Propel Nonprofits
Propel Nonprofits is a federally certified CDFI and capacity-building intermediary serving Minnesota and Midwest nonprofits through lending, accounting and strategic consulting, fiscal sponsorship, peer leadership programs, and an extensive nonprofit-finance resource library.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Propel Nonprofits does
Propel Nonprofits is a Minneapolis-based, federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) operating as a capacity-building intermediary for nonprofit organizations, primarily within the Minnesota and broader Midwest market. Founded in 1979, the organization provides an integrated suite of services spanning accounting and finance consulting, direct lending to nonprofits, strategic and governance consulting, fiscal sponsorship (generally at a 5–10% administrative fee on held funds), and peer-based executive development through its trademarked Leaders Circles® program. It also runs structured cohort learning programs, including Financial Leadership Cohorts and a Social Enterprise Accelerator Cohort, delivered via online platforms such as Eventbrite.
The underlying "technology" is principally a domain-specific content and tooling layer rather than a software platform. Propel maintains an extensive resource library — 37+ finance topics, 20+ board/governance resources, 12 strategy/planning resources — encompassing Excel-based templates (cash flow, restricted funds, balance sheet, IRS 990 Decoder), printable governance documents, and educational videos. Lending operations include participation structures such as a $1.2M loan alongside Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation to finance Women's Advocates' new domestic violence shelter.
The business model blends multiple revenue streams: transaction-based income from loan participations and lending, subscription/fees from training workshops ($70–$95 per seat) and fiscal-sponsorship managed services (5–10% of held funds), institutional and grant funding (including a $4.96M CDFI Fund award in 2023), and consulting/professional services revenue from strategic engagements. Distribution is sales-led and direct, anchored by a Minneapolis headquarters team and amplified through case studies, a content library, and a multi-channel social presence spanning LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Propel Nonprofits firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Propel Nonprofits
- Legal name
- Propel Nonprofits
- Website
- https://propelnonprofits.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Propel Nonprofits is a federally certified CDFI and capacity-building intermediary serving Minnesota and Midwest nonprofits through lending, accounting and strategic consulting, fiscal sponsorship, peer leadership programs, and an extensive nonprofit-finance resource library.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Propel Nonprofits industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Capacity Building Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)
Keywords
Where Propel Nonprofits is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Propel Nonprofits business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Lending/Loan Services: Propel Nonprofits makes loans to nonprofits of various sizes to strengthen and expand programs, manage cash flow, and finance real estate projects. Revenue generated through loan participation arrangements and lending activities.
- Training and Professional Development: Fees charged for workshops, webinars, and training sessions on nonprofit finance, governance, and management topics.
- Institutional Giving Management: Dana Mach serves as Institutional Giving Manager, likely managing grants and institutional partnerships.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Fiscal sponsorship program works with mission-driven organizations, projects, and collaborations. Generally charges 5-10% fee on funds held on behalf of sponsored projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Fundamentals of Nonprofit Finance Workshop |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Assessing Financial Health Workshop |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Dashboards Webinar |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fiscal Sponsorship Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Propel Nonprofits product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Propel Nonprofits is a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and nonprofit intermediary that provides capacity-building services and access to capital to other nonprofit organizations. Its offerings span five core service lines (Accounting & Finance, Lending, Strategic Consulting, Leaders Circles®, and Office Hours) complemented by paid training workshops, free webinars, cohort learning programs, and an extensive library of downloadable templates, guides, and videos covering nonprofit financial management and governance.
Product overview
Propel Nonprofits is a nonprofit intermediary organization and federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides a comprehensive suite of capacity-building services and access to capital to support nonprofits throughout their organizational lifecycle. The organization's offering consists of five core service areas (Accounting & Finance, Lending, Strategic Consulting, Leaders Circles®, and Office Hours) delivered alongside an extensive training program with cohort-based learning initiatives (Financial Leadership Cohorts and Social Enterprise Accelerator Cohort). The portfolio is complemented by dozens of downloadable resource templates, guides, and videos covering financial management, board governance, strategy planning, and fiscal sponsorship topics. Propel positions itself as a one-stop resource helping nonprofits link strategy, governance, and finance while providing both direct services and educational self-service tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Leaders Circles®: A professional development program for nonprofit leaders, both emerging and C-suite level, providing confidential peer discussions, idea testing, and networking opportunities.
Products and services
- Accounting & Finance Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Women's Advocates expansion adds 24 apartment-style units (72 beds), increasing Ramsey County domestic violence shelter capacity by 56%
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Propel Nonprofits
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Propel Nonprofits technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Propel Nonprofits partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Propel Nonprofits competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF): Minnesota-headquartered national CDFI providing capital to nonprofits and small businesses. Direct geographic peer with overlapping Minneapolis presence and complementary (broader) lending mandate.
- IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund): Midwest CDFI providing real estate lending and capacity-building services to nonprofits, primarily in Illinois and surrounding states. Closest geographic peer to Propel with comparable real estate and program lending focus.
Direct peers
- Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF): National CDFI providing lending and consulting to nonprofits. Most direct competitor to Propel, operating at a larger national scale with the same integrated capital-plus-advisory model.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit that provides capacity-building, consulting, leadership development, and research to nonprofits. Closest functional peer to Propel's consulting, training, and Leaders Circles-style offerings, though without the lending arm.
- BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on nonprofit governance, board development, and leadership. Comparable to Propel's Strategic Consulting and board governance training services, though specialized to governance.
- La Piana Consulting: National consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, executive transitions, and capacity building for nonprofits. Comparable to Propel's Strategic Consulting and leadership development offerings, with a national footprint rather than regional.
Broad incumbents
- Opportunity Finance Network (OFN): National CDFI intermediary and industry body representing 400+ CDFIs. Propel is a member/peer within OFN's network, and OFN provides comparable capital deployment and capacity-building infrastructure for the broader CDFI ecosystem.
- Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing capital and capacity-building support to underinvested communities. Operates at a much larger scale with similar lending-plus-advisory positioning, but with a broader geographic and sectoral footprint.
- National Council of Nonprofits: National network of state and regional nonprofit associations providing advocacy, resources, and capacity-building. Comparable sector positioning but focused on policy/advocacy rather than direct capital deployment like Propel.
Others
- Mission Investors Exchange: National network of foundations and impact investors deploying capital for mission-driven outcomes. Adjacent ecosystem player — not a direct competitor, but represents the broader pool of mission-aligned capital providers that informs Propel's CDFI lending strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Propel Nonprofits social profiles
Digital presencePropel Nonprofits compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Propel Nonprofits financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Propel Nonprofits leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Propel Nonprofits funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Propel Nonprofits M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Propel Nonprofits
What does Propel Nonprofits do?
Propel Nonprofits is a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and nonprofit intermediary that provides capacity-building services and access to capital to other nonprofit organizations. Its offerings span five core service lines (Accounting & Finance, Lending, Strategic Consulting, Leaders Circles®, and Office Hours) complemented by paid training workshops, free webinars, cohort learning programs, and an extensive library of downloadable templates, guides, and videos covering nonprofit financial management and governance.
Is Propel Nonprofits a public or private company?
Propel Nonprofits is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Propel Nonprofits founded?
Propel Nonprofits was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Propel Nonprofits based?
Propel Nonprofits is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Propel Nonprofits make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Lending/Loan Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Professional Development, institutional Giving Management and fiscal Sponsorship Services.
Who are Propel Nonprofits's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF) and IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund). Direct peers are Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, BoardSource and La Piana Consulting. Broad incumbents are Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), Capital Impact Partners and National Council of Nonprofits. Mission Investors Exchange is listed as an others.
Does Propel Nonprofits have an API?
No public API is recorded for Propel Nonprofits.
What industry is Propel Nonprofits in?
Propel Nonprofits's product category is Nonprofit Capacity Building Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAO, Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 8132 and its SIC code is 8300.