Helping those
who do good
do better
We believe that everybody wants to do better, but they don’t always know where to start. That’s where we come in. We bring purpose to the people, connecting progressive causes with the right citizens who are hungry to join forces and help change the world.
team players
values & results driven
digital experts
where it all
started -
We saw an industry that was desperate for digital capacity, underserved and overcharged by the current market. So we created Grassriots, a Canadian-based full-service digital agency working exclusively with nonprofit, charitable, union and social-sector organizations from all over the world. We bring the best in values-driven creative, digital marketing and strategic practices to organizations who share our passion and values for equity, reconciliation, justice and inclusivity.
Our philosophy
is simple
We believe that organizations shouldn’t have to choose between industry-leading strategy, creative and technology and values-driven ethical and accessible work. Grassriots is at the forefront of bridging these worlds, creating best-in-class work that works for everyone.
We’re sector experts who develop and optimize digital properties and brand messages to build experiences that audiences love. We then turn that audience love into quantifiable and undeniable impact — and we have fun doing it.
We’re certified
B Corp
This company meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact.
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Grassriots was certified in July, 2019 after a comprehensive evaluation process covering our operations and business model, and our impact on our workers, community, environment, and customers. Our certification as a B Corporation is a part of our ongoing commitment to investing in our workplace, our communities, and the nonprofit sector.
Grassriots is a
union shop
We’re proud to say that the Grassriots team is unionized and has joined the labour movement with CUPE.
Grassriots was born out of the progressive left. We saw a need and wanted to serve the nonprofit and charitable sector and we are looking forward to being able to deepen our work in this sector.
Together, we can support innovative campaigns, develop technology solutions, and tell powerful stories to move hearts and minds. It’s an exciting time to fight corporate greed, strengthen workers’ rights and provide the strategy, creative and digital infrastructure for the movement.
equal
opportunity -
Grassriots is an equity-seeking organization. People who identify as being from marginalized communities, including women, Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people identifying as LGBTQ2IA+, and people from low income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply to work with us.
The people behind
the process
Ryan Baillargeon
(he/him)
Founder
Ryan is a technologist whose passion for progressive change led him on a journey of discovery to understanding the role digital can play in organizing and campaigning. Working to mobilize people for cancer control, democratic reform, climate change, social justice, and anti-slavery causes, Ryan has helped organization bridge technology to help execute their theory of change. HIs approach is grounded in the ethos of people power: that at the right time, with the right people, and with the right tools, big systemic change is possible.
After serving as Technical Director for organizations like Leadnow, and WalkFree, Ryan was inspired to build Grassriots as a place where talented people could bring their passion, enthusiasm and expertise to social sectors organizations. Ryan hopes to continue to shape Grassriots as a place where innovation thrives and talent is built that is committed to building a better nonprofit sector.
Leah Henderson
(she/her)
Managing Director
LEAH IS A PASSIONATE FUNDRAISER and ORGANIZER with nearly 20 years of leadership experience that ranges from multi-tier campaign strategizing to rebuilding organizational equity structures through diversity and equity training. Utilizing small donor programs, major gifts, direct mail and telemarketing, Leah has led the development and execution of many successful campaigns, sourcing millions of dollars in fundraising for many organizations within the non-profit sector.
Leah is passionate about collaborating with clients to influence social change. Her approach is queer, feminist, and stems from a strong commitment to anti-oppression.
She has worked across issues, with a primary focus on anti-racism education, Indigenous Rights, Climate Justice and the intersections of those issues within the electoral and social justice spheres. Leah is a former director for Naomi Klein’s Climate Justice organization, The Leap, which served as a strategic advisor to organizations including Sunrise, Fight for $15 and Fairness, Justice Democrats, Momentum, and the Migrant Rights Network.
Johanna Lawrie
(she/her)
Director of Project Management
JOHANNA IS AN INNOVATIVE AND DILIGENT PROJECT MANAGER, with over 13 years of experience managing projects and events for non-profit organizations. Previously, she led performing arts companies and productions, honing her creative problem solving skills with small budgets and tight timelines. She enjoys collaborating with people who are passionate about the work, and together finding a way to make each opportunity a success.
As Director of Project Management, Jo is actively involved in all aspects of a project, supporting the project’s lead Project Manager and ensuring all team members are fully supported throughout the process.
Alex Flint
(he/him)
Director of Technology
ALEX IS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER with a decade of proven success building solutions to solve organizations’ technology challenges, and to better connect them with their supporters. His passion for progressive causes took him from a career with tech start-ups to working with organizations like Oxfam Canada, Unifor, and Amnesty International.
Software touches every aspect of our work, and Alex always aims to build sustainable, secure and reliable solutions to ensure that it continues working. From beautiful and engaging websites, to behind-the-scenes database synchronization, Alex’s work has powered millions of interactions between people and the causes they care about.
contact-
WE ACKNOWLEDGE that our work here takes place on the traditional and current Indigenous territories of the Anishinabek Nations, the Haudonsaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations, the Huron-Wendat and the Petun First Nations, among others.
