What Big Duck does

Big Duck is a Brooklyn-based professional services agency that provides strategic communications consulting exclusively to nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1996 and operating under the legal entity Big Duck Studio, Inc., the firm offers four interconnected service lines: Brands (brand strategy, naming, visual identity, messaging, and website strategy), Campaigns (fundraising, recruitment, anniversary, and advocacy campaign development), Planning (communications and donor engagement planning, including department assessment and hiring support), and Trainings and Workshops (capacity-building through webinars, cohort learning, and coaching). The agency serves nonprofits across at least a dozen subsectors, including foundations, social justice, health, education, arts and culture, international/humanitarian, and faith-connected organizations, with clients such as the International Rescue Committee, The Public Theater, Guttmacher Institute, National Brain Tumor Society, and the American Friends Service Committee.

The firm operates as a worker-owned cooperative since 2021, with leadership held by Co-Directors Farra Trompeter and Claire Taylor Hansen alongside additional worker-owners, and has no external parent company or institutional investor. Big Duck's business model is project-based, quote-priced professional services sold through direct consultative engagement, typically initiated via website inquiries, referrals, or content-marketing touchpoints (podcast, blog, ebooks, newsletter, open houses, conference speaking). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-client with no resellers, and the firm markets itself primarily through thought leadership — including the Smart Communications podcast, the "Brandraising" book, and a library of downloadable guides — which also functions as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel for nonprofit decision-makers.

Name

Big Duck

Legal name

Big Duck Studio, Inc.

Website

https://bigduck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Duck is a Brooklyn-based, worker-owned communications agency that provides branding, campaign, planning, and training services exclusively to nonprofit organizations across foundations, social justice, health, education, and other cause areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Branding and Communications Consulting: Big Duck generates revenue through project-based consulting engagements with nonprofit organizations. Services include brand strategy development, campaign creation, communications planning, and training workshops. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to each client's needs and scope of work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Big Duck is a worker-owned communications agency that provides strategic branding, campaign development, communications planning, and training services exclusively to nonprofit organizations. Their work spans audience research, brand strategy, visual identity, fundraising and advocacy campaigns, and capacity-building workshops tailored to the nonprofit sector.

Product overview

Big Duck is a worker-owned cooperative communications agency that provides strategic communications services exclusively to nonprofit organizations. The company offers four interconnected service areas: Brands (brand strategy and visual identity development), Campaigns (fundraising, recruitment, and advocacy campaign development), Planning (strategic communications planning), and Trainings and Workshops (capacity building through training programs). The services work together to help nonprofits clarify their brand strategy, develop compelling campaigns, and build organizational communications capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brands Brand strategy and development services for nonprofit organizations, including audience research and profiles, brand strategy, naming and tagline development, logo and visual identity systems, brand architecture, messaging development, rollout planning, and website strategy and design consulting.
• Campaigns
• Planning
• Trainings and Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• International Rescue Committee reported increase in donor retention for both monthly donors and midlevel donor groups after launching new giving brands
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Great BelieverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Believer collaborated with Big Duck on the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation project to develop an identity and website. They also partnered on the Access Justice Brooklyn project to bring the brand and website to life. Great Believer is a creative agency that works alongside Big Duck on specific client engagements.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• M+R: M+R is one of the largest nonprofit marketing and communications agencies in the U.S., providing branding, digital fundraising, advocacy, and campaign strategy. It is the most direct scaled competitor to Big Duck in nonprofit-focused communications consulting.
• Blue State: Blue State is a digital agency that works with nonprofits, advocacy groups, and progressive causes on fundraising, branding, and CRM-driven campaigns — overlapping directly with Big Duck's nonprofit communications offering.
• Forum One: Forum One is a digital agency that builds websites, branding, and online communities for nonprofits and associations. It competes directly with Big Duck in nonprofit branding and digital strategy engagements.
• Orr Group: Orr Group provides fundraising, marketing, and communications consulting to nonprofits, similar to Big Duck's campaigns and planning services. It serves many of the same type of mid-to-large nonprofit clients.
• Heller Consulting: Heller Consulting serves nonprofits with CRM, technology, and fundraising strategy consulting. It overlaps with Big Duck's nonprofit communications and capacity-building offerings, particularly on the operational side.
• Campbell & Company: Campbell & Company is a fundraising and nonprofit consulting firm offering campaign strategy, communications, and feasibility studies. It is comparable to Big Duck in serving nonprofit clients on campaign branding and fundraising communications.

Emerging players

• Whole Whale: Whole Whale is a smaller digital agency that helps nonprofits with websites, Google Ad Grants, and data-driven fundraising. It is comparable to Big Duck as a digitally oriented nonprofit marketing partner but at smaller scale.
• Media Cause: Media Cause is a nonprofit-focused digital agency providing branding, web, and digital advertising services. It competes with Big Duck in nonprofit branding and digital communications, though with a heavier digital-only focus.

Broad incumbents

• Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a broader philanthropic advisory firm working with nonprofits and foundations on strategy, program design, and operations. It overlaps with Big Duck at the high-end nonprofit consulting and strategy level, though it covers a wider scope.
• The Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm offering strategy, organizational development, and fundraising advisory. It is a broader incumbent serving similar nonprofit clients, but at a more strategic/board-level scope than Big Duck.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigduck
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-duck
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigducknyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigduck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Big Duck