We're Relatable
We Loved the Mission. The Job Was Not Built to Last.
We know what it feels like to love the mission and still quietly wonder how long you can keep doing the job.
To give your nights, your weekends, and your nervous system to work that matters. To be skilled and committed, and still feel stretched thin. To realize the system will always ask for more.
This is not burnout because you “couldn’t handle it.” It is nonprofit roles that were never designed to be sustainable for the people inside them.
Two Dream Jobs That Quietly Became Unsustainable
Cat was a program officer at a $500M private foundation. Her days began before sunrise and ended just in time for bedtime. She handed her daughter to a babysitter in the morning and carried the weight of that decision all day.
When panic attacks and depression showed up, it became clear that pushing through was no longer strength. It was self-abandonment.
Julia was a Director of Advancement in Washington, D.C., managing a $7M budget and leading a team of ten. Twelve-hour days were normal. The pressure was relentless.
Eventually, stress put her in the hospital. That moment forced a hard truth. This could not be the only way.
On paper, these were dream jobs. In real life, they were not sustainable.
Consulting Was the Practical Next Step
We did not 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 deep experience. Organizations were already asking for our strategy and support.
What we did not anticipate was this:Â Nonprofit jobs do not teach you how to run a business.
The Part No One Prepares You For
When nonprofit professionals start consulting, they do not just change roles. They change identities.
Suddenly, you are responsible for positioning, pricing, marketing, sales, scope, and delivery. You are not only doing the work anymore. You are running a business.
Most nonprofit roles never teach you how to build clear offers, price with confidence, sell without money shame, protect scope, or create predictable revenue.
So even highly capable professionals end up with underpriced projects, inconsistent clients, blurred boundaries, and income that feels unstable.
This is not a talent problem. It is a business foundation problem.
Why Relatable Nonprofit Exists
When we started consulting in 2021, we went looking for answers the way most smart people do.
We hired a business coach who did not understand nonprofits. We joined communities for nonprofit consultants and found connection, but no clear roadmap. We booked networking calls with other consultants and realized many were figuring it out as they went.
We listened to podcasts, attended webinars, and read the books. We spent significant time and money learning the hard way because there was no nonprofit-specific system that tied it all together.
Once we built a real foundation and executed consistently, everything changed.
We grew our consulting firm to $300,000 in annual revenue and built a business that felt structured, professional, and sustainable.
That turning point became Relatable Nonprofit.
What We Built
Relatable Nonprofit exists because nonprofit professionals deserve both freedom and impact.
Through our Mentorship, we teach the consulting operating system we wish existed when we started. It gives you the foundation most consultants skip so you can build with clarity and momentum instead of trial and error.
At the core, we help you build clear positioning, practical pricing, a predictable pipeline, and strong client boundaries so your business supports your life, not consumes it.
Because doing good work should not cost you your life.
XO
Cat & Julia
Our Mission
Relatable Nonprofit helps former nonprofit professionals build consulting businesses that work in real life. We teach consultants how to price their work appropriately, find clients consistently, and deliver projects with clear scope and boundaries, so their income is steady and the work is sustainable.
Our Vision
We envision a nonprofit sector where experienced professionals can continue doing mission-driven work without burning out or under-earning, and where nonprofits can access high-quality expertise through professional consulting partnerships.
Our Why
Nonprofit professionals are trained to do excellent work, not to run businesses. When they move into consulting, many are expected to figure out pricing, marketing, sales, and client management on their own.
As a result, even skilled consultants can struggle with inconsistent income, unclear boundaries, and work that feels harder than it should.
Relatable Nonprofit exists to teach the business fundamentals nonprofit jobs do not, so consulting becomes a stable, professional career path and nonprofits receive better, more effective work.
