Best Nonprofit Consultants for 2025

An older white woman with a bleached pixie cut sits at a desk with a laptop in front of her. She is smiling. To her left are two chat bubbles; one in white with a blue question mark and one in blue with a white checkmark.

Erin Booker

•

December 7, 2024

•

7 minutes

Nonprofit Trends

Leadership & Vision

This article is part of a series

Keep learning with related articles.

Soon..

Hey there, hi there nonprofit friends! These days, fundraising is full of strategy—it's not as straightforward as just sending an email or dropping a mailer designed to excite a once-a-year donor base. One way for you to keep up with the changing nonprofit landscape is to engage a nonprofit consultant to help you make a plan, stick to the plan, and potentially pivot your plan.

But... choosing a consultant can be just as stressful as making the aforementioned plan. Like... How? Who? Here's our suggestion: check out the consultants noted below. They're tried-and-tested and truly terrific.

Top nonprofit consultants for 2025

Investing in a nonprofit consultant can be a gamechanger for organizations looking to enhance their impact, streamline operations, or overcome specific challenges. The cost of the specialized expertise, fresh perspectives, and proven strategies that a consultant can bring to your organization can usually be combatted when you take opportunity cost into consideration.

Opportunity cost is the idea that by not engaging a consultant, you could miss out on potential improvements, funding opportunities, or innovative solutions that could significantly advance your mission. Think it over...

CauseMic

Since 2014, CauseMic has been the go-to partner for nonprofits tackling their toughest challenges with smart fundraising plans and best-in-class tech:

Effective fundraising strategies and successful campaigns that accelerate your cause
Technology implementation that's effective and user-friendly
Websites that are easy to manage and designed to convert visitors into donors and encourage donor retention

CauseMic connects nonprofits with best-in-class solutions from the for-profit sector with a smart, skilled crew dedicated to amplifying your productivity and impact.

In fact, CauseMic helps nonprofits build rapidly with an exponential mindset—but don't take our word for it; CauseMic CEO and Co-founder Matt Scott explains exponential mindset in his interview on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast:

"What I found is that most nonprofit leaders are not allowed to think big enough. They set their targets really low. And so the very first exercise we go through with a client is transitioning from an incremental to an exponential growth mindset. With ...an exponential growth mindset of thinking, we can in fact double, triple our revenue over a 2 to 3-year period, we don't have to spend more to do it."

For nonprofits wondering about CauseMic's strategies in action, take a listen to the Text Engagement Best Practices webinar as Matt discusses text-to-give fundraising with Funraise CEO and Co-founder, Justin Wheeler.

"We thought about what motivates [peer-to-peer] fundraisers, and as a result we created these three personalities for Oregon Humane Society... these [text] communications had their own voice, their own tone, with certain messaging for each. It was hugely successful; we had 121% growth year-over-year (number of donations) and 180% growth in terms of number of people fundraising."

CauseMic's services

Strategic fundraising
Technology enablement

CauseMic client we love

One of Funraise's favorite nonprofits, DigDeep, has a mission to bring working taps and toilets to every person in the United States. CauseMic and Funraise have helped DigDeep's dedicated fundraising team raise millions and engage tens of thousands of donors.

Liminal

Liminal is a creative branding agency specializing in creating lasting change in under-resourced communities across the globe. With a focus on core messaging, Liminal develops long-term partnerships with nonprofit clients to better serve the world's most vulnerable populations.

If you don't know what liminality is, take a listen to Todd Hiestand, Co-owner of Liminal, as he discusses how the concept affects nonprofit fundraising on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast.

Liminality is the study of change, in the space between... a space between where you are now and where you want to be... that transitional space.

Innovation happens in that season of margin, innovation happens in that place where you're like, I have no clue to clue which way is up.

And the more we try to get back to the equilibrium of what used to be, the less we can innovate... And so I, I'd say the ability to sit in margin is what I think brings about some of the most innovative situations... allows you to be super creative because ...you have to start innovating or else you'll just do the same old thing and, you know, have no impact.

Liminal's services

Core messaging
Branding
Web design
Marketing materials
Communications
Fundraising campaign direction

Idlewild Partners

Idlewild Partners is a strategic technology consulting company. Whether you have a fine-tuned Salesforce.com implementation that needs a few updates, or you're using a spreadsheet to manage your data but wondering if there is a more effective way, Idlewild Partners are here to listen and work with you to drive change—for you and your non-profit organization.

Idlewild consultants are national leaders, thinkers, and business professionals who excel at listening to your needs and translating them into exceptional business solutions.

Idlewild Partners notable client

This is a great one! Here at Funraise, we love Innocence Project, and we've been honored to work with them since 2021, raising tens of millions of dollars and turning up the heat on their recurring program. Idlewild, a technology implementation and administration team, has also worked with Innocence Project as they create incredible impact.

hopeware

Hopeware is a strategy-first product lab poised to help you plan, build, and launch your digital software solution. From strategy through design to development, they'll help you every step of the way, ensuring you build the right things and then build the thing right.

hopeware's services

Strategy
Design
Web Development

hopeware client we love

Hopeware's flagship client and nonprofit partner is New Story, a mission-driven organization equipping vulnerable families to become land and homeowners. In addition to co-sponsoring Camp Redwood with Funraise, Brett Hagler, New Story's CEO, shares the nonprofit's long-term vision and path with Funraise CEO and Co-founder, Justin Wheeler, on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast.

How do we encourage people as leaders to think more long-term and to have a bigger-picture perspective?

If we're going after a big vision, it's going to be a long-term journey. And along that journey, there are going to be times when you're absolutely crushing it and times that are really freaking hard and are challenging and you're messing up. But ideally, it's all in service of the bigger vision.

We could keep doing what we're doing, but if we really believe this is a path that would impact more people for our mission, is it irresponsible for us not to try this?

Blastoff! Studio

Blastoff! Studio is a trusted multidisciplinary design studio known for shaping brands and crafting memorable experiences.

Their flexible design team offers proven brand coaching sessions while creating effective strategies, long-lasting scalable brand identities, innovative and understandable websites, and interactive and engaging digital and print design products and experiences.

Blastoff! Studio's services

Brand Coaching & Strategy
Branding
Websites
Digital & Print design
Product design

Blastoff! Studio client we love

In a collection of monthly giving program examples, Funraise highlighted Fly Fishing Collaborative's gorgeous and impactful multimedia campaign with stunning visual storytelling elements. With video appeals, exclusive partnership perks like merch, event tickets, and accessories, and clear-cut, memorable branding, Fly Fishing Collaborative's mission to end poverty and human trafficking through sustainability is sure to keep donors around.

FCC's Sustainable Partnership Program page encourages donors: "Join the passionate community of monthly donors creating sustainable solutions to poverty & human trafficking."

Impact cards with bold gold CTA buttons give donors a clear Why as they're considering supporting FFC's sustainable initiatives.

Donorly

Donorly is on a mission to make valuable donor research available to a variety of organizations using cost-effective, professional solutions, and then teach nonprofits how to use that research to build beyond their mission.

With that in mind, Donorly designed a way to provide professional donor research to even the smallest nonprofit teams so that small charitable organizations have access to all the tools that larger ones have in-house.

Donorly's services

Campaign Kickstart
3-month Jumpstart
Bandwidth Buildout
New-to-Nonprofit Leaders Cohort Class

Donorly client we love

One of Funraise's most beloved—and creative—customers, The Chick Mission’s mission is to preserve fertility after a cancer diagnosis. They make giving delightful, like with their fundraiser raffling off two tickets to Taylor Swift’s sold-out The Eras Tour; prospective donors used ticketing technology for a chance to win tickets to the most in-demand show of the season, while also paying it forward.

Mallory Erickson

Since 2018, Mallory Erickson, a fundraising expert, has successfully coached hundreds of fundraisers and organizations to increase their fundraising capacity by powerfully combining tactical fundraising expertise with the best executive coaching tools out there: The Power Partners Method.

Mallory's signature Power Partners Method helps nonprofits identify and engage the right funders for their organization with a win-win model of building strategic partnerships that creates lasting, sustainable revenue for organizations without the scattered scramble that burns out most fundraisers and organizational leaders.

For more executive fundraising coaching from Mallory, listen in to the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast.

"...your job as a fundraiser is to identify the people who do who share the desire to impact the world the way that your organization impacts the world ... find them and identify them and then to speak to them in that shared language."

Mallory Erickson's services

Modern and innovative fundraising
Executive director coaching
Habit & Behavior design

Nonprofit Megaphone

Thousands of people are looking for your organization. Nonprofit Megaphone is here to connect you with those people in the most cost-effective way possible.

Specializing in Google Grant management for nonprofits, Nonprofit Megaphone helps 501(c)3 organizations acquire and take maximum advantage of the $10,000/month Google Ad Grant so they can better share their mission and stories with the world.

Nonprofit Megaphone’s sole focus is being the best Google Grants agency in the world and helping hundreds of 501(c)(3)s to answer the question “Who should manage my Google Grant?” with confidence.

Grant Hensel, CEO of Nonprofit Megaphone, came on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast to talk about all things Google Ad Grants, and he answered the big question: How do you get a nonprofit ads grant like the Google Ad Grant? Listen in for all the reasons you need to begin working with Nonprofit Megaphone.

Nonprofit Megaphone's services

Google Ad Grant management
Microsoft Ads Grant management
Content creation
Website SEO
VisitorEmail

Signature Analytics

Growing your business requires the ability to adapt to changing business trends and market dynamics—not just react to them.

Signature Analytics provides outsourced accounting and strategic financial solutions to mid-sized companies who need more clarity from their financial data with accurate, relevant, timely financial reports, prudent, strategic financial advice, and day-to-day accounting processes.

Solving business challenges and taking advantage of opportunities is easier when you have the right people and financial insights. Signature Analytics is the trusted, expert, professional resource partner you need today and tomorrow.

Jason Kruger, President and Founder of Signature Analytics, brings financial knowledge specific to nonprofits, like audit requirements and the benefits of transparency, to the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast.

Our role is, is saying, okay, how do we take the accounting and financial arm as a G&A cost ...through providing clarity through programs and program expenses, budgets, etc... And how we do that is on a fractional basis, bringing the best talent to the nonprofit space.

Signature Analytics' services

Comprehensive assessments
Outsourced accounting services
CFO and business advisors

DickersonBakker

DickersonBakker is a nonprofit fundraising and executive consultancy with a passion for helping organizations grow and thrive. Providing assistance in three key areas—fund development, talent management, and strategy consulting—DickersonBakker helps nonprofits gain the experience and resources necessary to fuel their growth, build sustainability, and achieve a greater impact.

President, Derric Bakker, described the problem and DickersonBakker's solution:

Too many nonprofit leaders tell me they can't move forward because their fundraising is stuck in neutral. Our goal here at DickersonBakker is simple. We want nothing less than to transform the way organizations raise money, so they have the resources they need to unleash their potential.

And Andrew Olsen, SVP of Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker continues the message of increasing impact in an interview with Funraise CEO and Co-founder, Justin Wheeler.

With the increase of machine learning and artificial intelligence, one of the most significant changes in the nonprofit landscape is our ability to more effectively target individuals and deliver relevant content to them in the channel that is most relevant to them, at the very time that they are most likely to respond.

DickersonBakker's services

Fundraising solutions
Capital campaign management
Executive search
Grant services

Harbor Compliance

Harbor Compliance is the only platform purpose-built to comply with your nonprofit's multistate requirements. Since 2012, more than 40,000 organizations have trusted Harbor Compliance to meet their compliance needs. They help you navigate complex state requirements so that you can get back to what you do best: facilitating donor engagement and delivering on your mission!

Most organizations are better served by outsourcing compliance and legal work to specialized providers like Harbor Compliance as this work is not core to the mission. Legal compliance through expert assistance saves hundreds of hours of staff time each year and ensures better outcomes with each state.

Harbor Compliance's services

State fundraising (charitable solicitation) registration
Cause marketing (commercial co-venture) compliance
Corporate lifecycle and tax registration services
Nationwide registered agent representation
501(c) formation

Barlele

Barlele is more than a growth strategy, branding, content marketing agency; it's a group of creative problem solvers and visual communicators focused on banishing the boring and spreading happiness to take you from vision to strategy to implementation and keep you soaring.

In a conversation with Justin, Taylor Shanklin, CEO and founder of Barlele had this to say about overcoming growth obstacles with innovation:

[Being risk averse] is the thing that I think holds nonprofits back the most. We as humans are risk averse and we don't like change, but for some reason in the nonprofit space, it's it's worse than other other arenas. ...I think part of it is just helping to shift mindsets.

Barlele's services

Business strategy
Messaging strategy
Brand identity and design
Website design and development
Campaign strategy and content

Yurgosky

Yurgosky is the premier technology, strategy, and analytics company serving many of the largest and most innovation-focused organizations in the world to transform the way nonprofits do business. Their vision is that every organization has access to the best technology and knowledge to make the world a better place.

Yurgosky's services

Strategy
Web Development
Training & Enablement
Co-creation
Maintenance
Support

Carey & Co

Carey & Co helps nonprofits grow by providing outsourced financial leadership and a variety of services that support efficient operations, transparent finances, and strategic decision-making. With a focus on nonprofit finance, Carey & Co solves your governance, compliance, department turnover, monthly reporting, and audit concerns—and they keep the trains running on time.

Carey & Co's services

Financial leadership team as CFOs, Controllers, and Senior Accountants
Communications & Operations
Human Resources
Governance
Provide staffing that you actually need—if it’s interim or part-time, they provide that, nothing more
Automate, modernize, and assess all types of organizations

Impact Innovations

Impact Innovations combines the power of technology and strategic web development to provide comprehensive fundraising solutions through an approach rooted in collaboration, integrity, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the nonprofit sector.

The Impact Innovations team aren't just consultants but partners on your journey towards making a difference, delivering holistic strategies, and leveraging fundraising, governance, and technology expertise to help nonprofits thrive.

Impact Innovations' services

Strategic planning and oversight
Hands-on implementation

Smarter Good

Smarter Good is an innovative global professional services firm whose clients are nonprofit organizations and social enterprises working around the globe on diverse missions with measurable impact and a unique theory of change.

By supporting client partners with a variety of services in fundraising, prospect research, communications, accounting, bookkeeping, and finance through high-quality services, Smarter Good helps grow their clients' reach and impact.

Smarter Good's services

Fundraising & Prospect Research
Financial management & Accounting
Editorial & Design support
Strategic planning
Grantmaking services
Customized research

Accordus

As organizations grow and accomplish their mission, they reach a critical point when much of their time is focused on doing the office work rather than accomplishing the mission.

Accordus's team of executives, accountants, and administrators seeks to serve as your backoffice while you accomplish your mission. Accordus works with your staff and executive leaders to handle accounting, HR, donor management systems, and other industry-specific technical systems so the organization can focus on the mission, not the systems.

Accordus' services

Accounting
Database
Marketing & Communications
Design

Raise for Good

Raise for Good's expert team is women and POC-founded and led, filled with strategists and doers with lived experience who have worked across tech, entertainment, sports, social impact, philanthropy, and public and private sectors.

Specializing in full-service strategy design, integration, and advising that generates momentum for your high-growth organization, Raise for Good helps women and nonprofit leaders of color establish successful strategies for branding, online fundraising, and leadership development.

Raise for Good's services

Strategic planning
Fundraising and revenue growth
Impact evaluation
Communications & Marketing
Change Enablement & Operations
Nonprofit Sustainability Program

Common Great

Common Great offers a modern approach to fundraising strategy, successful fundraising campaigns, and technology for modern nonprofits as a fresh alternative to outdated consulting models and practices that just haven’t kept up with the changing needs of the nonprofit sector in the digital era.

The Common Great Co-op consists of an assembled group of independent consultants and nonprofit experts with specialized, vetted skill sets and expertise who provide real-time communication, personalized relationships with donors, and seamless transactions to create a real lasting relationship between your donor base and your impact.

Common Great Founder and CEO, Ariel Glassman, says,

"Our key services are a fresh alternative to common, outdated consulting models and practices that just haven’t kept up with the changing needs of the nonprofit sector. Fundraising strategy best practices, campaign planning, and technology are rapidly transforming around us all the time. If you’re looking for consultants who stay on top of new innovations and can help you put all the pieces of your fundraising puzzle together, you came to the right place."

Common Great's services to nonprofits

Web Development
Communications
Tools & Technology

Whole Whale

Founded in 2010 in Brooklyn, Whole Whale is a digital marketing agency on a mission to close the knowledge gap and "help nonprofits and social impact companies make the best use of their website, analytics, digital content, advertising, social media, email, and more."

A proud certified B Corp digital agency, Whole Whalers aim to increase nonprofits' impact, build a data culture, and help organizations do more of what matters through maximizing resources, ultimately bridging the gap between nonprofits and technology.

Whole Whale services

Digital impact and web analytics
Google Ad Grant management
SEO and content marketing
Conversion optimization and A/B testing
Custom data analysis
Paid ad management
AI capacity and digital training
Digital support
Karaoke crashing, pun-making, whale adopting

Mobile phone with donation form and donation charts floating around the phone.

Woman looking at fundraising chart with button to book a call.

Yellow shapes in background with donation form in front with stylized text, build an intelligence giving experience.

Download

Start For Free

Nonprofit consultant FAQ

How much does a fundraising consultant cost?

Fundraising consultant costs vary, with a wide variety of factors affecting cost including consultant experience, project scope, and duration. Nonprofits should budget for this investment and consider potential ROI when evaluating a wide range of costs.

How do I choose a fundraising consultant?

To choose a fundraising consultant, assess your organization's needs and fundraising goals first. Look for potential consultants with relevant experience in your nonprofit's size and mission. Request proposals, check references, and evaluate their understanding of nonprofit software. Consider their communication style and cultural fit with your organization. Ensure their approach aligns with your budget and timeline.

What are the benefits of hiring a nonprofit consulting firm?

Hiring a nonprofit consulting firm provides objectivity, cost-effective, sustainable solutions, and specialized expertise. Consultants offer fresh perspectives on challenges, flexible support for specific projects, and access to extensive networks. They bring in-depth knowledge of sector trends, best practices, and innovative strategies, helping improve nonprofit operations, increase efficiency, and fulfill their mission more effectively.

In addition, in many cases, hiring a nonprofit consultant to work part-time or per-project is more cost-effective than hiring a full-time nonprofit fundraising professional. Even a full-service fundraising consulting firm can provide results without the commitment of an entire team member.

What should I look for in a consultant?

Look for an experienced consultant with strong sector knowledge, relevant experience, and technical skills in your area of need. Seek nonprofit professionals with excellent communication abilities, email marketing experience, strategic thinking, and adaptability. Ensure they have a track record of success with similar nonprofit organizations. Consider a holistic approach to problem-solving, passion for your mission, and ability to provide actionable, data-driven solutions.

Oh yeah! And always seek to work with folks who share your values, level of commitment, and even sense of humor. When times get tough, it makes a difference when you can laugh and joke together.

How do I hire a nonprofit consultant?

To hire a nonprofit consultant, start by defining your needs and goals. Research potential partnership-driven consulting firms through referrals and online searches. Request proposals from shortlisted candidates and conduct interviews to assess their expertise and cultural fit as well as commitment to donor relationships and corporate partnerships. Check references and past project outcomes. Discuss expectations, timelines, and budgets before finalizing your choice and establishing a clear contract.

How can we measure the success of our engagement with a consultant?

Measure consultant engagement success by setting clear, measurable goals at the outset of your partnership. Track progress against agreed-upon milestones and deliverables. Evaluate improvements in targeted areas, such as fundraising results, operational efficiency, or program effectiveness. Assess the quality of recommendations and their implementation. Consider long-term impact and return on investment in relation to your nonprofit's mission and objectives.