impact: Seattle-based evaluation and strategy consulting firm focused on social impact, philanthropy, and nonprofit effectiveness — directly comparable to The Improve Group in serving foundations and mission-driven organizations with evaluation and learning engagements.
Broad incumbents
- Mathematica Policy Research: Large national policy research and evaluation firm with deep federal government contracting capabilities across health, human services, and education — represents the scaled incumbent that competes with IG for federal evaluation work but operates at much greater scale and across many more domains.
- Abt Associates: Global research and program evaluation consulting firm with major federal contracts in health, environment, and social policy — a broader incumbent competing for the same federal evaluation RFPs that The Improve Group pursues, though at substantially larger contract sizes.
- ICF International: Large advisory and digital services firm with significant public-sector evaluation, policy analysis, and program management practices — operates as a broader incumbent with overlapping public-sector and nonprofit evaluation capabilities at national scale.
Emerging players
- Innovation Network (NetHope / Innovation Network): Washington DC-based nonprofit consulting organization providing evaluation, learning, and capacity-building services to nonprofits and foundations — a focused peer with similar mission-driven orientation and evaluation methodology emphasis, though operating nationally rather than regionally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Improve Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Improve Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Improve Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
The Improve Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Improve Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Improve Group
What does The Improve Group do?
The Improve Group delivers a portfolio of seven professional consulting service lines: Evaluation, Impact & Needs Research, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building & Training, Informing Systems & Policy, Global Service, and Specialties (including Teal self-management advisory and Public Benefit Corporation reporting). Services are delivered by expert consultants through project-based engagements with nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, and corporations. The firm does not sell software products but applies mixed-methods research design, participatory data collection, logic model development, and ToP facilitation methods.
Is The Improve Group a public or private company?
The Improve Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was The Improve Group founded?
The Improve Group was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Improve Group based?
The Improve Group is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Improve Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: evaluation and Consulting Services.
Who are The Improve Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wilder Research, Rainbow Research, Harder+Company Community Research, Equal Measure, Informing Change and ORS Impact. Broad incumbents are Mathematica Policy Research, Abt Associates and ICF International. Innovation Network (NetHope / Innovation Network) is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Improve Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Improve Group.
What industry is The Improve Group in?
The Improve Group's product category is Evaluation & Strategic Planning Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAN, Public Sector & Policy Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHACAD, Organization Design & Change Management Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.