Introducing Roots of Purpose: Where Story Meets Strategy
Hi! Tristan here, founder of Roots of Purpose.
Since 2022, we've had the privilege of working with incredible nonprofits, foundations, and charities across Canada, providing communications support, strategy development, community engagement, and more. But, until today, we haven't shared much about our journey publicly.
Over the past year, we have significantly evolved the approach we bring to our work. What we’ve learned has been instrumental in shaping how we support others, and so we hope what we share offers you some helpful insights, too!
The shift in how we work was sparked by a question that kept coming up in discussions with clients and partners: Where do stories and storytelling fit within mission-driven work?
So, we dedicated ourselves to exploring that question. Embracing our principle of ‘learning as we grow’ to put on our research hats, open ourselves to new ideas, and reimagine how we, as consultants, could best help good people do great work that leads to lasting impact.
At the core of what we found is a simple belief:
Every organization possesses a unique story: a living system shaped by past challenges and successes, inspired by the communities we serve, and reflective of the impact we’ve created.
When we unearth and connect to these stories, we make sense of where we’ve been and what we've learned. From this beautiful formula, something powerful emerges: a clarified understanding of purpose and direction.
This theory of change is central to what we do at Roots of Purpose: helping nonprofits draw strength from their unique stories to clarify direction, communicate with confidence, and develop strategies that lead to lasting impact—grounded in story and guided by purpose.
Navigating the storm of the present day
Working in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing nonprofit sector can feel like navigating a small ship in a big storm. From resource constraints to operational pressures, information overload and socio-political uncertainty, we have to work harder than ever just to stay afloat.
In that necessary scramble to overcome the chaos around us, it's easy to lose sight of where we’re going, slowly drifting away from what brought us to the present moment.
Without that grounding, external forces—such as new funders' priorities, political pressures, or crisis-driven demands—can start steering us in directions that don't align with our mission.
The result: we become reactive rather than responsive, following paths that may feel urgent but may not align with our authentic story, leading to a disconnection from purpose. In this space, explaining who we are and where we’re going can become increasingly difficult.
And when nonprofit sector organizations struggle, so do the communities that rely on us.
Finding our map and compass to navigate uncertainty
To navigate uncertainty, we need clarity. That's where story and purpose can shine as critical tools, keeping us on track, acting as the map and compass to guide us through the storm.
With your story as a map to make sense of where you’ve been, what it all means and what you're ready to take on next, and purpose as your compass to point the way forward to where you need to go, helping you stay on course even when conditions change.
These aren't the only tools you need, but they're foundational for navigating uncertainty with confidence, connecting who you are, with where you’ve been, toward where you need to go.
When you're grounded in your story and guided by your purpose, the impact extends across your work. Messaging resonates because it's rooted in real experience. Teams align around shared understanding. Strategic decisions emerge from who you actually are.
This is where Roots of Purpose can help you along your journey. We meet you wherever you are, flowing with your story, listening to your needs, exploring what's possible.
Through our collaborative approach, we help you clarify your story and purpose, and use both to develop adaptive strategies through problem-solving and long-term planning, communications work and narrative development, community engagement, and more.
Where do we go from here?
Much of what we’ve shared here is the result of years of work and thoughtful reflection—and honestly, it's hard to capture all of it in a single blog post.
We're still learning and growing through this work. Every organization's story is different. Every challenge requires its own approach. And through it all, we continue to refine our craft by challenging our understanding and staying curious about what's possible.
If you're working toward positive social impact and believe that connecting more deeply with your story could help you navigate forward, we're here to help.
Every collaboration starts with a conversation. We can’t wait to hear your story!
