By Danielle Rocheleau, CEO
A lot of work goes into your nonprofit’s impact, from fundraising to hiring new talent to building relationships with your stakeholders. While you may strive to handle everything to the best of your ability, it can be challenging when faced with limited time, energy, and resources. Sometimes, you need a helping hand to create the meaningful change you hope to see.
That’s where nonprofit consultants come in. With years of experience across varying aspects of the purpose-driven sector, these professionals offer their expertise to deepen your impact and boost your results. In this guide, we’ll explore our top recommended nonprofit consultants for supporting your nonprofit’s goals. Here’s what we’ll cover.
- Partnering With a Nonprofit Consulting Firm: FAQs
- The Best Nonprofit Consulting Firms + Their Area of Expertise
- How to Hire Nonprofit Consultants
Partnering with a nonprofit consulting firm allows your team to focus on what matters most: fulfilling your mission.
Partnering With a Nonprofit Consulting Firm: FAQs
If you’ve never worked with a nonprofit consulting firm, you may wonder how to approach the hiring process. Let’s review the essentials to set your organization up for success.
What is a nonprofit consultant?
A nonprofit consultant is an expert who has extensive knowledge and experience related to the nonprofit sector. Their purpose is to assist nonprofits with addressing their challenges, operating effectively, and achieving their goals.
With their expertise, nonprofit consultants can provide an outside perspective for examining your organization’s current processes and develop strategies tailored to your unique needs. Furthermore, they’ll be able to coach you on general best practices you can implement for long-term success.
Why do nonprofits hire nonprofit consultants?
Nonprofits can turn to a nonprofit consulting firm to receive help with a variety of projects or services. After all, these professionals understand your work environment, the pressure points you may be experiencing, and the resource constraints you may face.
Some of the most common ways they can support your organization include:
- Strategic planning. Nonprofit strategic planning specialists can help your organization understand its current conditions, engage its stakeholders, and develop an actionable strategic plan that increases its impact.
- Communications. To secure support for your mission, your nonprofit needs to communicate its work and impact in a clear, compelling way. Nonprofit consultants can assist you with crafting a communications strategy that inspires people to get involved.
- Governance. Your nonprofit’s board members play an important role in ensuring that your organization effectively and efficiently fulfills its purpose. A nonprofit consultant can help your board improve their decision-making, teamwork, and fiduciary oversight.
- Human Resources (HR). Nonprofit consultants can perform HR audits to examine your existing policies, develop employee training programs, and enhance your workplace culture.
- Fundraising. Whether you’re looking to plan a fundraising campaign, cultivate major donors, or prepare for a capital campaign, a nonprofit consultant can lend their expertise to maximize your results.
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Nonprofit consultants can support your nonprofit by implementing more EDI initiatives across the organization and ensuring your services are accessible to all communities.
- Finance. Some nonprofit consulting firms specialize in providing financial services to nonprofits. They’ll help you develop a budget, improve your reporting procedures, and create a plan for long-term sustainability.
- Legal Support. Your nonprofit must comply with various rules and regulations to carry out its mission. A nonprofit consultant can provide legal support regarding tax exemption, contracts, reporting, and more.
While some nonprofit consulting firms offer a comprehensive range of services to suit whatever need arises within your organization, others specialize in a specific area. Because of this, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research to find the right fit for your nonprofit.
What are the benefits of working with nonprofit consulting firms?
It’s clear that nonprofit consultants are respectable experts in the purpose-driven sector, but why should you hire one? Here are some of the main benefits you can expect from partnering with a nonprofit consulting firm:
- Informed guidance: Since these experts are committed to educating themselves on key aspects of the nonprofit world, they can share the latest trends and best practices for boosting your results.
- New perspectives: As a third party, nonprofit consultants can bring a fresh set of eyes to your organization’s policies, strategies, and processes. They’ll communicate their findings and recommendations in an objective, impartial manner.
- Tailored approach: Before providing their expertise, most nonprofit consultants will take the time to learn about your nonprofit. Then, they’ll tailor their guidance to your goals, priorities, and resources.
- Stakeholder confidence: Hiring a nonprofit consultant can increase stakeholder confidence when you tackle a new project. Often, they’ll have methods for engaging stakeholders so they feel included in your initiatives.
The nonprofit landscape is constantly changing. Reaching out to consultants who primarily serve the nonprofit sector makes it easy for your organization to stay updated on important news and strategy recommendations for success. They’ll help you craft nonprofit strategies that reflect your capacity and can be effectively implemented by your team, rather than trying to apply for-profit solutions to your challenges.
How much do nonprofit consultants charge?
The cost of a nonprofit consultant depends on several factors. For instance, a nonprofit consulting firm may have several pricing options, including:
- Hourly. Nonprofit consultants may charge an hourly rate for their support, typically for short-term projects or projects that are not easy to scope upfront.
- Fixed. A nonprofit consulting firm may offer service packages to nonprofits at a fixed price, regardless of how much time a consultant spends providing the service.
- Project-specific. Many nonprofits hire a consultant to assist with a specific project. The price will vary depending on the scope and complexity of that project.
Depending on your goals and resources, if you’re not sure whether investing in a consultant is the best option for your nonprofit, consider looking into alternative expert resources. Laridae’s Strategy Academy, for instance, allows nonprofits to benefit from the guidance of experienced consultants while equipping their staff with the tools and best practices to conduct their own strategic planning process.
The Best Nonprofit Consulting Firms + Their Area of Expertise
To jump-start your research and help you identify the perfect fit, we’ve compiled the top nonprofit consulting firms we recommend looking into, organized by their area of expertise:
Laridae: The Top Full-Service Consulting Firm for Nonprofits
Laridae is a full-service consulting and training firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations generate more meaningful change in their communities. For over a decade, we’ve partnered with more than 500 organizations to elevate their strategies and enhance their impact.
Our consulting approach starts with active listening. We learn the ins and outs of your nonprofit—its mission, values, and goals—before working with you to develop actionable steps to maximize your results.
Our wide range of services include:
- Strategic Planning. We’ll help you secure board buy-in and conduct in-depth stakeholder engagement to craft a strategic plan that reinforces your mission and empowers your nonprofit to move forward in a positive, healthy direction.
- Management Training. Our Management Training Program consists of interactive classroom sessions, coaching, and take-home tools that equip your nonprofit’s managers with everything they need to nurture effective teams.
- Leadership Training. We support executive leaders at nonprofit organizations in essential areas such as building confidence in their personal leadership style, understanding effective governance, and navigating change.
- Governance Training. Through a live training session, preceded by a self-assessment survey, we’ll strengthen your board practices, build a stronger sense of collaboration among board members, and cover recent trends in governance.
- Coaching. Whether you’re a nonprofit manager, executive leader, or board member, our expert consultants provide one-on-one or small group coaching sessions to walk through the specific situations and challenges you face in your role.
Over 65% of the nonprofits Laridae works with are returning clients who continue to find value in our knowledge and guidance. Our human-centered approach means that we’ll adapt to and focus on your specific needs and goals when working with you.
Nonprofit Consultants for Fundraising & Communications
Balanced Good
Balanced Good’s team of nonprofit fundraising experts supports small and mid-size nonprofits in creating a clear fundraising plan to meet their goals across a 12- to 18-month time period. They specialize in helping organizations create a successful fundraising program while a team member is away on parental leave.
To accomplish this, Balanced Good’s team will:
- Complete an audit of your nonprofit’s fundraising programs
- Build a customizable plan to reach your fundraising goals
- Coach your team to ensure that everyone knows how to execute your fundraising plan
Brooke Erickson Fundraising
Fundraising consultant Brooke Erickson has extensive public sector experience in fundraising, governance, and communications. She can help your nonprofit build and implement a strategic fundraising plan over a 12-month, renewable contract. Or, you can work with her for a three-month fundraising project to accomplish a specific goal, such as creating a direct mail program.
Some of Erickson’s top fundraising services include:
- Fundraising planning
- Grant writing
- Donor stewardship
- Major giving
- Fundraising infrastructure development
Charity Shift
Charity Shift is a nonprofit consulting firm that specializes in helping small fundraising teams raise more in less time. These consultants provide nonprofit clients with a 12-month, customized fundraising plan that taps into their specific strengths and opportunities.
Here’s how Charity Shift will support your fundraising efforts:
- One-hour weekly meetings to discuss your existing strategies
- Fundraising planning with tools, templates, and guides
- Three months of follow-up coaching
Content Strong Communications
Content Strong Communications is a boutique communications consulting firm that will assist your nonprofit with crafting clear and inclusive messages that will bring you close to the communities you serve.
Content Strong’s key services include:
- Communications audits
- Content strategy development and training
- Project and event management
- Copywriting, executive communications, and speechwriting
- Media relations
Loop
Loop is a full-service creative agency dedicated to helping nonprofits fulfill their missions through design. These nonprofit consultants work with purpose-driven organizations in various fields, ranging from sustainability to arts and culture.
Loop’s top creative services for nonprofits include:
- Logo design and branding
- Website design and development
- Annual report creation
- Newsletter and social media template creation
CAYK Marketing
CAYK leverages the latest technology trends to help organizations improve their community outreach strategies. The agency values data-driven insights and complete transparency in its approach, helping increase awareness of your cause while preserving trust.
Some of CAYK’s top services for nonprofits include:
- Website design and development
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- A/B split testing
- Outreach and messaging analytics
Modern Craft
Modern Craft can help your nonprofit revamp its outreach strategy and bring more attention to its cause. These nonprofit consultants have supported organizations like the Opportunity Trust and Teach for America by helping them inform and engage their audiences online.
The firm’s main services are:
- Outreach strategy
- Brand strategy
- Optimizing technology for community awareness
Nonprofit Consultants for HR & Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Bright + Early
If your nonprofit is looking for human resources (HR) support, Bright + Early has experience working with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations to improve their cultures and processes. Since 2017, this consulting firm has helped over 100 clients across Canada and the United States reduce staff turnover and minimize conflict.
Bright + Early’s HR consulting services include:
- Compensation strategy
- Benefit and perk design
- Employee onboarding
- Performance review processes
- Employee engagement initiatives
True North HR
Nonprofits with limited resources often run into HR challenges. True North HR provides consulting services to help your organization overcome these struggles. These consultants will work with you to build a foundation for attracting and retaining strong teams.
True North HR’s primary services for nonprofits include:
- Resource allocation for talent acquisition and retention
- Funder guideline compliance
- Volunteer management
Munim Consulting
Misha Munim, the founder and principal consultant at Munim Consulting, is committed to helping organizations create spaces that are more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. She serves clients in all industries around the world, from healthcare to telecommunications.
Munim Consulting’s primary equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consulting services include:
- Training workshops
- Inclusion check-ups
- Policy drafting and review
- Leadership coaching about EDI
- E-learning EDI training modules
anya gwynne
anya gwynne is a nonprofit consultant with over 12 years of experience engaging service providers and community-based organizations in creating more inclusive spaces and accessible services.
While they primarily educate parents and caregivers on how they can support their child’s gender identity, gwynne has served as a consultant in EDI community-based research and is a helpful resource for parents, educators, and service providers alike.
Nonprofit Consulting Firms for Legal Services
Patel Kairys Law
Patel Kairys Law provides a range of legal services to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Toronto Area.
This legal practice offers essential services in areas such as:
- Federal incorporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act
- Provincial incorporation under the Ontario Not-for-profit Corporations Act, 2010
- Regulatory compliance
- Tax compliance
- Business name registration
Cunningham Swan Lawyers
Cunningham Swan Lawyers is a full-service law firm in Southeastern Ontario, with over 30 skilled lawyers who can support your nonprofit with any workplace concerns it may have. While employment law can be complex, these professionals have extensive experience and knowledge of the local community to guide you.
Some key areas of employment law they cover include:
- Terminations
- Disciplinary matters
- Workplace management
- Privacy matters
- New business, merger, and acquisition support
Blumbergs
Blumbergs is a nonprofit consulting firm that provides comprehensive legal services in Canada and internationally. Beyond their services, these consultants offer online courses and programs that teach nonprofit professionals about legal and ethical issues they may encounter in the sector.
Some of the extensive services Blumbergs offers are:
- Nonprofit incorporation and organization
- Charitable partnership and contractor relationship management
- Legal advice on fundraising and governance
- Guidance in advocacy and political activities
Nonprofit Consultants for Financial Services
Part Time CFO Services
Part Time CFO Services is a nonprofit consulting firm that focuses on pinpointing strategies and opportunities to improve the financial health of its clients. While this team of professionals serves a variety of organizations, Perspective Financial Management for NFPs is a division dedicated specifically to assisting nonprofits.
Perspective’s main services include:
- Financial oversight
- Risk assessment
- Improving financing and cash flow processes
- Capital project funding
- Crisis management
Impact Strategy CPA
Impact Strategy CPA is a women-led CFO consulting firm with over 10 years of experience supporting organizations in building long-term financial strategies for success.
Impact offers services such as:
- Designing your financial strategy
- Conducting quantitative analysis to uncover your growth potential
- Analyzing your financial data to determine how to improve moving forward
MNP
As a leading nonprofit consulting firm in Canada, MNP focuses on providing accounting and financial services to improve your organization’s resilience. These consultants take a collaborative approach to ensure their recommendations align with your specific mission.
Some of MNP’s top services for nonprofits include:
- Digital-driven financial management
- Financial compliance
- Risk mitigation strategies
- Change management
Other Specialized Nonprofit Consulting Firms
Cathexis
Cathexis is a full-service, independent evaluation firm that has provided its services in over 400 projects for a variety of government, community, and other public sector organizations. These nonprofit consultants can ensure that your program is set up for success or help you identify areas for improvement.
Cathexis can support your organization with the following services:
- Designing an evaluation strategy for your program or initiative
- Creating tools for data collection, such as surveys
- Reporting on evaluation findings
- Reviewing funding proposals
- Training staff members or volunteers to carry out evaluations
Pinpoint Governance Group
Pinpoint Governance Group specializes in improving your nonprofit’s governance. Heather Terrence, the President of the firm, has more than 20 years of experience in the sector and works with nonprofit organizations of all sizes to navigate the complexities of governance.
Pinpoint Governance Group’s services include:
- Developing or refining board policies and by-laws
- Reviewing your nonprofit’s governance structure and providing relevant recommendations
- Conducting board meeting audits
- Facilitating your board recruitment process
- Providing governance training sessions
CHANGE Environmental
CHANGE Environmental is a leading authority in environmental consulting for nonprofits. These nonprofit consultants work with organizations worldwide to brainstorm strategic solutions to environmental problems.
CHANGE Environmental lends its expertise in areas such as:
- Air quality
- Environmental engineering
- Renewables and energy
- Environmental compliance
How to Hire Nonprofit Consultants
With so many options and potential reasons for seeking out a nonprofit consultant’s guidance, how do you go about actually hiring one? Follow these steps to guide your search:
1. Understand your goals and needs.
First, identify exactly what your nonprofit hopes to gain from working with a nonprofit consultant. While their expertise may come in handy in a variety of ways, detailing your specific goals and expectations in advance ensures you make the most of their time and your money.
For instance, identify obstacles you might need help overcoming. Or, determine if there are any crucial gaps in your staff’s skills and expertise that a nonprofit consultant could fill. This is also an ideal time to solidify your budget and note any project deadlines.
2. Research nonprofit consulting firms.
Once your team is on the same page about your goals, make a list of nonprofit consulting firms that may fit your needs and delve deeper into their services. Look for consultants who have extensive experience working with nonprofits like yours. This ensures they have a pre-existing understanding of the types of challenges and goals your organization encounters.
Furthermore, consider seeking recommendations from your peers at other organizations. They may be able to provide insights if they have worked with a nonprofit consulting firm on a similar project in the past.
3. Meet with potential consultants.
As you get further into your research, start building relationships with the consultants you’re considering by scheduling a preliminary call or meeting with them. This allows them to familiarize themselves with your nonprofit so they can create a proposal tailored to its specific needs.
Following the meeting, they’ll put together a proposal based on their understanding of your project’s scope and desired outcomes. Additionally, ask for references alongside submitted proposals, so you can contact former clients and learn about their experiences with the nonprofit consultant.
4. Assess submitted proposals.
Review the proposals you receive, ensuring they include all necessary details and documents. Assess consultants’ qualifications and pay attention to how well their recommendations align with your nonprofit’s goals and values. In most cases, it’s best to review each proposal alongside the consultant, so that you can clarify your expectations and ask any follow-up questions that come up.
Additionally, take the time to contact their references and learn more about the nonprofit consultant’s approach to similar projects.
5. Invite the consultant to attend a board meeting.
Typically, your board members will have the final say on which nonprofit consultant to hire. After you’ve narrowed down your options, invite the potential consultant to a board meeting so they can present their proposal.
Board members can take this opportunity to ask their own questions and vet the consultant to ensure that they will effectively support your nonprofit’s goals and best interests.
6. Communicate expectations.
Once everyone has reached an agreement, it’s time to sign a contract with the nonprofit consultant and get to work! Set your partnership up for success by discussing your expectations. Finalize important details such as:
- Project goals and timelines
- Roles and responsibilities for everyone involved
- Communication protocols
- Fees and payment schedules
As you launch your engagement with the consultant, maintain open and frequent communication to keep everyone aligned throughout the project. Remember that a consultant is more than just a one-time tool. By maintaining a healthy, productive relationship with them, they can become a trusted, long-term source of guidance for your nonprofit.
Wrapping Up: Forging the Ideal Partnership
Your nonprofit has important goals. Regardless of what you need help with, nonprofit consultants are available to help you effectively serve your beneficiaries and ultimately increase your impact in the community.
If you have further questions about hiring a nonprofit consultant or would like to hear more about the process of working with one, please feel free to reach out to Laridae. Our team of nonprofit experts has years of experience partnering with purpose-driven organizations, and we’ll be happy to share our knowledge!
To learn more about nonprofit best practices and how a consulting firm can support your success, check out these additional resources:
- Laridae: Experienced, Full-Service Nonprofit Consultants. Explore Laridae’s comprehensive services in more detail to learn how we’ll help you research your goals.
- Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: A Guide to Future Success. Learn everything you need to know to create a strategic plan that powers your organization’s growth and impact in this guide.
- Nonprofit Management Training Program: A Leading Course for Nonprofits. Discover how your nonprofit can build stronger, more cohesive teams by enrolling its managers in online, cohort-based training.