How We Work
From financial monitoring to financial empowerment.
We help institutional funders and nonprofit leaders build a shared understanding of what financial health actually looks like, using seven research-backed archetypes instead of generic benchmarks.
Private & Community Foundations
Deepen your partnership with grantees. Know exactly which organizations are built to grow versus which are built to sustain, and support them accordingly.
Banks & Credit Unions
Achieve CRA compliance goals with community investments that create measurable stability in the local nonprofit ecosystem.
Corporate & DOD Partners
Turn "community relations" into measurable resilience. Prove your investment is strengthening the community infrastructure you rely on.
Hospital Systems
Meet community benefit requirements by targeting specific gaps in your local nonprofit network based on clear data.
If you're a nonprofit leader, every service below includes direct benefits for your organization, whether funder-sponsored or self-initiated.
Core Services
Portfolio Financial Health Assessment
A deep-dive analysis of 10–20 organizations to create a shared map of your ecosystem. We identify archetype patterns and assess portfolio-level risks to help you align your funding strategy with grantee reality.
For Funders
- Strategic Alignment: A clear view of which grantees are structurally aligned with your funding goals.
- Impact Baseline: We capture a "Day 1" snapshot of financial health so you can measure the actual impact of your support over time.
- Ecosystem Insight: See exactly what is missing in your portfolio (e.g., "We have excellent service providers but fragile infrastructure").
For Nonprofit Leaders
- Validation: Confirmation that their financial reality is a known business model, not a failure.
- Fairer Evaluation: They get measured against peers with the same model, not generic industry ratios.
- Advocacy Data: Language to articulate exactly what kind of support they actually need.
Grantee Strategy Cohorts
A 6-session empowerment program. We don't build tools for them; we teach them how to interpret their own reality. The curriculum splits focus between Internal Health (operations) and External Narrative (fundraising).
For Funders
- Measurable Growth: Pre- and post-program assessments showing improvements in financial literacy and strategic confidence.
- Resilient Partners: Grantees that understand their business model are better equipped to navigate economic shifts.
- High-Value Connection: You provide knowledge that transforms their leadership, creating a lasting partnership beyond the check.
For Nonprofit Leaders
- Measure What Matters (Internal): Training on how to identify the 3-4 metrics that actually predict success for their specific model.
- Tell the Story (External): Coaching on how to align their fundraising pitch and brand narrative with their financial reality and mission priorities.
- Peer Connection: A safe space to solve problems with other leaders facing similar challenges.
The "Shared Reality" Workshop
A half-day interactive event for your grantees (15-25 orgs). We introduce the Financial Forest framework and do live diagnostics in the room. It’s a fast, high-energy way to build a common language.
For Funders
- Ecosystem Snapshot: Aggregate data on which financial archetypes are dominating your room.
- Common Language: You and your grantees can finally talk about sustainability without confusion or jargon.
For Nonprofit Leaders
- Self-Discovery: Immediate clarity on their archetype and the primary risks they need to watch out for.
- Confidence: The relief of knowing their "unique" problems are actually predictable patterns they can solve.
Speaking & Thought Leadership
Keynotes & Sector Education
Research-driven presentations that empower audiences with new perspectives. Perfect for annual conferences, board retreats, or funder network meetings.
- The Diversification Myth: Why revenue stability matters more than variety.
- The Seven Archetypes: A field guide to what nonprofit financial health actually looks like.
- Empowered Leadership: How knowing your archetype transforms decision-making.
- For Board Members: What questions you should actually be asking your ED.
Research Portfolio
For Individual Nonprofits
We maintain a select portfolio of 3-5 individual organizations annually to serve as deep-dive research case studies. These engagements are designed for organizations facing a critical strategic pivot.
Who We Work With
We are looking for organizations that help us test the boundaries of our research. You might be a fit if:
- You are about to make a massive change (merger, huge grant, new business model).
- You are committed to outcomes measurement and transparency.
- You and your team champion solutions-oriented thinking and have a bias for action.
Note: Research Portfolio engagements are often co-sponsored by institutional funding partners, though direct applications are welcome.
Apply for Research Portfolio