We Are Not Broken: Turning "Her Future Now" into an Earned Revenue Stream

Nonprofits play a critical role in addressing the most pressing social issues in our communities, working in a space between the red tape of government bureaucracy and the profit-driven mindsets of corporations. However, many nonprofits struggle to sustain their operations due to limited funding sources. Traditional models all point to philanthropy as the key way to raise funds, but earned revenue models are on the rise as people become accustomed to nonprofits getting capital in return for services or products as long as it contributes to their mission.

An earned revenue stream is a source of income that a nonprofit generates by selling goods or services. It can allow for less reliance on donations and grants as well as unrestricted funding to support growth. At SVP Austin, we specialize in helping nonprofits find the right applications for earned revenue. One example is our recent work with We Are Not Broken and their workshop Her Future Now.

We Are Not Broken is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas, that is dedicated to empowering women and girls who have experienced physical or emotional trauma by helping them turn their scars into beautiful photographs and stories they can proudly own. The organization provides support and resources to help these women and girls heal and rebuild their lives.

We Are Not Broken’s model had plateaued and its founder, Nic Cotta, wanted to expand. This is where SVP Austin stepped in to help. Nic describes her experience:

"To date I've had 2 meetings with SVP Austin and their advisory services have far exceeded my expectations.  They were able to help me analyze several potential Earned Revenue Programs and select the “Her Future Now” workshop as the one most likely to succeed. Less than a week later, I launched it!  I'm looking forward to working more with SVP Austin to expand what I'm confident will be a great resource for the young women of Austin!"

Her Future Now is workshop designed to help young women ages 11-14 build self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills. The workshop is designed to be a transformative experience that empowers young women to overcome adversity and become future leaders. Through a series of engaging and interactive sessions, they provide girls with the tools and resources they need to confidently navigate their adolescent years and beyond.

Rob Dye, Head of Advisory Services at SVP Austin, commented:

"We led We Are Not Broken through a collaborative assessment of three mission aligned Earned Revenue opportunities. Using a proprietary scoring framework, we quickly identified "Her Future Now" as the one most likely to succeed and generate meaningful social impact.”

Often times, an earned revenue stream can seem too complicated or too out of reach for a nonprofit that is already spending all of its resources driving impact through its core programs. However, a lot of times the opportunity is hiding in plain sight. Her Future Now is a great example of how a service that a nonprofit already provides can be turned into a fee-for-service situation - with the target for this specific workshop being schools and other organizations.

Have you had your eyes on earned revenue as an additional revenue stream for your nonprofit? SVP Austin is here to help! We offer pro bono advising services for nonprofits/social enterprises, from specific earned revenue ideation to general strategy and business operations. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you reach your impact goals (or help define them)!

And if you have a daughter ages 11-14, please consider checking out Her Future Now!