Social Impact Vision
Raise the Baseline
Cathy Dimarchos, Founder of Raise the Baseline
“No matter where you are based, no matter where you are born you deserve to live the life you dream of.”
Raise the Baseline
A Journey of Shared Vision and Purpose
Every journey starts with a spark. Sometimes it's a quiet nudge, sometimes a bold idea. For me, this chapter began in 2014, when my 17-year-old daughter, with her heart set on making a meaningful difference, decided to dedicate time after school to charity work. Her search for purpose led her to Tanzania and I knew in my heart that this was a path we were meant to walk together.
What we encountered there was far more than an experience; it was an awakening. The richness of connection, the depth of humanity, and the harsh realities faced by so many etched themselves into our hearts. It wasn’t just a trip. It was a mirror held up to our lives, reflecting what truly matters.
But returning home wasn’t easy. The comfort of our day-to-day life clashed with the rawness of what we had seen. Grief, disbelief, and a sense of responsibility weighed heavily. Yet, within that discomfort, we found clarity.
We realised that creating impact isn’t about grand gestures, it’s about consciously raising the baseline. It’s about questioning how we live, what we value, and how our actions ripple across the world. And from this reflection, the vision for Raise the Baseline was born. A commitment to bridge gaps, create access, and ensure that positive change becomes a legacy, not a moment.
This is not just our journey. It is an invitation for others to rise with us.
Our Mission
Raise the Baseline exists to bridge global gaps by creating access, fostering connection, and empowering conscious contribution. We are committed to transforming awareness into action, ensuring that positive change becomes a shared legacy not a fleeting moment.
Create Lasting Impact
Lasting impact begins with education, empowerment, and access. Raise the Baseline is our commitment to uplifting communities by delivering purpose-built programs that equip women, youth, and marginalized groups with the knowledge, skills, and tools to thrive. Through values-led leadership development, financial literacy, emotional resilience, and practical training, we create spaces where individuals can grow and communities can rise.
By building a solid foundation of essential skills, we also cultivate the mindset needed to break generational patterns, stay rooted in culture, and inspire others to rise alongside them. Creating a ripple effect of lasting impact.
YOUTH - OUR FUTURE GENERATION
Empowering Youth to Lead with Purpose
We believe that meaningful change starts with empowering the next generation. Our youth programs are designed to cultivate awareness, build leadership skills, and inspire conscious action.
We equip young people with the tools, experiences, and global perspectives they need to understand their impact, bridge social and economic gaps, and become ethical leaders who create lasting change.
By connecting youth to real-world challenges and fostering a sense of shared responsibility, we’re not just raising future leaders, we’re raising the baseline for humanity.
WOMEN
Empowering Women Through Financial Literacy and Economic Participation
We recognise that empowering women is key to creating sustainable and inclusive communities. Our programs focus on equipping women with critical financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, and business acumen, giving them the confidence and capability to make informed financial decisions, support their families, and contribute meaningfully to local economies.
Through tailored workshops, mentorship, and practical training, we create pathways for women to gain economic independence, break cycles of poverty, and drive generational change. This is more than education; it’s about creating equity, building resilience, and raising the baseline for women to thrive, lead, and uplift their communities.
COMMUNITIES
Empowering people to build empowered communities
We work at the intersection of community, government and people. Our approach not only empowers individuals but also benefits entire communities, we focus on social impact.
As communities rise, they become champions of positive change, leading with integrity and inspiring others to break generational patterns.
Through this ripple effect, we create a collective movement toward empowerment and progress. We believe that when communities are equipped with knowledge, tools, and trust, they unlock their own capacity to lead lasting transformation.
Raise the Baseline
Raise the Baseline Projects and Partners
Discover how Raise the Baseline is creating real impact on the ground. See the projects changing lives and shifting futures.
How you can become a Partner or Contributer
Ready to turn your purpose into impact? Become part of a grassroots movement transforming communities from the inside out
Key Focus
Behind every successful socioeconomic environment is a strong support system. We sit at the intersection of government, community and people to bring about generational change.
Community
Collaboration isn’t just a natural skill, it’s intentionally built. We work with individuals, educators, community leaders, and support networks to strengthen trust, communication, and shared purpose. Everyone has a vital role in the collective rise of their community.
Key Tools:
- Psycho-social framework - Clarity & Leadership development - Value identifying
Financial Literacy
Economic confidence is core to self-leadership. We teach practical money management skills and mindset shifts that foster long-term financial independence. It's about long term and generational security
Key Tools:
- Budgeting & planning tools - Breaking generational money cycles - Empowered earning and saving strategies
Growth-Oriented Mindset
We support individuals to unlearn limiting beliefs and step into their power. Through mindset training, they gain the tools to lead with clarity, make values-aligned choices, and stay grounded through life’s challenges.
Key Tools:
- Reframing inner narratives - Identity, self-worth & legacy building - - Purpose-driven decision-making
Grit & Mental Resilience
Strength isn’t the absence of struggle — it’s the ability to rise through it. We teach emotional regulation, stress navigation, and practical resilience tools so participants can stay grounded, adaptable, and focused through uncertainty and change.
Key Tools:
- Nervous system regulation - Emotional processing tools - - Coping strategies for pressure and transition
True leadership starts from within. We teach participants how to understand and regulate their nervous system to enhance clarity, focus, and sustainable energy — preventing burnout and supporting long-term wellbeing.
Key Tools:
- Somatic body awareness practices - Breathwork for focus and recovery - Burnout prevention strategies
Nervous System Mastery
