Services for a Sustainable Future
Littlefoot Ventures collaborates with capital providers, philanthropists, nonprofits, and food brands and businesses, creating value for leaders in the food industry who aim to protect our planet and natural resources while making a profit and delighting customers.
Climate Messaging Mastery Course
As the world grapples with the urgent need to address the climate crisis, donors are increasingly seeking to support organizations that can demonstrate active shifts toward a more sustainable and equitable future. Nonprofits that can effectively position themselves as catalysts for climate-positive change will gain access to these significant new funding opportunities.
We created the 5-week Climate Messaging Mastery Course to empower food-focused nonprofit leaders with the essential skills needed to craft compelling impact narratives that resonate with climate-focused donors, creating a pathway to secure crucial funding that propels your mission forward. With the inaugural cohort complete, we are excited to welcome in the fall cohort in September 2024. Be sure to sign up here to be notified when sign ups open.
Best for:
- International Organizations and Nonprofits
- Family Offices, Foundations, and Investors
Coalition building & Stakeholder Engagement
At Littlefoot, we pride ourselves in connecting dots and closing gaps. Within our complex food system, we work to identify the essential stakeholder groups required to tackle specific issues and construct an authentic engagement strategy to foster alignment internally and externally.
We work to incorporate necessary stakeholders to each conversation in order to efficiently address the complex and various systemic changes necessary to uplift our food systems in order to mitigate climate change.
This work often complements our strategy design and philanthropic advising services, encompassing a range of activities, including stakeholder mapping, workshop design and facilitation, and coalition building. Utilizing Eva’s cultivated network from being in this industry for 16 years, we are dedicated to bringing the right voices together to drive positive change in the food industry.
Best for:
- Brands, Manufacturers & Ingredient Suppliers
- Family Offices, Foundations & Investors
- Foodservice, Restaurants & Grocer Retailers
- Individuals & Career Professionals
- International Organizations & Nonprofits
Fundraising Support & Philanthropic Advising
Philanthropic entities, such as foundations and family offices, have a special opportunity to play a pivotal role in bolstering nonprofits and social entrepreneurs who offer climate solutions that drive innovation and scale initiatives combating climate change. With a growing need for philanthropic dollars in the climate and food spaces, we want to serve as a resource of where these entities should be investing their dollars.
This advising can include nonprofits that may be at an impasse, feeling they’ve exhausted their current funding relationships within their specific impact area, leaving them unsure of how to tap into new funding avenues.
Eva, with a track record of successfully raising over $3 million in her career, hopes to partner with philanthropic entities and nonprofit organizations to navigate the ever-growing complexities of fundraising, grant-making, and philanthropic investments. Eva and her team work strategically to develop meaningful relationships and research and pursue grant opportunities with a higher likelihood of success, maximizing impact per dollar.
Our work together may include establishing a theory of change to ground philanthropic giving, auditing the impact of new or existing grant portfolios and educating trustees on a specific food topic to inform giving.
Best for:
- International Organizations & Nonprofits
- Family Offices, Foundations & Investors
Messaging & Impact Narrative Development
Crafting a compelling yet effective impact narrative and messaging strategy is necessary for the success of any organization, company, or individual looking to communicate their positive social and environmental impacts. Messaging and narrative development is important when it comes to aligning internally to work towards the same goal, and to communicate externally to ensure consumers understand the product or service they are interacting with. Effective communication can mean the difference between achieving your sustainability goals and falling short of your mission.
In today’s dynamic nonprofit landscape, effectively sharing your organization’s mission, values, and environmental impact is vital. We aim to help in developing a clear and authentic message that resonates with funders and potential partners. Our hope is to help nonprofits stay focused on their impactful work by researching grants, building donor relationships, and producing materials that could amplify external communications and fundraising.
In the corporate context, the need for impact narrative and messaging strategy is a growing essential as consumers become more conscious of what they are purchasing. Effective communication of sustainability initiatives helps to connect with consumers, investors, and partners, strengthening brand reputation and driving meaningful change. We want to assist in crafting tailored messages for a brand’s sustainability goals, enhancing corporate identity and mission.
Best for:
- International Organizations & Nonprofits
- Foodservice, Restaurants & Grocer Retailers
- Brands, Manufacturers & Ingredient Suppliers
Professional Development & Career Guidance
In addition to client work and larger projects, Eva offers a dedicated mentorship & job support package, and hourly consulting. Please see details below.
Whether it’s trying to figure out your first job out of college/graduate school, a full blown career change, a post-covid existential crisis, job loss, or maybe you even just want to think of new ways to meaningfully engage in your current role, this opportunity is for you.
What is it?
A dedicated 3-month sprint engagement working directly with internationally-recognized food systems expert Eva Goulbourne to brainstorm and strategize on your next career move within the food, climate and/or philanthropy space.Who is it for?
Anyone looking for thought partnership in making a career move big or small. For example: entry-level or mid-career professionals. Soon-to-be college graduates, graduate and masters students should also consider this opportunity.What will you get?
- Three (3) one-hour sessions (1 per month) to brainstorm on your professional narrative, review your resume together and generate ideas of jobs and organizations that may be of interest to you.
- If you are aiming to stay in your current role, we will use this time to plot out concrete opportunities for you to expand your sphere of knowledge and influence within your existing organization
- A dedicated monthly email with jobs and opportunities that may be of interest to you.
- For those looking to stay in your current role, this will include relevant reports, articles, events or contacts relevant and tailored to you.
- Email support during our time together to strategize on ideas and opportunities as they arise for you throughout the month.
- A guest post on the Littlefoot blog based on the topic of your choice to help establish yourself as a thought leader in the food space, to be published in the subsequent quarter after your sessions.
What is the investment?
$999 total that can be paid in full or in 3 installments.Sustainability Strategy Development
Having a sustainability strategy in place for any company or organization is only growing in importance as we get closer to 2030. Whether its food waste reduction, upcycling, supply chain efficiency, public policy, or any other facet of food systems, we aim to craft a comprehensive strategy aligned with our clients’ impact priorities. Our goal is to create a tangible implementation plan that contributes to the sustainability and longevity of the company.
Primarily tailored for food brands and retailers, our services encompass developing full corporate strategies or addressing specific sustainability and agricultural targets, including those related to the Sustainable Development Goals and recent COP commitments.
Collaboratively, we’ll either create new corporate sustainability strategies or review your existing ones. Our aim is to pinpoint areas where you can amplify your efforts, engage diverse stakeholders, enhance customer value, streamline your strategy, and foster greater collaboration.
Best for:
- Brands, Manufacturers & Ingredient Suppliers
- Foodservice, Restaurants & Grocer Retailers
Workshop Facilitation & Speaking Engagements
Eva Goulbourne, founder of Littlefoot Ventures, is an internationally recognized food systems expert and a skilled speaker and moderator for a variety of food and agri-tech events. With 16 years of experience in the food systems world in various capacities, Eva is able to speak on a variety of topics, moderate a panel of many conversations, or lead a workshop that caters to the mission of the conference and her expertise.
- Agricultural labor policy
- Climate smart agriculture
- Cold chain management
- Consumer engagement and cause marketing
- Food loss and waste
- Food policy
- Food technology
- Philanthropy and investment
- Sustainable packaging and date labels
- Upcycling