We're Relatable
We Loved the Mission—But the Job Wasn’t Built to Last
We know what it’s like to love the mission but feel trapped by the job.
To give everything—your nights, your weekends, your nervous system—only to realize the system will always ask for more.
To be skilled, capable, and committed… and still feel stuck, stretched thin, and unsure how long you can keep doing this.
Two “Dream Jobs” That Quietly Became Unsustainable
Cat was a program officer at a $500M private foundation. She left before sunrise, handed her daughter to a babysitter, and came home just in time for bedtime. The constant guilt of choosing between motherhood and a career was unbearable. When panic attacks and depression showed up, it was clear: something had to change.
Julia was a Director of Advancement in D.C., running a $7M budget and leading a team of ten. Twelve-hour days. Constant pressure. The stress eventually landed her in the hospital. That’s when she knew this couldn’t be the only way.
On paper, these were dream jobs. In real life, they weren’t sustainable.
Consulting Was the Practical Option
We didn’t leave because we wanted to escape work.
We left because our lives were changing, and the jobs no longer fit.
Consulting made sense. We had the skills. The demand was there.
But we quickly learned something most nonprofit professionals don’t expect:
Nonprofit jobs don’t teach you how to run a business.
The Part No One Prepares You For
When nonprofit professionals start consulting, they don’t just change jobs. They change roles.
Suddenly, you’re not only doing the work—you’re running a business. And most nonprofit jobs never teach you how to:
- Turn your skills into a clear offer
- Price your work with confidence
- Sell without feeling weird about money
- Scope projects so they don’t spiral
- Build steady income you can count on
So even talented, experienced professionals end up stuck with:
- Underpriced projects
- Inconsistent clients
- Unclear boundaries
- Income that feels unpredictable
It’s not a skill issue. It’s a business foundation issue.
Why Relatable Nonprofit Exists
When we started consulting, we did what most people do.
We Googled. We joined free online communities. We took notes from every “expert.” We booked endless networking calls with other consultants, hoping someone had cracked the code.
We invested in coaches and programs too—but most business advice wasn’t built for nonprofit consulting. It didn’t account for nonprofit budgets, grant cycles, long decision timelines, or how often scope gets muddy inside mission-driven work.
So we pieced it together the hard way—through trial and error that cost time, money, and unnecessary stress.
Relatable Nonprofit is the resource we wish we had back then.
We help nonprofit professionals fast-track the business side of consulting—offers, pricing, sales, scope, and systems—so you can build a stable, professional consulting practice without wasting years figuring it out alone.
Meet the Team
Catalina Parker
Co-Founder & CEO
With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector—as an employee, funder, and consultant—Catalina brings a deep, well-rounded perspective to her work as Co-Founder and CEO of Relatable Nonprofit. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from American University and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. Catalina is passionate about helping nonprofit professionals build values-driven consulting businesses that create impact on their own terms. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, two kids, and their dog. Outside of work, you’ll find her needlepointing, traveling, arranging flowers, or doing strength training at the gym.
Katie Rathburg
Executive Assistant
Katie is the Executive Assistant at Relatable Nonprofit, where she helps ensure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes and our community feels fully supported. Originally from the beautiful Southeastern region of Michigan, she now lives in sunny South Carolina with her husband, three kids, two dogs, and two cats. She holds a degree in Business Management from Rochester College and brings both heart and precision to her work with our team and clients. Outside of work, Katie enjoys practicing pilates, singing, and scouting out the best local spots for lattes.
Our Mission
Relatable Nonprofit helps nonprofit professionals build consulting businesses that earn steady, salary-replacing income. We do this by teaching the business skills nonprofit jobs don’t teach—like pricing, selling, structuring services, and setting up systems—so consultants can stop guessing and start earning.
Our Vision
We envision a nonprofit sector where:
- Experienced professionals can earn a living as consultants without burning out or underpricing themselves
- Consulting is treated as professional infrastructure, not improvised labor
- Nonprofits can access high-level, targeted expertise without relying on unsustainable employment models
In this future, nonprofit consulting is stable, respected, and well-designed—for both consultants and the organizations they serve.
Our Why
Most nonprofit consultants are former nonprofit employees. They’re experienced, mission-driven professionals. But at some point, a traditional nonprofit job stops fitting their life—because of burnout, layoffs, lack of growth, or a major life shift like parenting, caregiving, or relocating.
Consulting becomes the practical option.
The problem? Nonprofit jobs don’t teach people how to run a business.
So new consultants are expected to price, sell, manage clients, and build steady income—without training. Many struggle not because demand isn’t there, but because they’re winging the business side.
We exist to make nonprofit consulting a stable, professional path—not a financial gamble.
When consulting is structured:
- Consultants earn reliable income
- Nonprofits get clearer, better work
- Experienced talent stays in the sector
That’s the work we’re here to do.
