Good consultants are hard to find
Especially local ones who know the nonprofit sector and your grantees' context.
Our answer941 consultants worldwide: mostly local, all nonprofit-experienced. We vet them, track their performance, and know them well.
For foundations
Your grantee capacity building partner
Nonprofit Builder gives foundations one managed way to strengthen their grantee portfolio. We identify what each organisation needs, connect it with the right vetted specialist, manage delivery from scope to payment, and give you clear visibility into progress, spend and outcomes. 941 vetted specialists, one contract, any grantee, anywhere.
941consultants
1,197grantees supported
48foundations
2017building since
The challenge
High-quality expert matches are hard to organize at scale
Matching one grantee with the right expert is doable. Doing it across a portfolio, with quality and follow-through every time, is hard. Three common obstacles, and our answers:
Managing it takes real capacity
Dozens of small contracts, invoices, and quality checks across countries and currencies.
Our answerOne annual contract. We handle matching, contracting, payments, and quality assurance.
Generic support doesn't stick
One-size-fits-all trainings and parachuted-in experts rarely change how an organization works.
Our answerEvery engagement is tailored (the grantee picks topic, expert and timing) and delivered by people who share their language and context.
The Nonprofit Builder way
How it works
1Identify
We start from each grantee's need, not a product. A needs discussion shapes the scope before anyone is matched.
2Connect
The right vetted specialist for the issue, the place and the language, chosen with the grantee. Grantees can also join our small-group training courses: around 20 a year, learning with peers.
3Manage
One annual agreement or grant, and a dedicated focal person who knows your grantees. We handle contracting, payments and follow-up. You approve every project before it starts and pay only for what's used, and you can top up anytime.
4Make visible
Through our CRM you see progress, budget and spend, and every grantee's feedback report as it comes in, across your whole portfolio.
By working with local experts, you're also strengthening the organizational development ecosystem in the regions you fund.
Funder guide · 2026 edition
Everything in detail, in one place
Our Funder Onboarding Guide walks you through every step: how to start, how to introduce the service to grantees, fees, quality control, risks and how we measure impact. It opens with answers to the 27 questions foundations ask us most.
What your grantees receive
Tailored support, in the form that fits
Delivered by locally based experts, managed by our support team. The grantee is always in the driving seat: they choose the topic, expert and timing, and we make it happen.
Consulting projects
A meaningful outcome, like a new strategy or HR system, at a pace the grantee can absorb.
Browse the catalogueExecutive and capacity coaching
Experienced coaches and thought partners for nonprofit leaders.
About coachingSmall-group training
Interactive online sessions with expert trainers and tangible takeaways, for 10 to 15 participants.
Our training coursesCustom cohorts
Blended learning journeys for groups with shared needs, like incubators or exit support.
About cohortsSharing this with grantees? Send them our page for nonprofits.
Outcomes
What the impacts are
Every project is tailored, but here's what a typical engagement delivers in each area. Grantees describe these results in their own words in our testimonials.
Strategy
A practical 3-year strategic plan and theory of change the whole team owns, with board and staff aligned on priorities and a roadmap they actually use.
Communications
A clear messaging framework and comms strategy, refreshed website and social presence, and the confidence to tell their story to media, supporters and funders.
Fundraising
A realistic fundraising strategy, a donor pipeline, and strong proposal templates, often leading to first institutional grants and more diversified income.
Leadership coaching
Leaders who delegate better, make decisions with confidence, prevent burnout, and navigate growth or transitions without losing their teams.
Monitoring, evaluation and learning
A right-sized MEL framework with meaningful indicators, simple data collection tools, and a first impact report that speaks to funders and communities alike.
HR and technology
Fit-for-purpose policies, a clear structure, fair feedback practices, working data and CRM systems, stronger digital security and practical AI workflows.
What I particularly appreciate about Nonprofit Builder is how it connects mission-driven organizations like ours with talented professionals who understand the unique challenges we face in the nonprofit sector.
I'm so very happy and grateful to have this service. It's actually near to the best thing a funder has ever given us.
Budget
How much should you budget?
One active grantee costs around $10,000 per year: a significant consulting project, or a mix of coaching and trainings, with everything included. So $100,000 supports 10 active grantees, $250,000 supports 25, and so on. Not all your grantees will be active every year; count on 30% or so. You only pay for what's used, and you approve every project before it starts.
| Three sample budgets | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual budget | $100,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| Grantees who complete significant work each yearA consulting project, coaching, trainings, or a mix, averaging $10,000 each | 10 | 25 | 50 |
| Portfolio you can coverEvery grantee gets access; in our experience ~30% are active in a given year | ~30 | ~80 | ~165 |
| Goes directly to consultants and trainers (70%) | $70,000 | $175,000 | $350,000 |
| NPB support and delivery (30%) | $30,000 | $75,000 | $150,000 |
VAT: 0% (international development cooperation services delivered abroad).
There are no other costs
70% of your budget goes directly to consultants and trainers, at cost. The remaining 30% covers everything NPB does around the work: consultant sourcing, grantee orientation and support, matching and quality assurance, contracting and payments in any country, a dedicated focal person who knows your grantees, training delivery, financial management, and narrative and financial reporting.
Good to know
- Projects are fairly sized. The sweet spot is 8 to 10 consulting days: enough for the consultant to know the grantee well, without being too much for the grantee to absorb.
- Your budget stays flexible. Funds move between consulting, coaching and training as your grantees' needs evolve.
- Our goal is simple: grantees who use the service should have enough to make the progress they aspire to.
Typical costs, for orientation
Consulting project~$6,000 to 8,000
8 to 10 consulting days at $800 to 1,000 per day, for a significant output: a strategy refresh, HR policies and systems, a fundraising plan.
See what grantees work onCoaching package~$2,500 to 3,000
10 sessions at a typical fee of $250 to 300 per session.
Training course$700 per seat
For full attendance in an online course of 4 sessions.
Our training coursesFAQ
Questions foundations ask us
The short answers. The funder guide has all 27 questions and every detail.
Can we choose which grantees get access, or does our whole portfolio get it?
It's your decision. We recommend offering it to your whole portfolio. Not all grantees will use it at once, maybe around 25% at the start, and you only pay for the support that's actually used. If you prefer, your program officers can introduce grantees one by one when a need comes up.
Do our grantees pick their own consultant, or do you assign one?
The grantee chooses. After a 30 to 45 minute needs call, we suggest two or three consultants per topic, based on their expertise, working methods, and cultural, language or regional fit. The grantee meets them and picks the one that fits best.
How much time and involvement does this take for our program officers?
It works best when program officers talk about organizational development openly with their grantees, then refer them to us. Once a grantee is referred, we take care of the rest. As the foundation's coordinator, you approve consulting projects before they start, usually a few each week, and twice a year the list of grantee staff signing up for training.
How do you vet consultants, and how do you check the quality of each project?
Most new consultants are referred by foundations, grantees or peer consultants we trust. We interview each one, check references, and every consultant follows our code of conduct. For every project we review the statement of work, collect grantee feedback at the end, and follow up a few months later to see what lasted.
Do we see the grantee's needs and weaknesses, or is that kept confidential?
The relationship between a grantee and their consultant or coach is private. You see the statement of work, which the grantee approves before it's shared with you, plus activities, budget use, final reports and feedback, all in your dashboard.
What happens if a project goes wrong, or a grantee wants to stop midway?
Our coordinators stay in touch with both sides and step in early. We can stop or revise a project at the planning stage, and grantees can stop midway if it loses relevance or the match isn't right. Anyone can raise a concern through our complaints policy.
How quickly can our grantees start once we sign?
Within a week of signature and first payment, we open your dashboard and assign your dedicated coordinator. A 45 to 60 minute orientation call with your team follows, and then grantees can start.
What does the NPB share of the budget cover?
For most programs, 70% goes to consultants, 15% covers program coordination and the management of each project, and 15% goes to platform maintenance and overhead. If we only act as a fiscal administrator, the fee is 10%.
It's been so great to have access to the NPB platform! From targeted 1-1 support and coaching for staff and leadership right through to tackling complex organisational development challenges, NPB has always delivered!
Let's talk
Start with a conversation
We'd love to learn about your grantees' challenges and co-design support that fits, whether you're piloting with a handful of grantees or thinking about a whole portfolio. Prefer to read first? Open the funder guide.
Anna KondratyukCEO, Nonprofit Builder
Write to me at anna@nonprofitbuilder.org, or book a 45-minute meeting.