Turning Ideas
Into Strategies

Radical Southern Strategies (RSS), LLC is a Latina-owned and women-led consulting firm that supports social impact organizations in the USA and Latin America to transform ideas into strategic initiatives.

"A vision without a strategy remains an illusion." Lee Bolman

The mission of Radical Southern Strategies is to transform the social justice sector into a well-resourced and more just ecosystem. We do this by working in partnership with social justice organizations to create and implement strategic interventions that amplify their impact and expand their reach.

We envision a social justice ecosystem that is interconnected, holistically well, and adequately resourced to create transformational change. We are visionary advocates in cultivating, shifting, and enriching mutually shaped communities.

RSS offers consulting services that address the root causes of systemic social problems in the areas of organizational development, evaluation, strategic planning, and fund development.

Our Services

Our work is rooted in social justice principles and practices with a Southern approach to research and development, which entails centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by oppression and building long-lasting relationships with our partners.

RSS works with nonprofit organizations and foundations in the Global South and the United States to increase their capacity to execute their mission effectively through innovation and creative thinking (in English and Spanish). Our services include:

Organizational Development

Planning, delivery, and execution of staff and board retreats
Planning, delivery, and execution of meetings and convenings
Board development and succession planning
Customized coaching and training sessions to improve organizational policies, processes, and practices

Fund Development

Prospect research and creation of funding prospect lists
Preparation of funding proposals, budgets, and other supporting documents
Development of fundraising strategies to increase revenues and diversify funding sources

Research, Evaluation & Strategy

Issue-specific research to scale-up programs
Creation and implementation of process and outcome evaluation plans
Development and implementation of strategic planning processes and grant-making strategies

Our Values

Equity

We promote justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources in the social justice sector and beyond.

Flexibility

We are committed to listening to our team members and partners to adapt our approaches to ever changing community needs and contexts.

Justice

We work to create and enhance just practices and systems that require accountability mechanisms that address and repair harm.

Intersectionality

We recognize how multiple identities (race and ethnicity, gender, immigration status, nationality, etc.) intersect and impact our everyday lives, and we strive to level the playing field by creating equitable strategies and solutions.

Rest

We promote rest as a practice needed to restore, heal and keep bringing joy to our work.

Trust

We bring honesty and humility to our work to build long-lasting relationships of trust with each other and with our partners

"Radical simply means grasping things at the root."

Angela Davis

Our Team

The RSS team brings over five decades of combined experience in the social justice sector. RSS has led nonprofit organizations through processes to develop strategies, design programs, and raise funds. We also bring deep expertise working with foundations to develop grantmaking strategies, strengthen their teams, and create equitable solutions.

Rosa Gómez-Herrin, Ph.D.

Founder & Principal

Rosa is a scholar, community advocate, organizer, writer, and strategist from the Global South. She has over twenty years of professional experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in the United States and Latin America. Rosa is a first-generation immigrant from Lima, Perú, and has spent the last 20+ years living and working in the U.S. Deep South. Her personal, academic, and professional experiences are rooted in a life-long commitment to social and racial justice. She is a Faculty Associate with the Nonprofit Leadership and Management Graduate program at Arizona State University. She oversees projects, partner relations, and long-term planning as the Founder and Principal of Radical Southern Strategies, LLC.

Wankeeta "Keeta" Jackson

Senior Advisor

Keeta is a writer, grant-maker, and healing justice advocate and practitioner. She is passionate about advancing social and racial justice for her and her community. Her perspective on healing work is just one of many to mean holding space and serving as a guide for others to own their individual healing process and then extending that wisdom outward toward collective healing and care. As the Senior Advisor for Radical Southern Strategies, LLC, she is responsible for providing specialized expertise in support of the company’s mission. Keeta is the Founder and CEO of Jackson Magnolia Consulting, a firm that specializes in supporting social justice organizations in their journey toward creating liberated communities through the lens of healing justice.

Rebecka Bihm Lester

Senior Consultant

Rebecka is an author, advocate, and fierce ally in the social justice movement. As a lifelong resident of the Deep South, Rebecka has a passion for direct service programming and is intentional about bridging the gap between mission and delivery. She also is a published children’s book author, with her works focusing on cultural diversity advancement and inclusion. As a Senior Consultant with Radical Southern Strategies, LLC, Rebecka provides hands-on facilitation, leads research projects, and develops customized training modules to support partners in developing and implementing effective strategies to ensure racial and social equity.

Lila Brustad

Development Consultant

Lila is a researcher and writer from the Gulf Coast dedicated to abolitionist movements and inclusive, anti-oppressive education. She has worked with nonprofits in the US and UK in research, fundraising, strategic initiatives, and communications. She specializes in services for organizations that support justice-impacted people and people on the margins of medical care. In addition to her work with nonprofits, her academic and artistic work strives to fight structural injustices. As a Development Consultant at RSS, Lila writes compelling narratives for letters of inquiry, proposals, and other opportunities. She works with nonprofit partners to understand their organization and desired voice.

What Our Partners Say

"Since early 2022, the RSS team has supported my organization with fundraising, grant writing, and organizational development. It is a pleasure to work with a dedicated team of women that believe in my vision and always operate with integrity. I highly recommend this consulting firm to social justice organizations that are looking to grow and expand."

Zahara Bassett

Founder & CEO

Life IS Work

"I have been working with Rosa since 2019. She and her team have been instrumental in the growth and expansion of our work. The RSS team has supported us with program development, evaluation, research, training, and strategic planning. I am grateful for their unwavering support and commitment to our mission."

Naquasia Pollard

Founder & Executive Director

Pure Legacee Inc

"RSS is providing the support our organization needs to be successful. We now have the opportunity to learn and improve our policies and operations. Rosa's support is priceless. She helps us see the light and find the way when we think there is no solution. Many can say that they represent the immigrant community, but few are true representatives and messengers like Rosa who speaks about our struggles from a place of honesty and justice."

Leticia Casildo,