Learning For Action
Learning for Action is a San Francisco-based, employee-owned social sector consulting firm founded in 2000 that provides strategy, evaluation, and research services to foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies, with a distinctive focus on equity-centered capacity building.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Learning For Action does
Learning for Action (LFA) is a privately-held social sector consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, founded in 2000. The firm partners with foundations, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies to provide three core services — strategy development, program evaluation, and research — with the explicit mission of strengthening clients' learning culture and practice in service of equity and justice. LFA's engagement model is project-based and customized, typically structured as multi-year contracts with quote-based pricing tailored to scope, and is delivered through relationship-based direct consulting rather than a self-serve platform. The firm serves a horizontal mix of content areas including health and human services, education and youth development, environment, community and economic development, arts, and policy.
LFA's underlying technical approach combines rigorous analytical methods with community-based participatory practices, codified into a library of proprietary frameworks and tools that function as the firm's intellectual property. These include the Seven Dimensions of Nonprofit Capacity Framework, the Better Results Toolkit (developed with S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for environmental education organizations), the eight-part Equity Practice Checklists, A Practical Guide to Assessing Systems Change, the Organizational Equity Reflection Tool (OERT) launched with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Public Equity Group, the Funding Practices Tool for Equity-Driven Funders, and a Collaborative Performance Framework. LFA also builds custom Data Dashboards for nonprofit partners and operates a Cohort-Based Capacity Building (CBCB) delivery model that combines collective learning, personalized coaching, and curated resources under dedicated funder sponsorship.
Commercially, LFA generates revenue exclusively through professional services engagements — no software products, SaaS subscriptions, or licensing model are disclosed — and relies on relationship-based acquisition reinforced by content marketing (The Learning Curve blog, Resource Library, mailing list), conference presence (notably the American Evaluation Association Annual Conference), client testimonials, and thought-leadership audio content (Conversations with Courageous Changemakers podcast). The firm is independently owned with no disclosed external investors or parent company, and is co-led by Co-CEOs Emily Boer Drake and Jessica Xiomara García, alongside a senior consultant team of 11–50 employees operating across the United States and internationally.
Learning For Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Learning For Action
- Legal name
- Learning for Action
- Website
- https://learningforaction.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Learning for Action is a San Francisco-based, employee-owned social sector consulting firm founded in 2000 that provides strategy, evaluation, and research services to foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies, with a distinctive focus on equity-centered capacity building.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Learning For Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stakeholder, Communication & Change Management (EDABAHAF), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)
Keywords
Where Learning For Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Learning For Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: LFA generates revenue through consulting engagements with social sector organizations. They provide strategy development, evaluation, and research services to foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies. Engagements include program evaluation, organizational capacity assessment, strategic planning, and capacity building support. The firm operates on a project-based fee structure tailored to each engagement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Learning For Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Learning for Action provides consulting services in strategy development, evaluation, and research to social sector organizations, including foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies. The firm uses a capacity-building approach that combines analytical rigor with community-based participatory practices, and supports clients through proprietary tools and frameworks such as the Better Results Toolkit, Equity Practice Checklists, and the Seven Dimensions of Nonprofit Capacity Framework.
Product overview
Learning For Action is a consulting firm providing strategy, evaluation, and research services to social sector organizations. Their core offerings include Strategy Development, Evaluation, and Research services, supported by practical tools and frameworks such as the Better Results Toolkit, Equity Practice Checklists, and Systems Change Evaluation Guide. They also offer the Seven Dimensions of Nonprofit Capacity Framework and Cohort-Based Capacity Building approach. Their product portfolio includes custom data dashboards built for nonprofit clients, the Organizational Equity Reflection Tool (OERT), and funding practices tools for equity-driven funders. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a software platform, providing consulting engagements rather than self-service products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategy Development Services Guides organizations in choosing a path forward that will lead to greater program impact and organizational performance. Designed for foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies.
- Evaluation Services Assesses effectiveness of programs, initiatives, and/or organizations to inspire and guide ongoing improvement. Designed for foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies.
- Research Services Answers questions about service markets and landscapes, target population profiles, and unmet community needs. Designed for foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies.
- Better Results Toolkit Guides organizations through the process of putting strong data-driven learning practices in place: from articulating program model and theory of change, to developing measurement plans, to engaging in continuous improvement practices. Originally designed for environmental education organizations.
- Equity Practice Checklists Eight-part series of checklists designed to help incorporate cultural humility and equity lens into evaluation work, covering project design, launch, plan development, mid-point check-ins, theory of change, instrument development, data interpretation, and reporting.
- A Practical Guide to Assessing Systems Change Framework and tools to help evaluators operationalize systems change concepts and evaluate systems change initiatives in human service delivery systems.
- Organizational Equity Reflection Tool (OERT) Framework that transforms abstract equity commitments into concrete action across nine critical dimensions, helping organizations move from aspiration to action on equity.
- Funding Practices Tool for Equity-Driven Funders Tool designed for funders of capacity building who seek to better support leaders and organizations most affected by systemic inequity, featuring practices to center equity and reflection questions.
- Seven Dimensions of Nonprofit Capacity Framework Conceptual framework identifying seven distinct dimensions of nonprofit capacity: vision and impact, governance and leadership, program delivery, resource generation, internal operations and management, evaluation and learning, and strategic relationships.
- Cohort-Based Capacity Building (CBCB) Capacity building approach using cohort models that provides collective learning, personalized coaching, and connection to resources and tools for nonprofit organizations.
- Collaborative Performance Framework Framework for assessing and improving collaborative performance, customizable and enabling self-diagnosis with five critical dimensions: vision, design, governance, learning, and sustainability.
- Data Dashboards Custom-made data dashboards developed for nonprofit partners to support them in understanding, visualizing, and accessing key up-to-date data points, typically built using free cloud-based products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Virtually all clients (surveyed 2004-2015) would recommend LFA and hire them again, with most having already rehired multiple times.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Learning For Action
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Learning For Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Learning For Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.
- Robert Wood Johnson FoundationcoreLFA partnered with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to implement the Equity Learning Lab, a program combining coaching and technical assistance for health-focused organizations committed to advancing equity. Also supports Transforming Health and Health Care Systems Equity Learning Lab. The partnership represents LFA's deep engagement in health equity work.
- Chan Zuckerberg InitiativecoreLFA serves as a partner in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Impact Lab program in San Mateo County, providing coaching and evaluation capacity building support to participating nonprofits.
- Point the Way (Capacity Building Funders Group)keyLFA conducted a major capacity building study as part of Point the Way, a project of the Capacity Building Funders Group (14 foundations investing in capacity building in Chicago). The study informs analysis of nonprofit capacity building in Chicago's social sector.
- S.D. Bechtel, Jr. FoundationkeyWith support from S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, LFA developed the Better Results Toolkit in partnership with San Francisco Bay Area environmental education organizations for the LEAPS (Leadership and Evaluation for Program Success) initiative.
- The Edna McConnell Clark FoundationcoreLFA serves as a crucial partner to PropelNext at The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, supporting promising nonprofits to enhance their ability to collect, use, and apply data for ongoing learning and improvement.
- Public ProfitminorLearning for Action and Public Profit partnered on the evaluation of the MacArthur Foundation's Fellowship Award, supplemented with public polling research from The Harris Poll.
- Public Equity GroupkeyLFA and Public Equity Group launched the Equity Learning Lab website to share resources and learnings from the RWJF-funded initiative, including the Organizational Equity Reflection Tool (OERT).
- Cartwheel Coaching and ConsultingminorCo-led research and report with Cartwheel Coaching and Consulting (Eiko Sugano) for the Funding Practices Tool for equity-driven funders of capacity building.
- San Joaquin Valley Health FundminorLFA provides Participatory Evaluation Technical Assistance to San Joaquin Valley Health Fund partners as part of capacity building and evaluation support.
- Weingart FoundationminorLFA conducted evaluation of Weingart Foundation's Developmental Disabilities Initiative as part of their evaluation services.
- San Francisco Bay Area Environmental Education OrganizationsminorBay Area environmental education organizations partnered with LFA in developing the Better Results Toolkit through the three-year LEAPS capacity-building initiative.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Learning For Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mission Capital: Austin-based nonprofit consulting and capacity-building firm that one of LFA's senior consultants previously worked at; competes in the same evaluation, capacity building, and strategy niche for social sector clients.
- Public Profit: Nonprofit consulting firm specializing in evaluation and learning for social sector organizations; LFA has partnered with Public Profit on foundation-funded evaluation work (MacArthur Foundation), confirming direct competitor status.
- The Center for Effective Philanthropy: Research and consulting firm serving foundations with a focus on philanthropic effectiveness, grantee feedback, and equity — overlapping directly with LFA's foundation evaluation and equity-centered advisory work.
- Innovation Network: Consulting firm providing evaluation, strategy, and learning services specifically to nonprofits and foundations — a close niche peer in the evaluation-and-capacity-building space.
- FSG: Global consulting firm supporting foundations, corporations, and nonprofits on strategy, evaluation, and learning — sharing LFA's foundation/NPO client base and evaluation + strategy services mix.
- The Bridgespan Group: Social sector strategy consulting firm that advises nonprofits, philanthropists, and foundations on strategy, organizational effectiveness, and impact — directly comparable to LFA's strategy and capacity-building engagements with foundations and nonprofits.
- TCC Group: Consulting firm focused on nonprofit and philanthropic effectiveness, offering capacity building, evaluation, and strategic advisory — directly parallel to LFA's core services for foundations and nonprofits.
Broad incumbents
- RAND Corporation: Global policy research institution with extensive evaluation practice across health, education, and equity — operates as a broad incumbent competing for foundation and public-sector evaluation engagements, though at vastly larger scale.
- Mathematica: Large policy research and evaluation firm with substantial work in social programs, health, and education evaluation — competes with LFA for foundation and public-agency evaluation contracts but at a materially larger scale and broader scope.
- NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research organization conducting social science research and program evaluation for government, foundations, and nonprofits — a larger, broader incumbent competing in the policy and social program evaluation space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Learning For Action social profiles
Digital presenceLearning For Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Learning For Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Learning For Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Learning For Action 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 Learning For Action
What does Learning For Action do?
Learning for Action provides consulting services in strategy development, evaluation, and research to social sector organizations, including foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies. The firm uses a capacity-building approach that combines analytical rigor with community-based participatory practices, and supports clients through proprietary tools and frameworks such as the Better Results Toolkit, Equity Practice Checklists, and the Seven Dimensions of Nonprofit Capacity Framework.
Is Learning For Action a public or private company?
Learning For Action is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Learning For Action founded?
Learning For Action was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Learning For Action based?
Learning For Action is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Learning For Action make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting Services.
Who are Learning For Action's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mission Capital, Public Profit, The Center for Effective Philanthropy, Innovation Network, FSG, The Bridgespan Group and TCC Group. Broad incumbents are RAND Corporation, Mathematica and NORC at the University of Chicago.
Does Learning For Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Learning For Action.
What industry is Learning For Action in?
Learning For Action's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAGAE, Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting, with a secondary code of EDABAHAF, Stakeholder, Communication & Change Management. Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8742.