Roots of Justice

What Roots of Justice does

Roots of Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers anti-racism training and consulting to a diverse client base spanning religious institutions, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, other nonprofits, and individuals. Its core offering is the Damascus Road Antiracism Process, a proprietary curriculum developed and refined over more than two decades that underpins its workshops, consulting engagements, and educational programming. The organization was established in 2012 as a spin-off from the Mennonite Central Committee and retains strong ties to Mennonite and Anabaptist faith communities while actively broadening its reach to secular and institutional clients.

The organization operates with a small team comprising approximately twelve trainers, Co-Directors, an Acting Executive Director, and an Accountability Council. Roots of Justice generates revenue primarily through workshop and consulting fees, supplemented by charitable donations and a BIPOC Scholarship Fund designed to broaden participation in its programming. Its trainers each bring twenty or more years of facilitation experience, which constitutes the principal expertise moat underlying the curriculum. Service delivery has historically been in-person and workshop-based, anchored in faith-community networks inherited from its Mennonite Central Committee origins.

In recent years, Roots of Justice has pursued deliberate expansion of its service surface. It has added a virtual training delivery channel to extend geographic reach, introduced a law enforcement vertical to diversify beyond faith-based clients, and launched an executive coaching add-on layered on top of the core curriculum. In 2023, the organization transitioned from a single Executive Director structure to a Co-Director leadership model paired with a modest $10,000 sustainability fundraising effort. The organization remains small, project-based, and human-facilitation-led rather than technology-led, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or technology platform component.

Name

Roots of Justice

Legal name

Roots of Justice, Inc.

Website

https://rootsofjusticetraining.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Roots of Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers anti-racism training and consulting through the Damascus Road Antiracism Process, serving religious institutions, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Racism Training & Consulting

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Anti-racism training
• Diversity workshops
• Racial equity consulting
• Social justice education
• Equity facilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Roots of Justice relies heavily on donations from supporters. The organization is recognized as tax-exempt under IRS code 501(c)(3) and gifts may be tax deductible.
2. Training and Workshop Fees: Revenue generated from workshop and retreat offerings ranging from 3 hours to weekend-long intensives for individuals and institutions.
3. Consulting and Executive Coaching: Fees from executive coaching and consultation services provided to organizations following training.
4. BIPOC Scholarship Fund: Sponsors can contribute to sponsor BIPOC participants' training fees as a means of reparations and solidarity. White participants are invited to give to this fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roots of Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers anti-racism training, workshops, retreats, and consulting services. Its flagship offering, the Damascus Road Antiracism Process, is a structured curriculum used by congregations, schools, police departments, and other institutions to build internal capacity for racial equity work. The organization also designs custom facilitation engagements and consulting projects for organizations seeking to address systemic racism.

Product overview

Roots of Justice offers a comprehensive suite of anti-racism training and consulting services. The core offerings include Workshops and Retreats (ranging from 3-hour sessions to weekend-long intensives), the Roots of Justice Antiracism Process (foundational training curriculum), Set Free, and Fire & Clay. These are complemented by Executive Coaching and Consulting services for individuals and organizations seeking to continue their justice journey. The organization also provides educational content through its Resources (blog, articles, videos) and the RACISM IS REAL Dialogue Series—a Facebook Live video series. Financial support is available through the BIPOC Scholarship Fund to sponsor underrepresented participants. All offerings work together to provide strategies and tools for educating, organizing, and renewing persons, institutions, and systems for liberation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Roots of Justice Antiracism Process: The organization's foundational antiracism analysis training program
• Set Free
• Fire & Clay
• RACISM IS REAL Dialogue Series
• BIPOC Scholarship Fund

Products and services

• Damascus Road Antiracism Process A structured, multi-session anti-racism training curriculum originating in 1995, designed to equip institutions and groups with frameworks and practices for racial equity work. Used by churches, schools, police departments, and community organizations.
• Custom Anti-Racism Workshops and Retreats Facilitated workshops and retreats tailored to the racial equity needs of specific institutions, including faith communities, schools, and civic organizations. Designed to build shared language, awareness, and action plans among participants.
• Racial Equity Consulting Organizational consulting engagements that help institutions assess their racial climate, develop equity strategies, and implement structural changes. Targeted at leadership teams and change agents within client organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• BIPOC participants do not leave training feeling exhausted, unsupported, or angry - the space is generative and supportive for people of color
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mosaic Mennonite ConferencecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 August 2023Mosaic Mennonite Conference sponsored the 'expanding our vision FOR Peaceable Communities' Racism Is Real dialogue event. The conference is also listed as a client and key institutional partner in Roots of Justice's work.
• Bookshop.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoots of Justice is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and receives commission on book purchases made through their recommended reading list. The bookstore features trainer recommendations on anti-racism and justice topics.
• Mennonite Central Committee Central StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical roots as program of MCC U.S.; Damascus Road Antiracism Process founded as MCC initiative in 1995. MCC Central States staff (Michelle Armster) serve as trainers. Organization spun off from MCC in 2012 but maintains close collaborative relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond: A New Orleans-based nonprofit offering anti-racism training and organizing through the 'Undoing Racism' workshop. One of the oldest anti-racism training organizations in the US, directly comparable to Roots of Justice in mission, methodology, and customer base.
• Interaction Institute for Social Change: Boston-based organization that designs anti-racism and equity workshops, coaching, and organizational change programs. Directly comparable in delivering systemic anti-racism training to institutions and nonprofits.
• Racial Equity Institute: A North Carolina-based organization that conducts anti-racism training and workshops, including the well-known 'Groundwater Approach' workshops. Directly comparable as an independent anti-racism training provider serving similar institutional buyers (government, education, nonprofits).
• Center for Racial Justice in Education: New York-based organization providing anti-racism training and consulting primarily to schools and education institutions. Directly comparable in mission and customer base, particularly Roots of Justice's education segment.
• Crossroads Antiracism & Training: Chicago-based organization offering anti-racism training, organizational consulting, and coaching. Directly competes with Roots of Justice in the Midwest and is similarly rooted in faith-based communities (it is connected to Mennonite institutions as well).
• AORTA (Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance): A worker-owned cooperative that provides anti-oppression facilitation, training, and consulting. Directly comparable as a values-driven anti-racism training provider serving nonprofits, faith communities, and social movements.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: A global nonprofit focused on advancing women and DEI in workplaces, providing training, consulting, and research. A broader incumbent in the DEI training space with overlapping institutional clients (corporations, universities) but a much wider portfolio.
• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): A national network of chapters and individuals organizing for racial justice. Broader scope and movement orientation than Roots of Justice but adjacent in anti-racism training and education, including similar faith-community engagement.

Emerging players

• Equity in the Center: A nonprofit that works with social-sector organizations to advance racial equity, producing research, toolkits, and training. Comparable as a research-and-training focused racial equity organization with similar social-sector clients.
• Coming to the Table: A national organization focused on descendants of enslaved people and enslavers addressing the legacy of slavery. Comparable as a descendants-led anti-racism training provider with a faith and community engagement component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/RootsOfJusticeInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1vjM9nX5J5qJNV5r6dRxIg
• Facebookfacebook.com/RootsOfJusticeInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roots-of-justice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Roots of Justice