Six-month program · 100+ nonprofit professionals have joined
Build a nonprofit consulting business with steady clients and income
For nonprofit professionals who've decided to make consulting work. Over six months, we build the business behind your expertise together: your offers, marketing, sales, client delivery, and operations.
You know nonprofit work. Nobody taught you to run a business.
You've spent years raising money, leading programs, or running organizations. Maybe you were laid off, maybe you're consulting on the side, or maybe you've already made the leap. Either way, maybe this sounds familiar:
- You can do a lot of things, so you call yourself a generalist, and people aren't sure what to hire you for.
- You're not sure what to charge, and charging what you're worth feels uncomfortable.
- Your clients come from people who already know you, and reaching out to anyone else feels kind of gross.
- The work comes in waves: too busy, then nothing.
- Some days you wonder whether you can really make consulting work.
- You've taken the courses and read the books, and now you have more ideas than decisions.
You keep going around in circles, figuring it out alone. You don't have to.
How we build it together
You know what to work on next, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
1
A clear roadmap
A step-by-step plan for building your business, in order. You get the short lessons and templates you need for what you’re working on, so you’re never starting from a blank page.
2
One-on-one strategy sessions
Get feedback on your actual work, like your offers, pricing, website, and proposals, and someone to make the big decisions with.
3
Peers who understand
A live group call every week with other nonprofit consultants building their own practices, so you get feedback and stay on track.
Results from the Mentorship
It works if you work it.Read Erin's storyJamie McDonaldJamie spent 10 years as an executive director, but she'd never had to package her skills into services or decide what her experience was worth. New to business, she joined the Mentorship and launched her consulting practice in less than three months. She signed her first retainer client five months in.
Really worth it, worth every penny.Read Jamie's storyJohn GattisJohn had been freelancing for about two years, mostly for past employers, but it didn't add up to a business he could grow. He narrowed his niche and started moving toward value-based pricing. As he got more visible, new clients followed, and one contract became an ongoing relationship.
Having this structure [in the Mentorship] has allowed me to get so much more done than I otherwise would have.Read John's storyShelby SchmidtShelby loved fundraising, but as a director of development with two young kids and growing travel, she needed to do it on terms that fit her life. So she built her own fractional fundraising practice.
I received my very first business payment, and it nearly covers my full investment in Relatable Nonprofit.Read Shelby's story
Your results depend on your experience and the work you put in.
Who you'll work with
Hi, I'm Cat. I was a program officer at a $500M foundation, and I knew the nonprofit world inside and out. When I left to start consulting, I knew nothing about running a business. I learned it the hard way.
Since 2021, my business has generated nearly $1 million in revenue. Now I help nonprofit professionals like you build the business behind your expertise, without the years of guessing. 100+ nonprofit professionals have joined the Mentorship so far.
What we build together
The five foundations every nonprofit consulting business needs, built in order. Each one builds on the last.
1
Offers
Your niche, services, and pricing. Already consulting? We take stock of what you sell now and keep what’s most profitable.
2
Marketing
Your positioning and messaging, a client-ready LinkedIn or website, and one marketing channel to focus on.
3
Sales
Warm and cold outreach, proposals, and sales calls that turn conversations into clients.
4
Client delivery
Scope and boundaries, client communication, managing your time, and renewals and referrals.
5
Operations
Your numbers, your systems and AI tools, and when to hire help.
Six months to build all five, together.
What's included
- A kickoff call so you start with a clear plan
- Monthly 30-minute one-on-one strategy sessions, booked when you need them, to make your big decisions
- A weekly live group call, including quarterly visibility and pipeline challenges, to get feedback and stay on track
- The Business Roadmap and 50+ templates so you never start from a blank page
- Messages between calls, answered within 2 business days
- A private online space with other nonprofit consultants for feedback, support, and shared opportunities
$2,997 for six months
Pay in full, or split it into payments with Klarna at checkout.
How to join
1
Apply
Answer a few short questions about your business. It takes about 5 minutes.
2
Book a call
We’ll look at where your business is and where you want to take it. If it’s not the right fit, we’ll tell you.
3
Start
If it’s right, you enroll and we book your kickoff.
Is the Mentorship right for you?
It's for you if you:
- Have years of nonprofit experience
- Have decided consulting is your career
- Are already moving: laid off and building, consulting on the side, or recently full-time
- Can commit to the weekly call plus a few hours of work each week for six months
It's not the right fit if you:
- Are still deciding whether to leave your job or whether to consult
- Want consulting as occasional extra income
- Want someone to bring you clients or build the business for you
- Are looking for a quick fix
Questions about the Mentorship
I was just laid off, or I'm consulting on the side of my job. Is this for me?
Yes, if you've decided consulting is your path. Many people join after being furloughed or laid off, when they're on the brink of burnout, or while consulting quietly on the side of a job or another responsibility, like caregiving. If you're still deciding whether consulting is right for you, it's too early to join.
I've been consulting for years. Is this too basic for me?
No. Having clients doesn't mean the business is easy to run. You might still be customizing every service, pricing case by case, or relying on referrals. We start with what your business needs most.
Will this work for my specialty?
Yes. People in the Mentorship come from fundraising, executive leadership, finance and operations, programs and evaluation, communications, and more. Whether you call yourself a consultant, a coach, or a fractional leader, if you sell services to nonprofit organizations, the same business foundations apply. We tailor them to your expertise.
How is this different from a course or a business coach?
A course gives you information and leaves you to figure it out on your own. Most business coaching isn't built for consultants who serve nonprofits, or led by someone who's actually done what you're trying to do. The Mentorship is led by Cat, who had the nonprofit expertise and had to learn the business side the hard way. We review your actual business and make decisions with you.
Will this help me get clients?
That's the goal. We work on every step that gets you clients: your offers, outreach, proposals, and sales calls, with feedback along the way. People in the Mentorship have landed clients, and you can read their stories above. It's not a guarantee. You still do the outreach and the follow-up.
How much does it cost?
The Mentorship is $2,997 for six months. You can pay in full or split it into payments with Klarna at checkout. Figuring it out by trial and error costs money too: underpricing, chasing the wrong clients, or waiting months to land work. The Mentorship is built to help you avoid those mistakes. On your call, we'll talk through whether it's the right fit. If it's not, we'll tell you.
How much time does it take, and what if I miss a call?
Plan on the weekly call plus a few hours of work each week. Calls are recorded, so you can catch up if you miss one. Strategy sessions are booked when you need them, so the program fits around your life.
What happens after the six months?
You won't be on your own. You graduate with a plan for what's next, and you can stay on in the Community, our membership for Mentorship graduates, with the weekly calls and a one-on-one strategy session when you hit a new decision point. Questions before you apply? Email support@relatablenonprofit.com.
Ready to build your consulting business?
You've decided consulting is your path. You don't have to figure it out alone.