About Relatable Nonprofit
Relatable Nonprofit helps nonprofit consultants build businesses with steady clients and income. I'm Catalina Parker, the founder.
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My nonprofit career looked perfect on paper
At 24, I became a program officer at a $500M foundation, in the top 1% of private foundations in the country by assets. In the nonprofit world, that's like landing a job at Goldman Sachs. I gave away millions of dollars to incredible nonprofits, made good money, and was set for life.
But a few years in, I felt dead inside. I loved nonprofit work, and I'd done everything I was supposed to do with my career. So why wasn't I happy?
By then, I was a new mom, and my job kept me from being as present as I wanted to be. My marriage was struggling. Then my body started saying no. I had health problems, but I kept pushing through until I was having panic attacks every day.
You can love the mission and still hate the job. I did.
Consulting was my lifeline, but I had to learn the business side
In 2021, I left my job to start consulting. I didn't want another 9-to-5. I wanted time with my daughter, a chance to rebuild my marriage, and room to take care of my health. I loved mission-driven work, and I knew I could help nonprofits.
My first clients came from people I knew, and I brought in more than $100,000 in my first year. But eventually I tapped out my network, and referrals weren't a pipeline anymore. I needed a real way to market and sell.
So I invested in support: programs, courses, and coaches. Some were worth every penny. Some weren't. But most business advice wasn't built for consultants selling to nonprofits, where buyers have budgets, boards, grant cycles, and no time.
And I had zero boundaries with clients. I answered their emails at all hours and said yes to everything. I'd started my business for a better life, but I was rebuilding the same job I'd walked away from.
Nobody was teaching how to build a nonprofit consulting business that lasts: offers priced right, marketing and sales that work with nonprofit buyers, tight scopes of work, and boundaries that protect your life. I learned it the hard way.
I didn't want other consultants to figure it out alone. So in 2024, I started teaching what I'd learned.
Why I started Relatable Nonprofit
Nonprofit people are some of the kindest people I know, and many of them are burned out. They often think it's their fault. It isn't. It's the system, and it's pushing talented people out of the sector.
Consulting isn't for everyone, and nonprofits will always need strong in-house teams. But for experienced people who want to keep serving on better terms, consulting can be a way to stay.
The catch is that most nonprofit consultants are experts at the work but were never taught how to run a business. That's not a talent problem. It's a business structure problem. And business skills can be learned.
When the business side works, consultants make good money, and money isn't the opposite of mission. It lets them support their families, be generous, and keep doing meaningful work without the feast-or-famine cycle. Their clients win too: organizations that can't afford a full-time specialist get experienced help without the cost of another salary. That makes the whole sector stronger.
Why I'm the right guide
Nearly $1M
in revenue since starting my business in 2021. I've done what I teach.
170+
nonprofit consultants helped. I've seen where businesses get stuck and what fixes it.
380+
consultants surveyed for the 2026 report, which shows me what's working beyond my own business.
Nonprofit insider
I've raised money for nonprofits and given it away. I know how they choose who to hire and what makes them trust a consultant. I also have a master's in nonprofit management from Columbia.
Strengthen the business side of your consulting work
In the Mentorship, I work with you one-on-one for six months on your offers, marketing, sales, client delivery, and operations.