NCNE offers a unique consultancy service to nonprofits that want to enhance their overall economic viability or face particular challenges in how they secure and use resources. NCNE's consultancy teams of two or three people always combine academic and practitioner perspectives, with one or two team members always being selected from NCNE's Research networks.

NCNE can help nonoprofit boards, leaders and managers  with the following kinds of issues:

• Business planning.
• Income strategies.
• Earned income strategies
• Pricing of nonprofit services
• Outsourcing.
• Managing and measuring performance.
• Endowment and investments.
• Cost management.

The impact of NCNE consultation:

• A nonprofit based in Muskegon, Michigan, engaged in teaching young people about philanthropy, has changed its structure and legal status in order to provide itself with far more room to maneuver and greater access to resources; it has also won a significant amount of pro bono public relations consultation.
• A community based human services organization in Washington D.C. adopted better ways of framing decisions about program using a tool provided by NCNE that relates mission to money.
• An Arboretum in Battle Creek, Michigan has upgraded its computers and networked them; its programs are all reviewed regularly using a matrix recommended by NCNE after the consultation visit; it has tripled its contracting and consulting revenues, and completely overhauled its accounting and reporting system.
• A youth development group in St. Paul’s Minnesota has been enabled to develop a formal fundraising plan and has analyzed each of its program activities in light of NCNE recommendations.
• A new nonprofit that supports children in a deprived part of Eastern St. Louis won a significant new donation and was able to create a new supporting group of business people.

An independent evaluation of a consultancy for four nonprofits in Richmond, VA. found that: "Three rated the assistance from NCNE as “excellent” and one rated it as “good” (on a five-point scale: excellent, good, average, fair, and poor). The assessment served as an outside perspective of organizational strengths and areas to focus on. The consultation was viewed as 'incredible and energetic.'" 

                    
If you would like to know more about how NCNE can help your nonprofit through a consultation, please contact Richard Brewster at richard@nationalcne.org.