Nonprofit Management Fund

What Nonprofit Management Fund does

The Nonprofit Management Fund (NMF) is a Milwaukee-based collaborative grant-making organization established in 1994 by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Helen Bader Foundation (now Bader Philanthropies), and Faye McBeath Foundation as a three-year pilot to strengthen nonprofit infrastructure. It operates as a donor-advised fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation rather than as an independent 501(c)(3), functioning as a "virtual organization" with minimal overhead and a single Fund Advisor. NMF pools contributions from 10 funding partners — foundations, corporations, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County — contributing $500,000 to $750,000 per year, with cumulative contributions exceeding $9.9 million since inception.

NMF's core products are Technical Assistance Grants ($1,000–$10,000 per award) for capacity-building projects such as governance, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and organizational assessment; the Greater Milwaukee Nonprofit Capacity-Building Training Cohort (a 3–6 month peer-learning program serving 10–20 nonprofits per cycle); and the NCAP Organizational Assessment delivered through 13 certified consultants. Specialized cohorts include Jumpstart Capacity Building (with Network for Good) and a Consultants of Color Training Cohort (with AALAM and the Society of Process Consultants). Technology is sourced from third parties — GrantInterface for applications, Tidycal for Fund Advisor consultations, and Wix for the public site — with no proprietary platform layer.

Grantees must be 501(c)(3) organizations with annual operating budgets between $25,000 and $3 million, incorporated for at least two years and serving Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, or Waukesha counties. NMF funded approximately one-third of grant requests received each year, with awards over $8,500 requiring an organizational financial match. Revenue is not commercially derived; it reflects funder contributions and is deployed directly through grants, training cohorts, and consultant subsidies, with management and overhead absorbed largely through Greater Milwaukee Foundation's administrative infrastructure.

Name

Nonprofit Management Fund

Legal name

Nonprofit Management Fund

Website

https://nonprofitmanagementfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Nonprofit Management Fund is a Milwaukee-based collaborative grant-making organization, established in 1994 and operating as a donor-advised fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, that pools contributions from foundations, corporations, and United Way to provide capacity-building grants ($1,000–$10,000), training cohorts, and organizational assessments to small and mid-sized 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Capacity Building Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit capacity building
• Technical assistance grants
• Nonprofit governance training
• Organizational assessment services
• Collaborative grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Nonprofit Management Fund is a collaborative grantmaking organization that provides capacity-building grants ($1,000 to $10,000) to small and medium-sized 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the Greater Milwaukee area for technical assistance in governance, planning, training, and organizational assessment. It complements grants with structured training cohorts and connections to vetted consultants through the Nonprofit Capacity Assessment Partnership (NCAP).

Product overview

The Nonprofit Management Fund operates as a collaborative grant-making organization offering a unified portfolio of capacity-building products and services. The core offerings include Technical Assistance Grants ($1,000-$10,000) for nonprofit capacity building, the Greater Milwaukee Nonprofit Capacity-Building Training Cohort (peer-learning program), and the NCAP Organizational Assessment (system-level evaluation). These are complemented by specialized programs like Jumpstart Capacity Building℠ (in partnership with Network for Good) and the Consultants of Color Training Cohort. Fund Advisor Consultation services support applicants throughout the grant process. The organization serves small to medium-sized 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the Greater Milwaukee area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Assistance Grants Project-specific, nonrenewable grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for capacity-building technical assistance in governance, management, professional facilitation, and organizational alternatives. Available to 501(c)(3) organizations with annual operating budgets between $25,000 and $3 million serving Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, or Waukesha counties.
• Greater Milwaukee Nonprofit Capacity-Building Training Cohort A structured peer-learning program serving 10-20 nonprofits over 3-6 months, combining expert-led training sessions, cohort-based learning, resource toolboxes, and follow-up coaching on topics including governance, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and technology.
• NCAP Organizational Assessment A systematic review of an organization's structure, processes, management, and work environment conducted by trained NCAP-certified consultants. The assessment covers up to 10 areas of management, governance, and operations, including surveys, interviews, document reviews, and a tailored summary report delivered to the Board.
• Jumpstart Capacity Building A year-long training cohort and mentoring program provided in partnership with Network for Good, offering integrated tools, planning frameworks, and one-on-one coaching to help nonprofits increase fundraising capacity, diversify revenue, and sustain programs.
• Consultants of Color Training Cohort A 6-week professional development program developed in collaboration with the African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee and the Society of Process Consultants, designed to help new or soon-to-be nonprofit and small business consultants of color develop professional support systems. Participants can earn the Certified Process Consultant credential.
• Fund Advisor Consultation One-on-one advisory services provided by the Fund Advisor to help applicants understand grant guidelines, criteria, and reporting requirements, review applications for due diligence, and identify organizational needs. Includes scheduling via Tidycal for consultations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $9.9 million in grants distributed to nonprofits since 1994
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nonprofit Capacity Assessment Partnership (NCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to deliver Next Generation organizational assessments. NCAP provides trained cohort of 13 consultants certified in organizational assessment methodology and licensed by Nonprofit Lifecycle Institute.
• Network for Good (Jumpstart Capacity Building)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMF is a collaborative partner, subsidizing 7-8 local nonprofits annually to participate in Jumpstart Capacity Building program since 2018.
• African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee (AALAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing the Consultants of Color Training Cohort program for professional development of new nonprofit and small business consultants of color.
• Society of Process ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Consultants of Color Training Cohort, providing curriculum on process consulting methodology and credentialing.
• Nonprofit LiftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides capacity-building and support resources including consultant directory and hiring guidance referenced by NMF for grantees seeking technical assistance providers.
• Scholz Nonprofit LawminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in webinar series on nonprofit restructuring options providing legal and strategic perspective for nonprofit leaders.
• HueLifeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead facilitator for Strategic Planning Cohort on culture change and strategic transformation for nonprofits.
• Mental Health America of WIminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost organization for Executive Director Peer Wellness program - a 10-month trauma-informed wellness initiative.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Compass Point Nonprofit Services: Provides capacity-building training, consulting, and resources to nonprofits nationally with a similar mission of strengthening nonprofit management and leadership. Directly comparable focus on nonprofit infrastructure improvement through cohort learning and consulting services.
• The Cleveland Foundation: Regional community foundation that operates a variety of capacity-building grant programs for Greater Cleveland nonprofits, including technical assistance and organizational development grants. Comparable structure as a community foundation aggregating funder dollars for local nonprofit support.
• BoardSource: National organization focused on nonprofit governance capacity building, referenced via NMF's Nonprofit Resources page. Comparable focus on strengthening nonprofit boards and leadership, addressing overlapping content areas like governance development.
• Nonprofit Lift: Core strategic partner of NMF that hosts the consultant directory referenced for grantees seeking technical assistance. Provides capacity-building resources for Southeast Wisconsin nonprofits, directly overlapping with NMF's target geography and service offerings.
• Surdna Foundation: Private foundation with explicit focus on nonprofit infrastructure and capacity-building grants for grantees, particularly in the Strong Local Economies and Successful Mid-Sized Cities programs. Comparable funder model targeting organizational effectiveness of nonprofits.
• Nonprofit Capacity Assessment Partnership (NCAP): Core strategic partner of NMF delivering Next Generation organizational assessments with 13 trained consultants. Direct operational peer in delivering capacity assessment services to nonprofits in the same geography.
• Network for Good: Provider of Jumpstart Capacity Building, the cohort-based fundraising capacity program NMF has subsidized local nonprofits to participate in since 2018. Directly comparable delivery model of training cohorts for nonprofit fundraising and capacity building.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, resources, and capacity-building support across all 50 states. Larger and broader in scope than NMF but shares the mission of strengthening nonprofit organizational effectiveness.
• Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): Major nonprofit infrastructure organization providing data, research, and tools for the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. Overlaps with NMF's role in connecting nonprofits to resources, though operates at a much larger national scale.

Regional players

• Forefront (formerly Donors Forum): Regional association of grantmakers serving Illinois and neighboring states with capacity-building support for nonprofits and member foundations. Comparable intermediary capacity-builder focused on a different but adjacent Midwestern geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nonprofit Management Fund