Excellence in Giving

What Excellence in Giving does

Excellence in Giving, LLC is a private, faith-based philanthropic advisory and research firm headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, operating since 2002 as a subsidiary of OneAscent following its March 2025 acquisition. The firm delivers full-service philanthropic advisory to high-capacity families, individuals, foundations, corporations, and financial advisors through a structured four-phase process: Discover, Evaluate, Participate, and Celebrate. Its core technology asset is the Nonprofit Analytics database, a curated repository covering 600+ U.S. charities with 175 data points each, refreshed annually and accessed via subscription on analytics.excellenceingiving.com. The EIG Insights research division, augmented by the 2024 acquisition of Edessa Research, provides monitoring & evaluation consulting, theory of change development, program evaluations, and causation-based impact studies for Christian Relief, Development, and nonprofit organizations across 12 sectors and 30 countries. Additional products include the Certified Transparent Seal, the annual Nonprofit CEO Compensation Study, a Member Dashboard for tracking nonprofits, and a monthly Philanthropy Newsletter.

Excellence in Generating revenue combines two streams. The advisory business operates as a custom, quote-based professional services engagement with high-capacity families (primary segment) and institutional clients. The analytics business monetizes the database through a credit-based subscription: 1 credit for $1,500, 4 credits for $5,000, and 10 credits for $10,000, payable as pay-as-you-go, with members able to download Nonprofit Analytics, purchase Evaluations (1-page green/yellow/red assessments), and follow nonprofits for real-time updates. Distribution occurs through direct enterprise advisory sales, a self-serve digital platform, and a nonprofit self-submission funnel that feeds the database with Certified Transparent Seal applicants.

Since founding, the firm states it has assisted clients with more than $850 million in domestic and international charitable gifts. The leadership team remains founder-led: Al Mueller as CEO and Chief Philanthropy Officer at OneAscent, Kate Williams-Whitley as EIG Insights co-founder, Kristen Check as VP of EIG Insights post-Edessa acquisition, and Paul Penley as Director of Research. The firm is BBB-accredited and has been featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Philanthropy Roundtable, and World Magazine.

Name

Excellence in Giving

Legal name

Excellence in Giving, LLC

Website

https://excellenceingiving.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Excellence in Giving is a faith-based philanthropic advisory firm that combines a curated Nonprofit Analytics database (600+ charities, 175 data points each) with full-service advisory for high-capacity families and institutions, operating as a subsidiary of OneAscent since March 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Advisory Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Philanthropic advisory services
• Nonprofit due diligence
• Charity analytics database
• Monitoring and evaluation consulting
• Faith-based philanthropy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Advisory Services: Full-service philanthropic advisory services to high-capacity families and individuals, providing clarity and confidence in charitable giving decisions.
2. Nonprofit Analytics Subscription: Subscription-based access to the Nonprofit Analytics database, with credit-based purchasing for analytics downloads and evaluations. Members can follow nonprofits for real-time updates and request new analytics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Excellence in Giving is a faith-based philanthropic advisory and research firm that provides full-service advisory engagements (Discover, Evaluate, Participate, Celebrate) to high-capacity families and institutions making strategic charitable gifts. The firm also operates a proprietary Nonprofit Analytics database covering 600+ charities with 175 curated data points each, sold via subscription credits for nonprofit due diligence. EIG Insights, the firm's research division, delivers monitoring and evaluation consulting for international development nonprofits.

Product overview

Excellence in Giving is a full-service philanthropic advisory and research firm offering a portfolio of interconnected products centered on its EIG Analytics Database. The core platform provides Nonprofit Analytics (2-page charity evaluation reports with 175 data points) and Evaluations (1-page green/yellow/red assessments). The subsidiary EIG Insights delivers monitoring & evaluation consulting services. The Certified Transparent Seal allows nonprofits to demonstrate accountability. Additional offerings include the annual Nonprofit CEO Compensation Study, a Member Dashboard for tracking followed nonprofits, and a monthly Philanthropy Newsletter. Services are delivered through a subscription-based model (Buy 1 Credit for $1,500, Buy 4 Credits for $5,000, Buy 10 Credits for $10,000) targeting high-capacity donors, family foundations, and advisors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EIG Insights: Research division of Excellence in Giving providing evaluation and program services, including monitoring & evaluation consulting for international development non-profit organizations

Products and services

• EIG Analytics Database Subscription Subscription-based searchable database providing Nonprofit Analytics for 600+ charities with 175 curated data points per organization, updated annually. Members can search by topic, location, people served, leader, or organization name, request new analytics for any U.S. charity, follow nonprofits for real-time updates, and purchase independent evaluations.
• Nonprofit Analytics Reports Two-page summary reports delivering strategy, operations, and impact data for charities, including 15 organizational highlights per organization. Aimed at donors who want concise due diligence information updated annually for hundreds of 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Charity Evaluations One-page bullet-point reports using green, yellow, and red ratings to assess the strengths and weaknesses of any nonprofit's leadership, strategy, finances, and impact. Sold per evaluation (1-2 credits each) to advisors and donors needing independent assessments of nonprofit quality.
• EIG Insights Research Services Research and consulting division offering monitoring and evaluation services to international development and Christian nonprofit organizations, including theory of change development, program evaluations, causation-based impact evaluations, and market research, with experience across 12 sectors and 30 countries.
• Excellence in Giving Certified Transparent Seal A mark of integrity awarded to nonprofits that submit to Excellence in Giving's due diligence review covering strategy, leadership, finances, and impact, signaling transparency to high-capacity donors who use the platform for due diligence.
• Philanthropic Advisory Services Full-service philanthropic advisory engagement structured around the Discover, Evaluate, Participate, and Celebrate framework, providing high-capacity families and institutions with purpose discovery, grantee evaluation, gift optimization, participation oversight, and impact celebration. Delivered directly by the firm's advisory team on a relationship basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $850 million in domestic and international charitable gifts facilitated since 2002
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• OneAscentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025OneAscent acquired Excellence in Giving in March 2025. Excellence in Giving continues to operate in Colorado Springs under its current brand as a subsidiary of OneAscent. Al Mueller continues as CEO of Excellence in Giving and also serves as Chief Philanthropy Officer at OneAscent. OneAscent, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a family of Kingdom-minded companies delivering faith-based financial solutions. The acquisition reflects shared commitment to empower stewards to live aligned with their values.
• Edessa ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024EIG Insights (EIG's research division) acquired Edessa Research in July 2024 to expand its monitoring & evaluation consulting capacity for international development nonprofits. Edessa Research, founded by Kristen Check, had specialized since 2018 in serving the international development and humanitarian sector. Edessa brings a team with over 15 years of M&E experience across 12 sectors and 30 countries. Kristen Check now serves as VP of EIG Insights.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundation Source: Provider of foundation management services and philanthropic administration for private foundations. Comparable in serving high-capacity families and individuals seeking outsourced foundation expertise at a fraction of in-house cost.
• TCC Group: Consulting firm serving foundations and nonprofits with strategy, evaluation, and capacity-building services. Closely comparable to EIG Insights in providing monitoring & evaluation and program assessment services.
• ID Insight: Monitoring & evaluation and evidence-building organization focused on international development. Closely comparable to EIG Insights' international development M&E practice, though broader and secular rather than faith-based.
• Arabella Advisors: Philanthropic advisory firm providing strategy, due diligence, and impact evaluation to high-capacity donors and foundations. Comparable in offering bespoke advisory services, though broader and secular rather than faith-focused.
• National Christian Foundation: Largest Christian philanthropic advisory and giving fund provider in the U.S., facilitating donor-advised gifts to faith-based nonprofits. Directly competes with Excellence in Giving's faith-based family advisory model and shares the same high-capacity donor and Christian nonprofit target market.
• Geneva Global: Philanthropic advisory and impact evaluation firm working with major donors on international development and faith-based giving. Closely comparable to EIG Insights in particular, with shared focus on program evaluation and donor strategy in relief and development.

Emerging players

• GiveWell: Nonprofit evaluator identifying high-impact charities through rigorous evidence assessment. Comparable to EIG Evaluations and Analytics in providing donor-facing charity assessments, though focused on international development impact rather than faith-based giving.

Broad incumbents

• Candid (formerly GuideStar + Foundation Center): Largest free nonprofit information provider in the U.S., aggregating data on millions of nonprofits. Competes directly with EIG Analytics as a primary due diligence source but at free or low cost and with significantly shallower curated data points per charity.
• Charity Navigator: Established nonprofit rating and evaluation platform covering thousands of charities. Competes with EIG Analytics for donor due diligence mindshare with publicly available ratings; less depth on the 175 data points but vastly greater coverage.
• The Bridgespan Group: Major nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm advising high-capacity donors and foundations on strategy and impact. Comparable in targeting institutional philanthropic clients, though with broader scope and Boston-based rather than faith-focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eigphilanthropy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/excellence-in-giving-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Excellence in Giving