Interaction Institute for Social Change

What Interaction Institute for Social Change does

Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) is a Boston-originated, fully remote U.S. nonprofit founded in 1993 that builds collaborative capacity for social justice and racial equity. Its work is organized around four practice areas: strategic direction setting, high-stakes facilitation and convenings, leadership development and organizational culture change, and network building and collective resilience. IISC operates through a portfolio of named methodologies and programs — including the proprietary Collaborative Change Lens, Facilitative Leadership™ for Social Change, Essential Facilitation™, Fundamentals of Facilitation for Racial Justice Work, Advancing Racial Justice in Organizations (ARJ), the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge (30,000+ cumulative participants since 2015), and the Gathering to Rise leadership cohort for BIPOC women and gender-expansive leaders.

Revenue is generated through custom consulting engagements (priced per scope of work after a free Discovery Call), open-enrollment trainings and workshops offered virtually and in-person, and cohort-based programs with sliding-scale or tiered pricing. The FSNE Challenge moved to a paid model in 2026 with individual ($21), pay-it-forward ($42), and institutional ($300-$750) tiers; Gathering to Rise ranges from $800-$2,400 across four sliding-scale tiers. IISC also benefits from philanthropic and grant support, including approximately $2 million received during outgoing President Kelly Frances Bates' ten-year tenure.

The organization serves nonprofits, foundations, networks and coalitions, government agencies, and individual change agents, with named clients including Ford Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Education, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, The Nature Conservancy, Vermont Food Bank, and Nonprofit Quarterly. It has approximately 30-40 staff and affiliate consultants and is currently in a leadership transition, having taken over hosting of the FSNE 21-Day Challenge and initiated a search for an Interim President in 2026.

Name

Interaction Institute for Social Change

Legal name

Interaction Institute for Social Change

Website

https://interactioninstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Interaction Institute for Social Change is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1993 that builds collaborative capacity for social justice and racial equity through consulting, training programs, and cohort-based learning for nonprofits, foundations, networks, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting & Advisory Services: Custom consulting engagements with organizations, networks, and coalitions. Engagements range from short-term facilitation or retreats to months-long strategic partnerships. Pricing is quoted based on scope, duration, and team composition. First step is a free Discovery Call, followed by a proposed scope of work with timeline and cost.
2. FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge: Annual cohort-based program running April-May. Individual registration is $21; Institutional Partnership tiers range from $300 (up to 25 participants) to $750 (up to 100 participants). This is the first year with a paid model after historically being free, supported by philanthropic funding.
3. Gathering to Rise Leadership Cohort: Cohort-based leadership development program for BIPOC women and gender-expansive leaders. Offered on a sliding scale with four tiers: Solidarity $800, Base $1200, Sustainability $1700, Redistribution $2400. Includes 3 group sessions and 3 individual coaching sessions.
4. Public Training Programs & Workshops: Open enrollment workshops and webinars. Facilitative Leadership™ for Social Change is offered as 7-part virtual series (Wednesdays, 08/05/26 – 09/16/26) or 2-day in-person. Other programs include webinars on strategic direction, network weaving, and organizational change.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) is a nonprofit consulting and training organization that builds collaborative capacity for individuals, organizations, and networks working for social justice and racial equity. The organization delivers customized consulting engagements, cohort-based leadership programs, facilitator trainings, and public workshops anchored by its proprietary Collaborative Change Lens framework.

Product overview

Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC) is a social change consulting and training organization offering a portfolio of services organized around four core practice areas: Strategic Direction Setting, High-Stakes Facilitation & Convenings, Leadership Development & Organizational Culture Change, and Network Building & Collective Resilience. The organization delivers these through a combination of consulting engagements, training programs, workshops, and webinars. Key named offerings include the Collaborative Change Lens (their proprietary methodology), Facilitative Leadership™ for Social Change, Essential Facilitation™ training, Fundamentals of Facilitation for Racial Justice Work, Advancing Racial Justice in Organizations (ARJ), and the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge. Additional programs include the Gathering to Rise leadership cohort for BIPOC women and gender-expansive leaders, plus various webinars on topics including network weaving, organizational change, and decision-making. IISC operates primarily as a service-based organization providing customized consulting and facilitated learning experiences rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge: A daily practice to build the skill, will, and courage to advance racial equity in food systems and beyond, hosted by IISC in partnership with University of Vermont Institute for Agroecology and KAS Consulting.
• Gathering to Rise: A Leadership Cohort

Products and services

• Strategic Direction Setting Custom consulting service that aligns organizational strategy with values during periods of challenge and uncertainty. Provides collaborative frameworks, equity-centered decision-making tools, and practices that build cohesion, agility, and resilience for nonprofit organizations, networks, and coalitions.
• High-Stakes Facilitation & Convenings Custom design and facilitation of challenging internal conversations, multi-stakeholder convenings, stakeholder engagement across networks and coalitions, and team retreats for social justice and equity-focused organizations.
• Leadership Development & Organizational Culture Change Custom consulting offering that includes strategic advising, equity-centered team coaching, and co-design of equitable decision-making and governance practices for mission-driven organizations pursuing racial justice and shared leadership.
• Network Building & Collective Resilience Custom consulting engagement that designs Communities of Practice, leadership cohorts, and network infrastructure to build alignment, resilience, and collective action across networks and coalitions.
• Facilitative Leadership for Social Change IISC's flagship training program developing practical collaborative skills and tools for social change agents. Offered as a 7-part virtual series or 2-day in-person workshop covering participation, voice, initiative, and shared responsibility.
• Essential Facilitation: Core Skills for Guiding Groups Two-day in-person training program that equips participants with hands-on skills to facilitate meetings where people share information, make decisions, and take action.
• Fundamentals of Facilitation for Racial Justice Work Workshop offering facilitators skills and tools to help people of diverse identities explore race, racism, and racial justice in constructive, collaborative ways. Delivered online (5 sessions) or in-person (2 days).
• Advancing Racial Justice in Organizations (ARJ) Three-part virtual hands-on series that helps change agents mobilize colleagues and translate organizational racial justice values into action and impact.
• FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge Annual 21-day cohort-based program providing daily practice to build skill, will, and courage to advance racial equity in food systems and beyond. Includes curated resources, reflection prompts, invitations to act, and optional live sessions.
• Gathering to Rise: A Leadership Cohort Transformative leadership cohort for Black, Indigenous, Latine, Arab, Middle Eastern, North African, Asian, and Pacific Islander women and gender-expansive leaders. Includes 3 group sessions and 3 individual coaching sessions offered on a sliding scale.
• Racial Justice Community of Practice Free quarterly gathering space for peer support and learning while advancing racial justice. Open to participants at any level of experience.
• Collaborative Change Lens IISC's proprietary methodology and framework that facilitates social change and racial equity by shifting power dynamics, focusing on building networks, and amplifying love as a force for social change. Used as the foundation across consulting and training engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ participants have completed the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge since 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and foundational.

• University of Vermont Institute for AgroecologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IISC hosts the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge in partnership with the University of Vermont Institute for Agroecology (IFA). This partnership reflects the transition of Food Solutions New England (FSNE) from its longtime home at the University of New Hampshire to a new partnership with UVM IFA as of July 1, 2025. The Challenge continues as a nationally recognized learning experience for advancing racial equity in food systems.
• KAS ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025KAS Consulting, led by long-time Challenge co-leader Karen Spiller, partners with IISC in hosting the FSNE 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. Karen Spiller co-created the original food system-focused version of the Challenge along with Curtis Ogden and Johanna Rosen of Equity Trust.
• Boston FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston Foundation partnered with IISC to launch the original leadership cohorts for women of color executive directors and CEOs from 2020-2023, making possible three cohorts with 45 women of color leaders participating.
• Boston Women's FundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston Women's Fund co-funded the original leadership cohorts for women of color executive directors and CEOs from 2020-2023, supporting the pilot program design and delivery.
• Interaction AssociatesfoundationalOthersIISC was founded in 1993 by Interaction Associates as an expression of its commitment to social transformation and as a way of bringing its collaborative methodologies into the social sector. Interaction Associates remains a connected organization with its President (Barry Rosen) serving on IISC's Board.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TCC Group: Consulting firm focused on nonprofit and philanthropic effectiveness, offering strategy, evaluation, and capacity-building services. Comparable to IISC in serving foundations and mission-driven organizations with tailored consulting engagements.
• The Raben Group: Consulting and public affairs firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy organizations on strategy, communications, and equity-focused capacity building. Comparable client base and equity-centered consulting offerings.
• FSG: Global nonprofit consulting firm focused on social impact strategy, evaluation, and collective impact initiatives. Overlaps with IISC in serving foundations and networks on racial equity and systems-change consulting.
• Race Forward: National racial justice organization that provides training, research, and consulting on racial equity. Strongly comparable to IISC's Advancing Racial Justice in Organizations and racial equity training portfolio, though with a larger institutional footprint.
• Interaction Associates: Founding organization of IISC and a long-standing collaborator; Interaction Associates shares DNA in collaborative leadership methodologies. Barry Rosen (IA President) sits on IISC's Board, and the organizations share methodology and market overlap in facilitation/leadership training.
• Management Assistance Group (MAG): Provides consulting and capacity-building services to social justice nonprofits, foundations, and movements. Directly comparable to IISC in serving racial equity and progressive social change clients with custom consulting and leadership development offerings.
• BoardSource: Nonprofit organization that supports and promotes effective nonprofit governance and leadership. Comparable in providing training, resources, and consulting to mission-driven organizations on leadership and organizational effectiveness.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Nonprofit consulting and leadership development organization serving nonprofits, particularly those led by and serving communities of color. Strong overlap with IISC's leadership development and racial equity focus areas.

Emerging players

• ProInspire: Nonprofit focused on developing leaders of color in the social sector through fellowships and leadership programs. Comparable to IISC's Gathering to Rise cohort and racial-equity-centered leadership development mission.
• Just Outcomes: Boutique consulting firm specializing in racial equity, organizational change, and collaborative governance. Comparable niche specialization and customer base in foundations and mission-driven organizations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/interactioninstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interaction-institute-for-social-change
• Xx.com/iiscblog

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Interaction Institute for Social Change