Member Spotlight: Ellena Fortner Newsom
May 19, 2025
Mentorship Member Spotlight: Ellena Fortner Newsom, founder and owner of Nonprofit Bestie
We had the pleasure of interviewing Ellena Fortner Newsom for our Mentorship Member Spotlight. She’s the founder and owner of Nonprofit Bestie, a consulting firm that empowers women leaders of small to mid-size nonprofits with practical, time-saving tools to increase donor engagement and retention.
Tell us about your business! What inspired you to become a nonprofit consultant, and what’s the focus of your work?
I’m the founder of Nonprofit Bestie, and my mission is simple: empower nonprofit women leaders to embrace a retention-first framework that increases revenue and decreases burnout.
After 15 years in the sector—mostly spent in the weeds—I saw how often women-led teams were stuck doing everything, with little support, outdated systems, and no clear path forward. I created Nonprofit Bestie to change that.
My focus is on donor retention strategy, campaign planning, and making fundraising feel like something you can actually win at. Whether through audits, coaching, or strategy sprints, I help organizations build fundraising systems that are sustainable, scalable, and human-centered.
What’s a recent project you’re proud of? How did you help the nonprofit organization achieve its goals?
I recently partnered with Care for Life, a nonprofit working in Mozambique to end the cycle of poverty through family-based development. When I stepped in, they had big vision—but no real fundraising infrastructure.
I started with a comprehensive audit: CRM systems, donor communications, segmentation, you name it. I uncovered overlapping tech, limited outreach, and a donor base that hadn’t heard from them in far too long. After interviewing board members and analyzing their data, I delivered a full fundraising strategy that included individual giving, corporate sponsorships, and content leadership.
We launched a test campaign to re-engage lapsed donors—and it worked. Now we’re putting the long-term systems in place to support sustainable growth, starting with Giving Tuesday and a Q4 roadmap.
What advice would you give to new consultants just starting out?
Solve a specific problem. “Helping nonprofits” is too broad—what do you fix? When you get clear on that, marketing becomes easier and referrals flow faster.
And remember, your clients don’t care how smart you are. They care if you can make their life easier and their fundraising more effective. Lead with that.
How has being part of the Relatable Nonprofit Mentorship Community helped you grow your business?
I’m so grateful to be part of this group. It’s a space where you can show up exactly as you are—overwhelmed, experimenting, evolving—and still get expert support and encouragement. Honestly, it's been a sanity-saver. Consulting can get lonely, especially in the early days when you're juggling client work, lead generation, and all the backend business stuff. The Relatable community gave me a place to get feedback, vent, and stay grounded.
Relatable Nonprofit helped me stop second-guessing myself. Seeing other consultants grow in their own niches gave me permission to double down on mine. The advice is generous, the community is authentic, and the accountability has helped me stay focused on what matters: delivering real value to my clients while growing a business I actually enjoy running.
What’s next for you? Any exciting projects or goals you’re working toward?
I’m gearing up to help several clients plan and execute their Giving Tuesday campaigns, which means we're diving deep into segmentation, messaging, and retention strategies now—because success in Q4 starts months ahead.
I’m in the middle of scaling Nonprofit Bestie’s core offers, including a retention audit and strategy sprint. I’m also building out some low-cost digital products so fundraisers who can’t hire me 1:1 can still get the tools they need. And personally? My family and I are planning an international move to Ireland. It’s part dream, part reset—and I’m building a business that can come with me.
