The Root Social Justice Center

What The Root Social Justice Center does

The Root Social Justice Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered at 28 Williams Street in Brattleboro, Vermont. Its mission is to center Blackness and support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities in Vermont through community building, resource redistribution, racial healing, and systemic-change organizing. The organization operates an integrated portfolio of 14+ programs including Youth 4 Change (youth empowerment ages 12-22), BIPOC Thriving Network (community affinity and mutual aid), Families United (DCF system advocacy), SYNC (neurodiverse family support), ARC (asylum seeker, refugee, and immigrant services), Healing in Practice, Soul Food Sunday, I Am Vermont Too (photo-story project), Mutual Aid Support Network, BIPOC Hair Shop, BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program, Black Prosperity Initiative, BIPOC Adoptee Citizenship & Legal Documents Fund, and the Black Youth Scholarship Fund.

The organization is not technology-driven; its core delivery model is human-centered, community-led, and event-driven, relying on in-person gatherings at its Brattleboro community space, virtual programming, and partner referrals. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: tax-deductible donations (one-time, monthly sustaining, stock, and in-kind), grant funding (including Vermont Department of Health), fee-based Community Consulting services for organizations seeking BIPOC consultation, and Community Space rental donations (minimum $25). Pricing for most programs is free or donation-based to ensure accessibility; the BIPOC Hair Shop operates as a marketplace where stylists set their own prices.

Since a 2019/2020 restructuring, leadership has been entirely BIPOC-led, with the executive director role intentionally split across Program, Communications, and Development Director positions to distribute power. The current team of 1-10 paid staff is supported by volunteers and a network of partner organizations (Building Equity Collaborative, Lost River Racial Justice, NAACP Rutland, Home Matters Here, Education Justice Coalition, and others). The organization has demonstrated sustained community engagement, including a 99% participation rate across nearly 100 respondents in a 2023 community assessment, and continues to expand programmatic scope and formalize operations, including a planned Human Resources Coordinator hire in 2026.

Name

The Root Social Justice Center

Legal name

The Root Social Justice Center

Website

https://therootsjc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice and Community Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Child and Youth Services (624110)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Community organizing programs
• Racial justice advocacy
• Youth empowerment services
• BIPOC mutual aid
• Immigrant support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brattleboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit receiving donations through one-time contributions, monthly sustaining donations, stock donations, and in-kind donations of time, devices, and materials.
2. Grants: Development Director oversees grant programs and funding documents to support programming.
3. Community Space Rental: Community space available for use after 5pm on weekdays and all day weekends with minimum donation of $25. Events charging participants encouraged to donate portion of proceeds.
4. Volunteer Contributions: Community members volunteer time and skills to support various programs.
5. Community Consulting Services: Fee-based community consulting services for organizations seeking BIPOC consultation support, with fee schedule available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Root Social Justice Center is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a portfolio of direct community programs centered on racial justice, healing, and resource redistribution for BIPOC individuals in Vermont. Its core offerings include youth empowerment (Youth 4 Change), a community-building and mutual-aid network (BIPOC Thriving Network), BIPOC affinity gatherings (Soul Food Sunday), family advocacy (Families United, SYNC), immigrant support (ARC), racial healing and rapid response (Healing in Practice), financial empowerment, mutual aid grants, scholarships, the BIPOC Hair Shop, and the I Am Vermont Too photo-story project, supplemented by fee-based Community Consulting and Community Space rental.

Product overview

The Root Social Justice Center is a Vermont-based BIPOC-led nonprofit organization offering a diverse portfolio of community programs and services centered on racial justice, healing, and resource redistribution. The organization operates as a unified set of interconnected programs rather than a platform architecture. Core programs include Youth 4 Change (youth empowerment), BIPOC Thriving Network (community building and mutual aid), Families United (DCF advocacy), Healing in Practice (racial healing), Soul Food Sunday (BIPOC affinity space), I Am Vermont Too (photo-story project), SYNC (neurodiverse family support), and ARC (immigrant community support). Additional services include the BIPOC Hair Shop, BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program, Black Prosperity Initiative, and the Black Youth Scholarship Fund. Supporting services encompass Community Consulting (fee-based consultation), Community Space rental, and Volunteer programs. The organization also facilitates donations and fund management through PayPal integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% survey participation rate from nearly 100 community members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lost River Racial Justice (LRRJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhite accountability partners who work with The Root on collaborative organizing. Together they host 'Healing in Practice' sessions and identify strategic ways to support BIPOC communities. LRRJ serves as co-conspirators in racial justice work.
• Early Education Services, Early Childhood Special Education of Windham Southeast Supervisory UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the SYNC program supporting young neurodiverse children and caregivers in Windham County.
• Springfield Area Parent Child CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for SYNC program supporting families and caregivers of children on the Autism Spectrum.
• Education Justice CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Youth 4 Change Summer Social Justice Camp 2026, bringing together youth interested in social justice education and leadership.
• Building Equity CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program. Members include NAACP Rutland and Home Matters Here.
• Cultivemos Alegria (Ana Mejia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder leads the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program providing financial knowledge, tools, resources, and coaching for BIPOC communities.
• NAACP RutlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Building Equity Collaborative for BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program.
• Home Matters HereminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Building Equity Collaborative for BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program.
• Castro ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducted comprehensive community assessment in partnership with The Root during 10th anniversary, including staff interviews and community-wide survey.
• Park Place Financial Advisors (Commonwealth Financial Network)minorOthersBrokerage firm handling stock donations to The Root Social Justice Center. Representative: Kelli Warriner, CFP at 221 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• HatchspaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for BIPOC Makers Night program initiative under BIPOC Thriving Network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): A national network organizing white people to act as accountable partners in racial justice movements. Directly comparable to The Root's collaboration with Lost River Racial Justice as white accountability partners, sharing the model of bridging white community engagement with BIPOC-led organizing.
• Race Forward: A national racial equity organization running programs like the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). Comparable focus on systemic change and racial equity, but operates as a policy and training infrastructure organization rather than direct community service delivery.
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People): The national civil rights organization with a Rutland, Vermont chapter that directly partners with The Root on the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program. Both organizations pursue racial justice advocacy, voter engagement, and BIPOC community support, but NAACP operates at vastly larger national scale with a broader portfolio.
• Color Of Change: The nation's largest online racial justice organization running campaigns on racial equity issues. Comparable mission of centering Black communities and pursuing systemic change through advocacy, though Color Of Change focuses primarily on digital campaigns rather than in-person community programming.
• Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation: A national racial justice organization pursuing systemic change for Black communities through advocacy, organizing, and policy work. Comparable mission focus on centering Blackness and addressing structural racism, but operates at national scale with significantly larger resources.

Regional players

• Vermont Releaf Collective: A Vermont-based mutual aid organization redistributing resources to BIPOC community members, similar in mission to The Root's Mutual Aid Support Network. Both organizations focus on economic resource redistribution and BIPOC community support, though Releaf operates statewide with a narrower mutual aid scope.
• Peace & Justice Center (Vermont): A Vermont-based community organization focused on social justice organizing, peace education, and coalition building. Comparable as a Vermont-based community-centered organization offering accessible organizing space and intersectional justice programming, though with different issue priorities.

Direct peers

• Building Equity Collaborative: A Vermont-based collaborative partnership including NAACP Rutland and Home Matters Here that co-delivers the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Program with The Root. Comparable as a coalition-based model advancing BIPOC economic empowerment and racial equity in Vermont communities.
• Lost River Racial Justice: A white accountability partner organization that co-hosts Healing in Practice sessions with The Root and operates as co-conspirators in racial justice work in southern Vermont. Both organizations center BIPOC community organizing with a focus on healing-centered and accountability-based racial justice practice.
• NAACP Windham County Branch: A regional NAACP branch serving the same Windham County geography as The Root, focused on civil rights advocacy and BIPOC community support. Both organizations serve overlapping BIPOC constituencies in Windham County, Vermont through community programming and racial justice work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRootSocialJusticeCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/therootsocialjustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/root-social-justice-center-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Root Social Justice Center