501 Commons
501 Commons is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides capacity-building consulting, training, and platform services — including finance, HR, IT, management consulting, and executive coaching — to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations annually across the Pacific Northwest and nationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 501 Commons does
501 Commons is a Seattle-based nonprofit capacity-building organization founded in 1989 that provides consulting, training, and platform services to other nonprofit organizations across the Pacific Northwest and the broader United States. Its core service portfolio spans five professional service lines: financial management and bookkeeping (including Form 990 preparation), HR partner services and consulting, IT managed services and cybersecurity (including Salesforce development), management consulting (planning, facilitation, board development), and coaching and executive advising. The organization complements its paid consulting with a free Nonprofit Advisory Services function that delivers 30-minute advisory sessions, a vetted Nonprofit Resource Directory of third-party consultants and service providers, and Learning Connections, a self-serve resource library for nonprofit professionals that also serves as a listing marketplace for training providers and employers.
The technology stack is described as standard business tooling with Salesforce CRM for client and donor management, supported by a website-driven service delivery model. The organization operates the Washington Gives (WAGives.org) fundraising platform, including the GiveBIG giving-day campaign, which functions as a regional donation infrastructure for Washington state nonprofits. Service delivery is primarily direct, supplemented by Executive Service Corps volunteers — a network of 550+ experienced professionals donating skills-based consulting capacity, operating under a national affiliation with Executive Service Corps-United States (26 affiliate organizations, 1,600 members, 100,000 annual volunteer hours).
501 Commons operates a hybrid revenue model. Earned revenue comes from fee-for-service consulting across all five service lines, subscription listing fees for Resource Directory inclusion, training registration fees and training-provider listings on Learning Connections, and transaction-related fees from the WAGives platform. A substantial share of the operating budget is grant and donation revenue from major institutional funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, Seattle Foundation, Social Venture Partners, United Way of King County, and Boeing. Pricing on consulting engagements is custom and project-based; specific price points are not publicly disclosed. The organization reports serving over 1,000 nonprofit clients annually across diverse verticals, with a "new chapter" leadership transition underway as of 2025.
501 Commons firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 501 Commons
- Legal name
- 501 Commons
- Website
- https://501commons.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 501 Commons is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides capacity-building consulting, training, and platform services — including finance, HR, IT, management consulting, and executive coaching — to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations annually across the Pacific Northwest and nationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
501 Commons industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where 501 Commons is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
501 Commons business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting Services - Financial: Fee-for-service financial management consulting including bookkeeping, financial management, and related services to nonprofit organizations.
- Consulting Services - Technology: IT consulting, managed services, Salesforce development and maintenance, and cybersecurity services provided on a fee basis.
- Consulting Services - HR: HR Partner services and consulting for nonprofit organizations.
- Consulting Services - Management: Management consulting including planning, facilitation, board development, and governance services.
- Leadership Development Services: Coaching and executive advising services for nonprofit leaders and emerging leaders.
- Learning Connections Subscriptions: Training programs, career development resources, and learning opportunities for nonprofit professionals. Also includes fees from training providers for listing opportunities.
- Washington Gives Platform: Fundraising platform services including GiveBIG and fundraising advisors for nonprofits.
- Free Nonprofit Advisory Services: Free advisory services funded by grants and donations, serving as a gateway to paid consulting engagements.
- Resource Directory Listing Fees: Fees charged to consultants and service providers for listing in the Nonprofit Resource Directory.
- Donations and Grants: Support from foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, Boeing, and others to fund free services and operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Nonprofit Advisory Services |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Fee-for-Service Consulting |
| Subscription | Annual | Resource Directory Listings |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
501 Commons product offering
Product offeringCore offering
501 Commons is a nonprofit capacity-building organization that delivers fee-for-service consulting in financial management, technology, human resources, management, and leadership development to other nonprofit organizations. It supplements paid consulting with free Nonprofit Advisory Services, the Learning Connections training and career platform, the Washington Gives (WAGives) online fundraising platform, and a Nonprofit Resource Directory, while relying on an Executive Service Corps of 550+ volunteer professionals to staff engagements.
Product overview
501 Commons is a nonprofit capacity-building organization offering a portfolio of consulting and subscription services to the nonprofit sector. Its core offerings span coaching and executive advising, data solutions and Salesforce consulting, bookkeeping and financial management, fundraising platforms (including Washington Gives/GiveBIG), HR partner services, management consulting, IT managed services and cybersecurity. The organization also operates a free Nonprofit Advisory Services function and maintains Learning Connections, a resource library for nonprofit professionals. A Network of local service provider listings and an Executive Service Corps volunteer program complement the direct service model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves over 1,000 nonprofits annually with free and low-cost services
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use 501 Commons
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
501 Commons technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
501 Commons partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Executive Service Corps-United Statescore501 Commons is an affiliate of the national Executive Service Corps-United States network, which includes 26 organizations with 1,600 members contributing 100,000 volunteer hours to more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations across the country. This affiliation provides access to the Service Corps volunteer model and peer organization network.
- Salesforce FoundationsupportingCorporate foundation providing technology platform support and potentially discounted or donated Salesforce CRM licensing for nonprofit clients.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
501 Commons competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TechSoup: TechSoup provides technology products, services, and training to nonprofits globally — directly comparable to 501 Commons' technology consulting, managed services, and Salesforce/capacity-building offerings, though with a stronger tech-only specialization.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: CompassPoint is a California-based capacity-building nonprofit offering leadership development, executive coaching, fundraising, and consulting to other nonprofits — a near-identical service model to 501 Commons, serving the same customer segment in a different region.
- NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network): NTEN is a membership organization serving nonprofit professionals with technology training, certification, and community resources — directly comparable to 501 Commons' Learning Connections platform and IT/capacity-building services for the nonprofit sector.
- BoardSource: BoardSource provides governance training, board recruitment, and leadership resources to nonprofit boards — directly overlapping with 501 Commons' board development, governance training, and management consulting offerings.
- National Council of Nonprofits: National Council of Nonprofits is a network of state and regional nonprofit associations providing advocacy, resources, and capacity-building support to nonprofits — comparable mission and customer base to 501 Commons, though focused more on advocacy and policy than direct consulting.
- La Piana Consulting: La Piana Consulting provides strategy, organizational development, and executive transition services to nonprofits — a direct peer to 501 Commons' management consulting, board development, and executive coaching lines.
Emerging players
- Candid (formerly Foundation Center): Candid provides data, tools, and training for the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, including the Foundation Directory — comparable to 501 Commons' Nonprofit Resource Directory and Learning Connections platform, though Candid is more research-and-data focused.
- NetHope: NetHope is a coalition of international nonprofits working on technology and digital transformation — overlapping with 501 Commons' IT managed services, Salesforce consulting, and cybersecurity offerings for the nonprofit sector.
Broad incumbents
- Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a leading nonprofit and philanthropic consulting firm offering strategy, organizational development, and advisory services — comparable to 501 Commons' management consulting and leadership development lines, but serving larger, higher-budget clients.
Regional players
- The Giving Practice: The Giving Practice is the consulting arm of Philanthropy Northwest, providing capacity-building and philanthropic advisory services to nonprofits and funders in the Pacific Northwest — a regional peer with a directly comparable service portfolio to 501 Commons.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
501 Commons social profiles
Digital presence501 Commons financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
501 Commons leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
501 Commons funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
501 Commons 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 501 Commons
What does 501 Commons do?
501 Commons is a nonprofit capacity-building organization that delivers fee-for-service consulting in financial management, technology, human resources, management, and leadership development to other nonprofit organizations. It supplements paid consulting with free Nonprofit Advisory Services, the Learning Connections training and career platform, the Washington Gives (WAGives) online fundraising platform, and a Nonprofit Resource Directory, while relying on an Executive Service Corps of 550+ volunteer professionals to staff engagements.
Is 501 Commons a public or private company?
501 Commons is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 501 Commons founded?
501 Commons was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 501 Commons based?
501 Commons is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does 501 Commons make money?
Ten revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services - Financial is the primary driver. The others are consulting Services - Technology, consulting Services - HR, consulting Services - Management, leadership Development Services, learning Connections Subscriptions, washington Gives Platform, free Nonprofit Advisory Services, resource Directory Listing Fees and donations and Grants.
Who are 501 Commons's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TechSoup, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network), BoardSource, National Council of Nonprofits and La Piana Consulting. Emerging players are Candid (formerly Foundation Center) and NetHope. Bridgespan Group is listed as a broad incumbent. The Giving Practice is listed as a regional player.
Does 501 Commons have an API?
No public API is recorded for 501 Commons.
What industry is 501 Commons in?
501 Commons's product category is Nonprofit Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8600.