Date reviewed and updated:
The best nonprofit consultants are the ones whose expertise matches the decisions your organization needs to make. A strategic planning partner, a fundraising advisor and an executive search firm can each be valuable, but they solve different problems.
In this guide, we've brought together 24 of the best nonprofit consulting firms and specialist partners we know or know of, organized by service area. Use it to build a shortlist.
Our perspective: Prosper Strategies publishes this guide and is included in it. This is a curated directory, not an independent ranking or a comprehensive list of every firm. Profiles summarize providers’ published services; the fit guidance reflects our editorial judgment. Confirm current services, capacity, pricing and references directly with each firm.
The 24 Best Nonprofit Consultants
Use the table below to explore all 24 firms by expertise area. Select a service area to jump to that section, or select a firm’s name to go directly to its profile and learn about its services and when it may be a good fit. Firms with expertise in more than one area may appear in multiple sections.
| Expertise area | Nonprofit consulting firms and specialist partners |
|---|---|
| Strategic planning and organizational strategy | |
| Human resources and executive search | |
| Branding, design and websites | |
| Communications and marketing | |
| Google Ad Grant management | |
| Fundraising and digital engagement | |
| Workplace culture and inclusion | |
| Research, evaluation and impact measurement |
Nonprofit strategic planning and organizational strategy consultants
Start here if your organization needs to make choices about its mission, priorities, programs or future direction. Look for a process that connects research and stakeholder perspectives with clear decisions and a practical system for implementation.
The firms below take meaningfully different approaches. Compare their service scope, planning methodology, stakeholder engagement, implementation support and who will lead the work.
Prosper Strategies
Focus: Nonprofit strategic planning, strategic advising and communications strategy.
At Prosper Strategies, we help nonprofits make strategic decisions and build the systems to act on them. Our Shared Power™ approach centers the priorities of the people and communities an organization exists to serve, with meaningful roles for staff, boards, funders and partners.
Our strategic planning clients include Feeding America and the Muhammad Ali Center. We work with nonprofits nationwide, tailoring the level of support to the organization’s complexity and internal capacity.
- Full-service strategic planning: Support across research, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, strategy development and systems for tracking progress.
- Strategic planning facilitation: Structure and expert facilitation for organizations whose leaders can own more of the planning work internally.
- Marketing and communications strategy: Support for aligning communications priorities with organizational goals.
Consider Prosper when: You want a nonprofit strategy partner who will help your team make meaningful choices, include the people closest to your mission and build accountability for implementation.
La Piana Consulting
La Piana works with nonprofits and foundations across strategic and business planning, organizational development, capacity building, and mergers and partnerships. Its Real-Time Strategic Planning approach begins with an organization’s most important “Big Questions” and aligns organizational, programmatic and operational strategy.
Services: Strategic and business planning; mergers and partnerships; organizational development; capacity building.
Consider this firm when: Your strategy questions are closely connected to business-model, organizational-development or partnership decisions and you want a broad social-sector consulting practice.
How they are different from Prosper: La Piana offers a broad organizational consulting portfolio, including dedicated merger and business planning services, while Prosper focuses on strategic planning and marketing/communications. La Piana brings its Real-Time Strategic Planning methodology, while Prosper's work uses the Shared Power™ philosophy, placing particular emphasis on the influence of people and communities served and on building a practical implementation system. La Piana has a team of senior and junior consultants who may lead your engagement. At Prosper Strategies, one of our two principals, Alyssa Conrardy or Lindsay Mullen, will lead your engagement.
Catapult
Catapult helps nonprofits navigate pivotal moments involving growth, innovation and organizational change. Its Vision Integrator is a three- to four-month strategic planning process that includes facilitated sessions, stakeholder engagement, a KPI-focused plan, an activation session and follow-up coaching.
Services: Strategic planning and activation; organizational development; leadership coaching; custom growth and innovation projects.
Consider this firm when: You want a defined process centered on vision alignment, organizational growth, measurable priorities and post-plan coaching.
How they are different from Prosper: Catapult’s positioning emphasizes growth, innovation and scaling through its Vision Integrator process. Prosper’s distinguishing emphasis is Shared Power™: structuring meaningful roles for communities served, staff, board members and other stakeholders, while tailoring the scope from facilitation to full-service planning based on internal capacity. As such, Prosper's process typically offers deeper stakeholder engagement. Catapult has a small core team. At Prosper, every engagement is led by principals Alyssa Conrardy or Lindsay Mullen, and we have a diverse bench of specialists in areas like law, HR and fundraising who we can tap as needed.
OnStrategy
OnStrategy combines strategic planning facilitation, coaching and strategy execution software. Its work extends beyond nonprofits, so ask prospective project leaders about their experience with organizations like yours.
Services: Strategic planning facilitation; strategy execution; coaching; planning software.
Consider this firm when: You want an outside facilitator and a software platform for managing priorities and progress.
How they differ from Prosper: OnStrategy works with all types of organizations, not just nonprofits. They pair consulting with proprietary strategy-execution software. Prosper focuses exclusively on nonprofits and builds flexible technology systems to support the execution and measurement of the strategies we build.
Nonprofit consultants for human resources and executive search
DSG | Koya
Previously known as Koya Partners, DSG | Koya is the nonprofit and social impact executive search practice within DSG Global. Its focus is recruiting mission-driven senior leaders.
Services: Executive search for nonprofit and social impact leadership.
Consider this firm when: Your central challenge is recruiting an executive director, CEO or another senior leader.
Nonprofit HR
Nonprofit HR focuses on people management for social sector organizations. Its services span HR strategy, outsourced support, talent acquisition and total rewards.
Services: HR strategy and advisory; HR outsourcing; search and recruitment; total rewards.
Consider this firm when: You need specialist support for staffing, compensation or ongoing HR operations.
Nonprofit consultants for branding, design and websites
For communications and brand strategy before design begins, see Prosper Strategies. The firms below offer creative and design capabilities for bringing an identity to life.
Talooka Studio
Talooka Studio develops brand identities and the visual materials organizations use to express them. Its portfolio includes nonprofit and foundation work, with projects spanning logos, websites and campaign identities.
Services: Brand and visual identity; website design; marketing and campaign materials.
Consider this firm when: Your organization has evolved and its identity or design system needs to catch up.
Loop
Loop is a design studio working with social impact organizations, including nonprofits and foundations. Its work connects brand development with websites and communications materials.
Services: Branding; website design; publications and communications design.
Consider this firm when: You need a design partner to bring your mission to life across your brand and digital presence.
Substance
Substance is a branding and visual communications firm whose work includes research, strategy, messaging and design. It brings strategic and creative disciplines together rather than treating visual materials as stand-alone products.
Services: Brand research and strategy; messaging; visual identity; website and communications design.
Consider this firm when: You need to clarify your organization’s story and translate it into a consistent identity.
Nonprofit consultants for communications and marketing
Prosper Strategies
Prosper Strategies helps nonprofits align communications and marketing with their mission and organizational priorities. Our work connects research and stakeholder perspectives with clear positioning, messaging and a focused strategy for reaching the people who matter most to your mission.
Services: Marketing and communications strategy; brand strategy and messaging; stakeholder research.
Consider Prosper when: You need a strategic partner to clarify your brand, focus your communications priorities or connect marketing decisions with your nonprofit’s broader goals.
Explore Prosper Strategies’ marketing and communications services
Rudd Resources
Rudd Resources provides public relations, public affairs, community engagement and storytelling. Its client focus includes nonprofit and philanthropic organizations alongside public sector and corporate work.
Services: Public relations; public affairs; community engagement; storytelling.
Consider this firm when: Your communications challenge involves public audiences, community relationships or civic issues.
The TASC Group
The TASC Group supports nonprofits with public relations and communications. Its nonprofit practice describes work in messaging, media relations, thought leadership, community outreach and crisis management.
Services: Nonprofit PR; media relations; messaging; thought leadership; crisis communications.
Consider this firm when: You need public visibility or specialist help navigating a sensitive communications issue.
Public Communications Inc. (PCI)
PCI is a public relations and digital marketing agency. Its services bring together strategic communications counsel, media relations, digital work and visual communications.
Services: Strategic communications; public relations; media relations; digital marketing and design.
Consider this firm when: You need an agency to plan and deliver a public-facing communications program.
Nonprofit consultants for Google Ad Grant management
Nonprofit Megaphone
Nonprofit Megaphone manages Google Ad Grants for nonprofit organizations. Its current offerings also include related digital marketing support such as website SEO and content creation.
Services: Google Ad Grant acquisition and management; website SEO; content support.
Consider this firm when: You want hands-on help running search advertising and improving the website experience behind it.
Getting Attention
Getting Attention specializes in Google Ad Grant management for nonprofits. Its services cover applications, account compliance, keyword research, campaign optimization and reporting.
Services: Google Ad Grant applications; compliance; campaign management; reactivation; reporting.
Consider this firm when: You need a specialist to establish, maintain or improve a Google Ad Grant account.
Nonprofit consultants for fundraising and digital engagement
These firms address fundraising strategy, campaign delivery or digital engagement. For help aligning your communications with organizational strategy, see Prosper Strategies. Confirm whether you need fundraising communications, development operations or hands-on campaign management.
CCS Fundraising
CCS Fundraising advises nonprofit organizations on fundraising strategy and execution. Its current services include campaign planning, campaign management, development assessments, analytics and training.
Services: Campaign planning and management; fundraising assessments; data analytics; training and coaching.
Consider this firm when: You are preparing for a major campaign or need a broader assessment of fundraising capacity.
Campbell & Company
Campbell & Company works with nonprofits on fundraising, communications and organizational growth. Its current service areas include campaign work, strategic planning, analytics and fundraising operations.
Services: Fundraising and campaigns; communications; data analytics and operations; strategic planning.
Consider this firm when: You need to connect a fundraising initiative with communications, systems and organizational priorities.
Graham-Pelton
Graham-Pelton is a fundraising consulting firm supporting nonprofits with campaign planning, campaign management and strategic fundraising counsel. Its work includes helping organizations strengthen their approach to donors.
Services: Fundraising strategy; campaign planning and management; donor-focused counsel.
Consider this firm when: You need experienced outside support to prepare for or lead a fundraising campaign.
Just Cause Consulting
Just Cause Consulting is a development strategy firm working with mission-driven organizations. Its services address fundraising strategy, donor engagement, board participation, capital campaigns and staff or leadership coaching.
Services: Fundraising strategy; donor engagement; board fundraising; capital campaigns; coaching and training.
Consider this firm when: You want a boutique partner to strengthen fundraising strategy and the people responsible for it.
M+R
M+R works on fundraising, supporter engagement, advocacy and communications for causes and mission-driven organizations. Its capabilities include digital campaigns, advertising, creative work, research and analytics.
Services: Digital fundraising; supporter engagement; advocacy; advertising; research and analytics.
Consider this firm when: You need to reach and mobilize supporters through coordinated digital campaigns.
Nonprofit consultants for workplace culture and inclusion
CultureAlly
CultureAlly provides workplace culture training, consulting and learning programs. Its work includes inclusive workplace training, culture strategy and employee resource group support, with nonprofits among the organizations it serves.
Services: Workplace culture consulting; inclusive training; culture strategy; employee resource group support.
Consider this firm when: You need to strengthen workplace culture through a combination of strategy and staff learning.
Nonprofit consultants for research, evaluation and impact measurement
PIE Org
PIE Org supports nonprofits through evaluation, learning and organizational planning. Its work includes helping organizations understand results and use evidence to inform decisions.
Services: Evaluation and learning; strategic planning; capacity building; quantitative research support.
Consider this firm when: You need an evaluation partner who can connect findings with organizational learning and planning.
teenyBIG
Led by Emily Taylor, teenyBIG focuses on impact evaluation for growing nonprofits. Its approach combines qualitative research, community perspectives and data to help organizations understand and communicate their outcomes.
Services: Program evaluation; impact reports; community assessments.
Consider this firm when: You need a clearer, evidence-based account of the change your programs create.
Mission Measurement / Impact Genome
Mission Measurement’s current service page, hosted on Impact Genome’s website, focuses on helping government agencies evaluate the outcomes of public investments. Impact Genome separately offers tools and services for nonprofits and other funders.
Services: Mission Measurement: public-sector outcomes measurement and grant portfolio analysis. Impact Genome: impact data, benchmarking and related services.
Consider this firm when: You are evaluating a grant portfolio or seeking standardized outcome data. Nonprofits should ask which Impact Genome offering fits their needs.
Clear Impact
Clear Impact combines performance and outcomes measurement software with training and consulting. Its offerings include tools for tracking results and collecting program data, including for nonprofits and public sector organizations.
Services: Performance measurement; Results-Based Accountability training; Scorecard and Compyle software.
Consider this firm when: You need systems and support for tracking outcomes and using results in ongoing decisions.
How to choose a nonprofit strategic planning consultant
A firm’s service list tells you what it offers. Its answers to the following questions tell you more about how it will work with your organization.
1. What research and stakeholder engagement will inform the plan?
Ask how the consultant will learn about your organization, its operating environment and the experiences of the people it serves. Clarify which interviews, listening sessions, surveys and document reviews are included, who will conduct them and how findings will shape decisions.
2. How will the people we serve influence our priorities?
Participation should have a clear purpose. Ask how community perspectives will be represented, what barriers to participation will be addressed and how the consultant will show what changed because of that input. Agree on how staff, board members and other stakeholders will contribute without allowing the loudest voices to determine the entire plan.
3. What will we have at the end, and how will we implement it?
Ask to see a sample final deliverable and an example of how a client uses its plan. Look beyond the retreat agenda: will you have clear strategic priorities, measurable outcomes, responsibility for next steps and a rhythm for reviewing progress? Confirm whether implementation support is included or separately scoped.
4. How much time and capacity will our staff need?
Ask for a realistic estimate of leadership and staff time, including engagement, preparation, drafting and follow-through. A facilitation engagement can work well when your team has capacity to lead research and planning. A full-service engagement may fit better when you need an outside partner to lead more of the process.
5. Who will actually do the work?
Meet the people assigned to your engagement. Ask about their experience with similar organizational complexity, governance structures and stakeholder dynamics. Request relevant references, and ask those references how the team handled disagreement, adapted its process and supported implementation.
To compare the levels of support Prosper offers, download our Strategic Planning Decision Guide or start a conversation about your needs.
How to shortlist and hire a nonprofit consultant
- Write a short project brief. Describe the decision or challenge, why it matters now, your desired outcomes, timeline, available budget and internal capacity. Separate essential deliverables from optional support.
- Build a focused shortlist. Compare a manageable group of firms with relevant expertise. Read their service pages and case studies rather than relying on a directory description alone.
- Have an initial conversation. Explain the problem and listen to the questions the consultant asks. Discuss fit, availability and budget before requesting a detailed proposal, where your procurement policies allow.
- Ask to see case studies and learn about recommended approaches. Review examples of work with organizations facing similar challenges, and ask each firm how it would approach your project and why. Discuss how its recommended process would help you achieve your desired outcomes.
- Check references and agree on the working relationship. Speak with relevant past clients. Put the project’s responsibilities, schedule, decision process, payment terms and approach to changes in writing.
If your organization requires a formal RFP, use it to explain the problem and procurement requirements clearly while giving firms room to recommend an approach. Avoid specifying a retreat or a particular deliverable before you know whether it will address the underlying need.
Frequently asked questions about nonprofit consultants
What does a nonprofit consultant do?
A nonprofit consultant brings outside expertise to a defined organizational challenge. Depending on the specialty and engagement, that can include research, strategy, facilitation, technical advice, training or hands-on delivery. Define the expected outcome before choosing a provider.
How much does nonprofit consulting cost?
There is no single useful price for every kind of nonprofit consulting. Fees depend on the scope, project length, research and engagement needs, complexity and amount of implementation support. Ask each firm for its pricing model, what is included and what could trigger additional fees. Compare proposals on the same scope.
What is the difference between strategic planning and retreat facilitation?
A retreat is one part of a planning process. Facilitation helps a group have productive conversations and make decisions during those sessions. A broader strategic planning engagement may also include research, stakeholder engagement, strategy development, plan drafting and implementation systems. Confirm the boundaries of the engagement before you hire.
Should we hire a local nonprofit consultant?
A local consultant is not always necessary. It depends on how much your engagement relies on lived local expertise, community relationships and an understanding of local context. Many consultants, including Prosper Strategies, will travel to you and spend time in your community and at your organization. Ask how a prospective partner will learn about your community, build trust with stakeholders and combine in-person participation with virtual work.
Can we create a strategic plan without a consultant?
Yes, if your team has the time, skills and structure to lead the work. Outside support can be especially useful when you need research capacity, an independent facilitator or help navigating difficult choices. For organizations planning internally, our Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox offers tools and guidance.
Firm descriptions reflect public website information reviewed November 4, 2026. Services and availability may change. The firms are grouped by specialty, and their order is not a comparative ranking.
