Working Solutions is a certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) that is the First to Believe in start-up and early-stage businesses by providing diverse entrepreneurs with affordable capital, customized business consulting, and community connections to increase economic opportunity.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the Bay Area-focused CDFI found itself at an important organizational crossroads, seeing the opportunity for growth beyond the Bay Area. The organization wanted to approach the growth thoughtfully and examine how to remain relevant and market responsive as a microlender seeking greater scale at a critical time for the organization and in the larger CDFI industry. Working Solutions looked to reimagine its business model as online lenders and other market forces created changes in the lending landscape. LEH led the organization through a facilitated journey to arrive at a five-year strategic plan that outlined a clear path for growth in programs, operations, and capitalization. Working Solutions adopted the strategic plan and achieved its ambitious goals for growth. The organization then invited LEH back five years later to support the development of the next strategic plan. By then, organization leaders recognized growth had ushered in an important opportunity to step back and re-examine the fundamentals. LEH supported the development of a theory of change along with a refreshed organizational identity to align with the CDFI’s dynamic new reality.