Our team can help you thoughtfully position your organization to grow and sustain its resources over time. We work with development teams and leaders from a variety of sectors, guiding budding major gift programs and established fund development operations alike. Our consultants bring decades of front-line fundraising experience, innovative ideas, and solid systems to each engagement.

We can help you establish fundraising policies and plans, launch new revenue strategies and programs, identify and evaluate potential donors, develop cultivation and solicitation strategies and skills, and create stewardship plans that nurture and strengthen donor relationships.

We provide full service support with grants— researching opportunities, project management, program design, writing, editing, quality assurance and submission. We specialize in helping our clients navigate highly complex public funding opportunities and also focus on private and corporate foundation grants of all shapes and sizes. Our team can offer targeted help to build grant writing skills and capacity within your own team.

We write grant proposals that are technically correct and highly readable; provide capable project management and exacting quality assurance throughout; and make the grants process manageable, sane, and even enjoyable. We interpret the nuances of an RFP, research best practices, think through the program design with you, and help you construct budgets.

We can help you plan and launch a campaign to fund your visionary effort and raise an ambitious amount of money within a specific period of time. Our consultants can support with campaign strategy and implementation: we offer systems to keep campaign ambassadors organized, a timeline tailored to your campaign, a process for prospective donor pipeline development (including prospect research and screenings through iWave), coaching for campaign leadership in navigating gift conversations and soliciting generous gifts, and a framework for developing a compelling case for support for your campaign.

We help nonprofits and education-focused organizations assess, explore, and implement the ethical, human-centered usage of generative AI. We provide coaching in using AI, building projects and custom tools, and working effectively and responsibly to integrate AI into nonprofit workflow and operations. We specialize in helping organizations develop and implement responsible AI Acceptable Use Policies for their organizations.

We can provide organizations with full service finance and accounting support, including accounting systems development, implementation, maintenance, and ongoing oversight; fiscal policies and procedures development; organizational budget development and review; balance sheet and income/expense reconciliations; preparation of financial statements for tax filing requirements; assistance with sales tax filing and SOS/SLEB filing; accounts review and monthly management reports preparation; grant invoicing and accounts receivable monitoring; accounts payable management; cash flow projections preparation and monitoring; budget vs actuals tracking; and fiscal sponsorship separation.

We help organizations develop a thoughtful approach to board recruitment and onboarding. We also design engaging board retreats and custom trainings and presentations to support board members in a variety of ways. We specialize in helping leadership volunteers engage in fundraising and cultivate a culture of philanthropy among their teams.

We offer a 20-session training program for new Development Directors. The course teaches fundraising strategies in all areas of fund development and prepares clients to lead their organization’s contributed revenue program. Clients will learn new knowledge and skills, have access to a library of templates and resources, and receive ongoing coaching as they step into their new role.

Collective Agency consultants work with clients to build broad-scale communications strategy, plans, and implementation. We help clients convey the importance of their work and their projects. And we can put strategies in place to ensure stories are heard by kindred people. Our team has helped organizations create newsletters, publish pamphlets and brochures, reimagine their websites, plan fundraising appeals, devise campaigns, and more.

We assist organizations with the practical aspects of setting up their nonprofit, including transition from fiscal sponsors, incorporating, obtaining 501(c)(3) status, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. We establish HR systems, including employee policies, onboarding, and payroll, as well as assist with selecting and securing necessary insurance coverage. Our services also include setting up accounting systems, creating budgets, and providing ongoing financial oversight. Additionally, we support organizations in building their governance structure by assisting with board recruitment and development.

We are skilled at gathering data and synthesizing diverse perspectives to help you see the big picture and make strategic and informed decisions.