What Metropolitan Group does

Metropolitan Group (MG) is a Portland, Oregon-headquartered, founder-led social change agency founded in 1989 that crafts integrated strategic and creative services exclusively for mission-driven clients. Its practice is organized around three pillars — Strategic Communication, Organizational Strategy & Innovation, and Intercultural Engagement — and it operates exclusively against four vertical focus areas: Public Health, Environment & Sustainability, Social Justice, and Creative Expression, with adjacent practice in Democracy Narratives. MG serves large foundations (Ford, Kresge, Rockefeller, Robert Wood Johnson), U.S. federal agencies (NASA, EPA, USAID, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and NGOs across health, environmental justice, civil rights, and the arts. Reported client outcomes include a 3000% website traffic lift during an Oregon home-care recruitment campaign and Justice40 convening survey scores of 96%/94%/84% for new funding-skills, partner relationships, and federal-agency connections.

The firm's core IP is qualitative and framework-driven rather than technological: the Narrative for Social Change Model, the Intercultural Lens, the Public Will Building Model, and the Environmental Justice Strategic Framework — all developed over decades by senior practitioners and codified into reusable engagement platforms. The most significant product build in 2025 is the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook Initiative (launched December 2025 with PACE), which packages three years and $4M of 12-country research into narrative tools and a dissemination partnership program. A first-of-its-kind community asset, the Colaboratoria network (220 communication experts across 100+ civil society organizations), provides curated access to mission-aligned communications talent.

MG monetizes via project-based, quote-driven professional services fees; GSA Multiple Award Schedule (GS-07F-0224X) with pre-negotiated rates underpins government contracting, including a Service First BPA with the U.S. Forest Service through 2031. Geographic reach spans three offices (Portland, Washington D.C., Mexico City via the Impacto Social Metropolitan Group sister company) and project work in roughly 30 countries across five continents. The firm is a Certified B Corp (Best for the World honoree since 2014) and remains privately held with no disclosed institutional investor ownership; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Metropolitan Group

Legal name

Metropolitan Group LLC

Website

https://metgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Metropolitan Group is a Portland-based social change agency founded in 1989 providing strategic communication, organizational strategy, and intercultural engagement services exclusively to mission-driven clients — foundations, federal agencies, and NGOs — across the U.S., Mexico, and international development markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communication Services: Full-service strategic communication including campaign management, digital services, branding, graphic design, earned media/PR, paid and donated media advertising
2. Organizational Strategy & Innovation Consulting: Strategic planning, culture change, capacity building, coaching, leadership development, partnership building, and technical assistance
3. Intercultural Engagement Services: Facilitation, dialogue, engagement processes, multilingual communication, Spanish-language creative services, and transcreation
4. U.S. Government Contracting: GSA contractor providing services to federal agencies including U.S. Forest Service, NASA, EPA, USAID, SAMHSA under multiple schedule vehicles
5. Collaboratoria Network: Network laboratory of 220 communication experts working across 100+ civil society organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Metropolitan Group is a full-service social change agency that crafts and integrates strategic communication, organizational strategy and innovation, and intercultural engagement services for mission-driven organizations. It designs, implements, and evaluates campaigns and direct change efforts for foundations, federal agencies, NGOs, and international development clients across public health, environment, social justice, and creative expression causes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Communication Services Full-service strategic communication offering including campaign development, branding, graphic design, digital services, earned media/PR, and paid and donated media advertising for social change organizations.
• Organizational Strategy & Innovation Consulting Strategic planning, culture change, capacity building, coaching, leadership development, partnership building, and technical assistance for mission-driven organizations seeking to advance social change.
• Intercultural Engagement Services Facilitation, dialogue, engagement processes, multilingual communication, Spanish-language creative services, and transcreation that helps clients surface assumptions and shape strategies collaboratively across cultural contexts.
• U.S. Government Contracting Services Strategic communication, business, and program services delivered to U.S. federal agencies through GSA Schedule contracts and the U.S. Forest Service Service First BPA.
• Colaboratoria Network Network laboratory connecting 220 communication experts across 100+ civil society organizations, building field-level capacity in narrative and communication strategy for social impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• Website traffic increased 3000% during Oregon home care recruitment campaign; Home care providers increased by nearly 20% during campaign period
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Joint initiative to develop and disseminate the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook. MG and PACE conducted 3 years of research ($4M from multiple funders) examining global democracy narrative landscape. PACE surveyed civic language perceptions in the U.S.; MG examined 12 countries to understand how narratives erode or advance democracy. Joint op-ed published in Chronicle of Philanthropy.
• Colaboratoria NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022First-of-its-kind laboratory/network of communication experts working in civil society organizations for social change. Currently 220 experts representing over 100 civil society organizations. Built to build network of effective communication strategists and increase application to advance social impact.
• Impacto Social Metropolitan Group (ISMG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company based in Mexico City advancing commitment to global social justice. Provides same services as MG with specialization in public health, environmental, human rights, education, creative expression and economic development causes in Mexico and Central America.
• USAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple international development projects including anti-corruption task force, women agriculture workers in Tunisia, Mexico criminal justice reform. MG serves as prime and subcontractor on USAID-funded social and behavior change initiatives.
• Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Justice40 capacity building and federal funding securing for community-based organizations in Gulf Coast region. Supported DSCEJ in winning $13M EPA/DOE investment for Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers spanning 13 states.
• First Nations Development InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-faceted research across Indian Country to explore definitions of Native justice. MG supported synthesis, writing of national report, and facilitated convening of Native leaders. Also partnered on Reclaiming Native Truth initiative.
• Migration Policy InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on migration narratives in five countries. Published comprehensive report on how competing stories shape policy and public opinion in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
• RAND CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on advancing well-being narrative and migration narratives. Partnered on exploring how decision-makers think about progress to transform priorities and actions.
• Lake Research PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch and message development partnership on structural racism and health equity work for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Co-presented trainings for RWJF grantees.
• VistantminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContract partner for Tunisia women agriculture workers project facilitated via USAID contract vehicle.
• Arts MidwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership on Creating Connection initiative to make arts and culture a recognized, valued part of everyday life. National initiative with statewide expansion in Oregon engaging 136 organizations.
• Echo Hawk ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with First Nations Development Institute on Native justice research initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fenton Communications: Social impact communications agency serving foundations, NGOs, and progressive causes with strategy, PR, and digital services. Directly comparable in mission focus, client base (foundations, advocacy orgs), and service mix (strategic communication + digital + earned media).
• Burness: Communications firm specializing in nonprofits, foundations, and social impact organizations. Comparable target customers (major U.S. foundations and advocacy nonprofits), comparable services (strategic communications, narrative change), and similar focus on measurable impact outcomes.
• Spitfire Strategies: Strategic communications firm focused on social change, helping nonprofits and foundations build strategies for impact. Directly comparable in mission orientation, nonprofit/foundation client base, and emphasis on narrative and message strategy.
• GMMB: Strategic communications and advertising agency serving advocacy, public health, and policy campaigns. Comparable in campaign-level work for foundations, federal agencies, and advocacy groups, particularly on public health and equity issues.
• Blue State: Digital-first communications agency for nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and progressive causes. Comparable target market (mission-driven organizations) and service overlap (digital strategy, campaign execution), with stronger digital/native capability.
• Hattaway Communications: Strategic communications firm that helps nonprofits and foundations create powerful narratives to drive social change. Directly comparable in narrative change methodology, foundation/nonprofit client base, and research-driven messaging approach.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global public relations firm with a dedicated social impact practice serving foundations, NGOs, and corporations. Overlaps on social impact communications client base, but operates at substantially larger scale and across a much broader portfolio including commercial brand work.
• Weber Shandwick: Global PR and communications agency with purpose and social impact practices serving foundations and corporations. Comparable service offerings but at much larger scale and with broader commercial client mix.
• Hill & Knowlton Strategies: Global communications consultancy with public affairs, social impact, and sustainability practices. Overlaps on government-adjacent communications and advocacy work but operates at much greater scale and across more commercial industries.

Emerging players

• Purpose: Social impact creative agency and strategy consultancy working with nonprofits, brands, and foundations on campaigns for social change. Comparable mission focus and campaign methodology, with stronger creative technology and movement-building capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOG3ND5duKzkSfWWM-20LTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/metgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metropolitan-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/metgroup
• Xx.com/metgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Group