Our Work

01

Measuring the Impact of Federal Capital Access Programs: Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship | Hyphen Partnerships

• Project Scope: Launched in October 2022 by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE) aims to expand access to capital for underserved small businesses, particularly those owned by people of color. This national effort brings together stakeholders across the financial ecosystem, including the U.S. Treasury Department, state agencies, and small business owners. In January 2023, RBC was commissioned by Hyphen Partnership to support ongoing monitoring and evaluation during the pilot phase and conduct the final impact assessment.

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• Strategy & Impact: Discovery Phase & Theory of Change: RBC designed and facilitated interactive workshops and listening sessions with implementation partners and stakeholders, including state agencies and the U.S. Treasury. This informed the development of IIE’s theory of change.

  • Monitoring & Evaluation Framework: Using insights from the discovery phase, RBC established the evaluation framework, created a program dashboard, and coordinated a cross-organizational working group to monitor progress.

  • Midpoint Convening Facilitation: In January 2024, RBC facilitated a three-day partner convening to review outcomes, align priorities, and revisit the theory of change. This included designing breakout sessions and moderating group discussions.

  • Final Impact Evaluation & Recommendations: For the final evaluation, RBC analyzed program data, conducted interviews, and administered surveys, producing key findings and recommendations that will guide IIE’s transition to the Milken Institute.

02

English Learners Narrative & Messaging Project: Sobrato Philanthropies | Education Trust-West

Project Scope: In 2022, ResearchBuildConnect (RBC) partnered with Education Trust-West and Sobrato Philanthropies to develop a narrative and messaging strategy to challenge existing assumptions and promote asset-based approaches toward multilingual learners. The initiative focused on creating equity-centered messaging that highlighted the voices of K-12 English learners and dual language learners (EL/DLL).

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Strategy & Impact: RBC conducted an extensive review of literature, synthesized existing messaging materials, and interviewed key stakeholders, including educators, parents, advocates, and students. The research included the design and administration of a statewide representative survey, message testing, and audience segmentation. These efforts culminated in a comprehensive messaging guide distributed to education and advocacy organizations. The research uncovered prevailing narratives shaping attitudes toward multilingualism in California and identified opportunities to create an equity-driven narrative for EL/DLL students. Recommendations focused on engaging persuadable audiences and amplifying the voices of educators and students as spokespeople to build broader support for expanding dual and English language programs. These insights informed future programming and contributed to a published policy brief by Sobrato Philanthropies.

03

Community Development Fund Program Evaluation: ICA Fund

Project Scope: In November 2022, the ICA Fund engaged RBC to evaluate the impact of its small business advising and investment programs, with a focus on assessing progress toward reducing gender and racial wealth gaps.

Strategy & Impact:

• Evaluation Framework:
  The project was conducted in three phases:

  • A literature review examining best practices in small business advising and investment strategies.

  • Qualitative interviews with ICA-supported entrepreneurs to capture firsthand experiences and outcomes.

  • A statewide survey to gather quantitative insights into the program’s broader impact.

• Final Report & Dissemination:
  RBC delivered a comprehensive report outlining key findings and actionable recommendations, which were shared with ICA’s funders and stakeholders. The report highlighted program successes and areas for growth, serving as a blueprint for future initiatives. Results were also presented to ICA’s funders and stakeholders and published on ICA’s website, amplifying the program’s impact and transparency.

04

Understanding the Narrative Change Process: The Opportunity Agenda

Project Scope: As part of the Gates Foundation’s broader efforts to understand the mechanism that results in narrative change and what elements can be replicated across the field, The Opportunity Agenda received funding to conduct research to examine the communication efforts of advocates working to shift the narrative on a range of issue areas. 

Strategy & Impact: We designed case studies that examined advocates' efforts to reshape the narrative in six different issues areas. In all, we interviewed twenty-eight individuals whose input was critical to our understanding of how the narratives had changed over time.  For example, in the case of the death penalty, our interviewees include Bryan Stevenson, Sister Helen Prejean, and Richard Dieter, the founding director of the Death Penalty Information Center.  Their memories and analyses illuminated a four-decades-long process that moved American public opinion from strong support of the death penalty to its waning popularity today