We're the advisory, research, and development firm behind foundations, nonprofits, and community institutions that want evidence behind every decision and working software behind every plan. First we help you decide; then we build what it takes to deliver.
Advice without evidence is opinion. Evidence without tools stays on the shelf. We do all three, so what we learn advising you becomes evaluation you can defend and software you can use, and what those measure sharpens the advice.
Research-driven strategy, board governance, program design, and funding readiness for foundations, nonprofits, and community institutions. We bring evidence to the decisions you are accountable for.
Formative and summative program evaluation, theory of change and logic models, outcome and impact measurement, and independent third-party evaluation. We turn what you do into evidence funders and boards trust.
We build tailored solutions, not off-the-shelf products: custom dashboards, impact and grant reporting, case management, and assessment tools shaped to how your organization actually works. Our own workplace 360, Cairn, is the first.
NELCRUM Solutions is a consulting firm that partners with mission-driven organizations to build strategy, capacity, and evidence. Our team brings over a decade of public- and nonprofit-sector experience, and, having worked as both funders and applicants, we understand from the inside what makes an organization sustainable, effective, and fundable.
Our work spans organizational strategy, board governance, program design and evaluation, research design, and qualitative & quantitative analysis, translating rigorous social science into practical, measurable results. Funding readiness is an outcome of stronger organizations, not the starting point.
Advice is easy to give and hard to prove. We treat every engagement like a study, establishing a baseline, agreeing on what success looks like, and measuring the change, so the value of the work is visible to you, your board, and your funders.
Typical grant-readiness scores at intake vs. after a NELCRUM engagement.
A blended view across our active clients.
We don't start with a proposal; we start with evidence. Every engagement moves through the same arc: understand where you really stand, decide what matters most, then build the capacity to sustain it.
We map where your organization actually stands, through data, candid conversation, and our own diagnostic tools, not assumptions.
We translate findings into a prioritized, realistic roadmap: the few moves that will move the needle, sequenced for your stage and capacity.
We work alongside your team to strengthen strategy, governance, systems, and skills, so the gains outlast the engagement. Funding readiness follows naturally.
A nonprofit foundation in Atlanta was ready to scale but needed transformational funding. We sharpened the case for support, matched them to the right funder, and shaped a winning proposal.
We helped a fellow nonprofit design and land partnerships and corporate sponsorships, opening a durable new revenue stream dedicated to their scholarships program.
Cairn is our own workplace 360: a structured, multi-source assessment that gives leaders and teams an honest read on how they're working together, and a clear, prioritized path to improve.
A funder was tracking its portfolio across scattered spreadsheets. We're designing a tailored dashboard to give program officers a single, real-time view of grantees, milestones, and outcomes.
We partner with mission-driven organizations across sectors, from grassroots startups to established institutions.
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Board governance, strategic planning, program development, and grant management: the strategy and capacity behind every mission that lasts.
Book a consultation →Detailed prospect research to identify up to 20 viable funding opportunities aligned to your mission, plus a tailored grants calendar.
Competitive, funder-tailored proposals, from statement of need and master template to a reusable grant-language repository and submission.
A comprehensive review against the funder's guidelines, with line-item edits and clear notes to strengthen your case for funding.
We assess your organization and compile a detailed action plan for the development that makes you ready to pursue and manage funding with confidence. It's now free for every organization we work with.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis, plus independent third-party evaluation for grants that require it.
Eight governance and financial policies funders, auditors, and the IRS expect, with what a strong version of each should cover.
Open the checklist →Free diagnostics and builders for grant seekers and their teams. The best way to start a conversation with us.
Open the tools →Diagnostics are a core pillar of how we work: practical instruments that turn fuzzy questions into a clear picture and a confident next step. All three are free to start, and they're how our best engagements begin.
Sixteen questions across governance, finances, compliance, and impact, the same areas funders scrutinize. Get an instant readiness score, a breakdown by category, and your top gaps to close.
Six quick questions about your funding goals, budget, and reach. We turn your answers into a shareable funding-research brief, the starting point for finding the right funders.
Ten quick statements across the six dimensions our Cairn 360 measures: trust, communication, recognition, growth, clarity, and wellbeing. Get an instant workplace-health score and the one area to focus on first.
Tell us about your organization and where you want to go. We'll be honest about where we can add the most value, and we can begin immediately when it's a good fit.
Your note is in front of our team. We'll be in touch at the email you provided within two business days.
The people who know you, friends, family, a partner, reflect honestly and anonymously, and you get a warm, strengths-first picture of how you really show up. Built by NELCRUM on the same evidence-led approach we bring to every organization.
Answer 16 quick questions about how your organization is run. There are no wrong answers, just an honest read on where you stand, and what to strengthen next. Nothing is stored or shared.
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Book a strategy consultation and we'll turn your results into a detailed, prioritized roadmap to close every gap and start responding to funding opportunities with confidence.
Six quick questions about what you're raising for and who you serve. We'll turn your answers into a clear brief you can share with us to kick off prospect research. Nothing is stored.