Active Voice Lab
Active Voice Lab is a nonprofit consulting organization that helps funders, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations maximize the social impact of creative media through proprietary frameworks and direct strategic consulting engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Active Voice Lab does
Active Voice Lab is a nonprofit consulting organization that helps funders, advocates, filmmakers, and other social-change leaders maximize the social impact of creative media. The organization operates as a project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, and serves three primary segments: philanthropic funders and foundations seeking to measure the impact of their media investments; independent documentary filmmakers navigating funder relationships and impact campaigns; and advocacy organizations using storytelling to advance social causes. Notable clients and partners include Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Participant Media, FRONTLINE, PBS, Center for Investigative Reporting, and Doc Society.
The organization's core offerings are methodological frameworks and consulting services rather than technology products. Flagship frameworks include the Horticulture metaphor (Rakes, Trowels, Shovels, Wheelbarrows, Trellises, Sprinklers) for categorizing media by social impact function, the Ecosystem of Change model for mapping story contributions to social movements, the How Do We Know resource library for evaluating media impact, and Prenups for Partners, which provides guidelines for filmmaker-funder collaborations. The ACTivate tool is an interactive planning instrument that helps clients align objectives, partnerships, and distribution for media-fueled initiatives. The firm distributes most of these frameworks freely via its website as part of a field-building strategy, while monetizing through direct consulting engagements and research services.
The business model is professional services revenue, structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded primarily through foundation grants and philanthropic contributions rather than equity investment. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; consulting engagements are tailored to each client. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales through direct relationships with foundations, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations, supplemented by content marketing, peer referral, and convening at industry events. The organization is intentionally small (1-10 employees) and is operated by Director Ellen Schneider with support from a network of advisors and evaluation partners including Community Science and the HDWK/Learn network.
Active Voice Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Voice Lab
- Legal name
- Active Voice Lab
- Website
- https://activevoice.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Active Voice Lab is a nonprofit consulting organization that helps funders, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations maximize the social impact of creative media through proprietary frameworks and direct strategic consulting engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Active Voice Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Consulting & Media Strategy Advisory
- NAICS
- Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms (BPAMALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA)
Keywords
Where Active Voice Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Active Voice Lab 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: Direct consulting engagements with funders, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations to help heighten the impact of media-fueled initiatives, grantmaking, or story-based projects. Working closely with client teams to bring strategic knowledge.
- Research & Evaluation: Research services distilling trends based on decades of hands-on experience. Evaluation partnerships with organizations like Community Science to assess media project outcomes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Active Voice Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Voice Lab provides strategic consulting and proprietary frameworks that help funders, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations plan, execute, and evaluate media-fueled social-impact campaigns. Its flagship methodologies — ACTivate (an interactive campaign-planning tool), How Do We Know (an impact-assessment framework), Prenups for Partners (filmmaker-funder partnership guidelines), and the Horticulture metaphor (Rakes, Trowels, Shovels, Wheelbarrows, Trellises, Sprinklers) — are applied through bespoke engagements supported by research and convening work such as ImpactExplored and Ask the Evaluators!.
Product overview
Active Voice Lab is a consulting organization that conceives, street-tests, and shares tools that increase the social impact of creative content. Their core offerings include the ACTivate interactive planning tool, the How Do We Know framework for impact assessment, the Prenups for Partners guidelines for filmmaker-funder relationships, and the Horticulture Tools framework (Rakes, Trowels, Shovels, Wheelbarrows, Trellises, Sprinklers). They provide consulting and research services, and have launched the new ImpactExplored initiative (2024-25) focused on interrogating the meaning of impact in filmmaking. The Ask the Evaluators! series provides practical evaluation guidance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ACTivate: An interactive consulting plan that helps align objectives, partnerships, and distribution for media projects.
- How Do We Know
- ImpactExplored
- Horticulture
Products and services
- ACTivate Interactive planning framework that helps funders, advocates, creatives, and other leaders align their objectives, partnerships, and distribution strategies for media-fueled social-impact initiatives, delivered through consulting engagements with foundations, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations.
- Prenups for Partners Workshops, presentations, and guidelines that identify common issues and propose solutions to help filmmakers and funders work together more effectively, covering visions and expectations, roles and participation, and business and legal issues.
- How Do We Know Framework providing practical suggestions for assessing and maximizing the impact of creative media over time, including evaluation methodologies and questions to ask about impact, supported by the How Do We Know Resources library and the Ask the Evaluators! series.
- Horticulture Tools Metaphorical framework of storytelling tools — Rakes (broad engagement), Trowels (deep advocacy), Shovels (investigative truth-seeking), Wheelbarrows (narrative transport), Trellises (movement support), and Sprinklers (participatory platforms) — used to categorize media by social-impact function and to guide media makers, funders, and allies in impact decisions.
- Consulting Services Bespoke strategic consulting services helping foundations, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations heighten the impact of media-fueled initiatives, grantmaking, or story-based projects, working closely with client teams to develop or refine strategies.
- Research Research services distilling trends based on decades of hands-on experience using television, movies, digital, and place-based storytelling to contribute to social movements, including evaluation partnerships with organizations such as Community Science.
- ImpactExplored A 2024–25 initiative inviting established and new leaders in the field to one-on-one conversations and small group discussions to interrogate the current state and future of "impact" in filmmaking, addressing questions around impact campaigns and measurable outcomes.
- Ask the Evaluators! A series exploring real-world assessment of recent media projects, offering practical advice on what can be measured and good questions to ask, featuring case studies and contributions from HDWK/Learn evaluation experts.
Quantifiable outcome
- Policy change: California bill requiring sexual harassment prevention training for farmworkers signed into law (September 2014) following Rape in the Fields campaign
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Active Voice Lab
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Active Voice Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Active Voice Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Community SciencecoreCommunity Science served as the external evaluator for Active Voice Lab's Ecosystem of Change model, conducting multiple evaluations of media campaigns including The New Americans, Welcome to Shelbyville, and subsequent projects. The partnership helped develop rigorous evaluation methodologies for measuring media impact.
- Doc Society (formerly BRITDOC)coreDoc Society uses The Prenups framework extensively with filmmakers and recommends it to first-time filmmakers. They also partnered on Gasland impact case study and publish the Impact Field Guide.
- Harmony InstitutecoreHarmony Institute partnered on research analyzing Gasland's impact on public attention, social media discussion, and policy change. Conducted academic research on how the documentary influenced anti-fracking mobilization.
- Norman Lear CentercoreNorman Lear Center at USC conducted research on media impact including the Contagion study. Their Managing Director Johanna Blakley contributed the 'Ask the Evaluators!' post on evaluating Wheelbarrows.
- HDWK/Learn NetworkcoreHDWK/Learn is an advisory network of evaluation experts contributing to the 'Ask the Evaluators!' series. Members include Dr. Jessica Sperling, Dr. Kien Lee, Dr. Lindsay Green-Barber, and others who provide expertise on assessing media impact.
- Sundance InstitutecoreSundance Institute's Documentary Film Program collaborated on Prenups development. Richard Ray Perez, Director of Creative Partnerships, served on The Prenups advisory team. Photo credit from Sundance Institute Stories of Change Lab.
- Black Public MediaminorBlack Public Media contributed to The Prenups initiative through Denise Greene, Director of Program Initiatives, and Leslie Fields-Cruz, Executive Director.
- Center for Investigative ReportingcoreCenter for Investigative Reporting was the lead producer of Rape in the Fields documentary, partnered with FRONTLINE and Univision. They conducted the campaign including Solutions Summit with lawmakers and advocates.
- FRONTLINEcoreFRONTLINE broadcast Rape in the Fields to 3.3 million viewers, providing major distribution platform for the investigative documentary.
- Center for Human Rights Legal Action (CALDH)coreCALDH used Granito film excerpts to convince Guatemalan Attorney General to pursue Ríos Montt genocide case. The film became key evidence in the trial.
- Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA)coreCJA used Granito excerpts to build case before Spanish National Court which issued indictment for Ríos Montt.
- Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI)coreOSJI used Granito to convince judges and jurists from Latin America to become observers in the Ríos Montt trial in Guatemala.
- Welcoming AmericacoreWelcoming America was a key partner on the Welcome to Shelbyville campaign. Active Voice Lab's work contributed to the organization's growth and expansion nationwide.
- BeCause FoundationminorBeCause Foundation partnered on Welcome to Shelbyville video modules including 'Building a Nation of Neighbors' and 'Hawo's Dinner Party'.
- Brookings InstitutionminorBrookings Institution hosted the policy premiere for Welcome to Shelbyville documentary, providing platform for high-level policy discussions.
- Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and RefugeesminorGCIR was a partner organization on the Welcome to Shelbyville campaign supporting immigrant integration work.
- ITVScoreITVS (Independent Television Service) is a distribution partner for documentaries including Welcome to Shelbyville through public television broadcasting.
- Community InitiativescoreActive Voice Lab is a project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides fiscal sponsorship and administrative infrastructure.
- SenArt FilmscoreSenArt Films produced Kids for Cash documentary. Active Voice worked with the film from earliest production stages to craft impact campaign strategy.
- Juvenile Law CentercoreKey partner in Kids for Cash campaign. Dozens of juvenile justice organizations were trained to use the film in their advocacy work.
- Participant MediacoreProducer of The Visitor. Active Voice organized sneak previews in 20 cities and built community engagement campaigns around immigrant detention issues.
- Palm CenterminorThink-tank focused on military issues that provided outreach grant for Ask Not screenings targeting veterans, youth, and voters.
- PBS Independent LenscorePBS Independent Lens provided national broadcast platform for Ask Not documentary, reaching 500,000+ viewers.
- American Experience (PBS)coreAmerican Experience broadcast Freedom Riders documentary which became their most-watched show in 2011 with 3 million viewers.
- Kartemquin FilmsminorGordon Quinn from Kartemquin Films served as Chief Consultant for Filmmaking on The Prenups initiative.
- Rada Film GroupminorMichéle Stephenson and Joe Brewster from Rada Film Group contributed to The Prenups initiative as advisors.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Active Voice Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Participant Media: Participant produces socially relevant films and runs impact campaigns in-house. Active Voice Lab previously ran The Visitor campaign with Participant, illustrating overlapping capabilities in impact strategy for issue-driven content.
- ITVS (Independent Television Service): ITVS funds, produces, and distributes independent documentary content for public television and is a distribution partner for Active Voice Lab-supported films. A broader incumbent in the same social-impact documentary ecosystem.
- POV (American Documentary): POV is PBS's flagship documentary series with community engagement campaigns tied to film broadcasts. Active Voice Lab's Director previously worked at POV, and the two organizations overlap in facilitating impact engagement around social-issue films.
- Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program: Sundance's Documentary Film Program provides grants, labs, and creative partnerships to impact filmmakers. They advised on The Prenups and are a broader incumbent serving the same filmmaker-funder ecosystem with greater financial scale.
Direct peers
- Doc Society: Doc Society (formerly BRITDOC) is a direct peer providing impact strategy, fellowships, and the Impact Field Guide for documentary filmmakers. They partner with Active Voice Lab on Prenups and co-published impact resources, serving the same funder/filmmaker constituency.
- Fledgling Fund: The Fledgling Fund supports multimedia impact campaigns for social-issue documentaries, including Welcome to Shelbyville with Active Voice Lab. They are a thematic peer in funding and producing impact strategies for independent film.
- Harmony Institute: Harmony Institute analyzes media impact on social mobilization and policy change, directly overlapping with Active Voice Lab's research services. They partnered on the Gasland impact case study and bring academic-grade evaluation to entertainment media.
- Center for Investigative Reporting: CIR is a nonprofit investigative newsroom producing documentaries like Rape in the Fields in partnership with Active Voice Lab. They engage in impact campaigns for investigative journalism, closely overlapping in model and constituency.
Emerging players
- StoryShift: StoryShift is a practitioner field-building initiative focused on narrative strategy for social change. It is an emerging player in the same impact-strategy ecosystem with partial overlap in training and field convening.
Others
- Ford Foundation JustFilms: Ford Foundation's JustFilms program is a major funder of documentary impact work and supported Active Voice Lab's projects. As a foundation programmatic activity rather than a consultancy, it sits adjacent as both client and ecosystem shaper.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Active Voice Lab social profiles
Digital presenceActive Voice Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Voice Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Active Voice Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Voice Lab 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 Active Voice Lab
What does Active Voice Lab do?
Active Voice Lab provides strategic consulting and proprietary frameworks that help funders, filmmakers, and advocacy organizations plan, execute, and evaluate media-fueled social-impact campaigns. Its flagship methodologies — ACTivate (an interactive campaign-planning tool), How Do We Know (an impact-assessment framework), Prenups for Partners (filmmaker-funder partnership guidelines), and the Horticulture metaphor (Rakes, Trowels, Shovels, Wheelbarrows, Trellises, Sprinklers) — are applied through bespoke engagements supported by research and convening work such as ImpactExplored and Ask the Evaluators!.
Is Active Voice Lab a public or private company?
Active Voice Lab is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Active Voice Lab founded?
Active Voice Lab was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Active Voice Lab based?
Active Voice Lab is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Active Voice Lab make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are research & Evaluation.
Who are Active Voice Lab's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Participant Media, ITVS (Independent Television Service), POV (American Documentary) and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. Direct peers are Doc Society, Fledgling Fund, Harmony Institute and Center for Investigative Reporting. StoryShift is listed as an emerging player. Ford Foundation JustFilms is listed as an others.
Does Active Voice Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Voice Lab.
What industry is Active Voice Lab in?
Active Voice Lab's product category is Social Impact Consulting & Media Strategy Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAO, PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAAAGAA, Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design. Its NAICS code is 541613 and its SIC code is 8742.