Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting

What Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting does

Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting (CMAC) is a privately held, boutique consulting firm founded in 2019 by Chris Marshall and headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, focused on alumni engagement, annual giving, and advancement strategy for colleges, universities, independent schools, and select non-profit organizations. The firm sells a portfolio of professional services and training products, including bespoke strategic planning engagements, the GPS Framework-led annual giving transformation practice, the Engagement Constellation Report (ECR) analytics offering developed with technology partner Tassl, micro-consulting products (Office Hours at $699, Alumni Engagement Strategy Lab at $499), live cohort courses (Integrated Advancement 101/102), and the National Alumni Survey (NAS) research initiative co-developed with Washburn McGoldrick, ParisLeaf, and RNL. Underlying technology is modest: CMAC does not sell a software platform and delivers services via Zoom and a Kajabi-hosted content and checkout infrastructure, with the ECR representing its primary analytics asset.

The business model is professional services with a tiered pricing structure. Strategic engagements and managed analytics are quote-based, while training and micro-consulting products carry public fixed prices. Go-to-market is primarily direct and consultative, supplemented by content marketing through the Alumless podcast, the CMAC Spotlight newsletter, and LinkedIn broadcasts, with CASE Educational Partner status supporting credibility and pipeline. CMAC monetizes a team of senior practitioners who previously led advancement at institutions such as Penn State, USC, Duke, Cornell, Lehigh, UC Berkeley, NC State, Syracuse, and Carnegie Mellon, converting their domain credibility into engagements and the 155,000+ alumni response NAS dataset into industry benchmarking assets. The firm operates with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding, and no parent company, with cumulative reach reported as 300+ institutional clients across the United States and select international markets including the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.

Name

Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting

Legal name

Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting

Website

https://cmac.me

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CMAC is a boutique advancement consultancy founded in 2019 that helps colleges, universities, and independent schools strengthen alumni engagement, annual giving, and advancement programs through proprietary frameworks, analytics, and the National Alumni Survey research initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting & Advisory Services: Engagements include strategic planning and roadmaps, executive assessments, engagement metrics and data strategy, interim and fractional leadership, campaign engagement strategy, and benchmarking. Delivered as custom consulting engagements with pricing upon request.
2. Micro-Consulting (Office Hours): Three-hour block of flexible consulting time delivered over one or multiple Zoom sessions, priced at $699 per session. Includes agenda-setting call, working session, and follow-up summary. Limited to two sessions per institution per calendar year.
3. Alumni Engagement Strategy Lab: A structured 2-hour virtual workshop delivered via Zoom by a CMAC consultant, priced at $499. Includes facilitation model, post-session synthesis summary, and access to Alumni Lighthouse partner community. Limited to one Lab per institution per quarter.
4. Integrated Advancement Workshops: Live virtual courses for advancement professionals: Integrated Advancement 101 ($499 per person) and Integrated Advancement 102 ($299 per person for introductory rate). Each session is a 2.5-hour live cohort-based course with digital workbook and networking. Limit four registrants per institution.
5. National Alumni Survey (NAS) Participation: Core survey participation at no cost for institutions; supplemental custom questions at $15,000; in-depth analysis at additional cost (pricing upon request). Collaborative study with Washburn McGoldrick and ParisLeaf.
6. Managed Services for Engagement Metrics: Modular analytics services including Engagement Constellation Report (full analytics solution), engagement mapping, CRM optimization, metrics framework development, campaign performance tracking, prospect identification, and visualization tools. Pricing varies by module and institution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting (CMAC) is a higher education advancement consulting firm that helps colleges, universities, independent schools, and non-profit organizations strengthen their alumni engagement, annual giving, and advancement programs. The firm sells strategic consulting engagements, micro-consulting blocks, virtual training workshops, and benchmark research products delivered virtually by a team of former senior advancement leaders using proprietary frameworks including the GPS Framework, Engagement Constellation Report, and 24-Point Assessment Framework.

Product overview

Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting (CMAC) is a professional services firm offering a portfolio of consulting services, training programs, research products, and digital content for the higher education advancement industry. The core offerings include: strategic consulting engagements (strategic planning, annual giving transformation using the GPS Framework, campaign engagement, team development, and interim leadership); the Engagement Constellation Report (ECR) analytics product developed with Tassl; micro-consulting services (Office Hours, Alumni Engagement Strategy Lab); professional development workshops (Integrated Advancement 101 and 102); the National Alumni Survey (NAS) research initiative; and content products including the Alumless podcast and CMAC Spotlight newsletter. CMAC does not offer a software platform but provides human-delivered consulting and training services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alumless: CMAC's flagship podcast exploring ideas, strategies, and stories shaping the future of alumni engagement and advancement. Hosted by Ryan Catherwood and Chris Marshall.
• Alumless World
• National Alumni Survey (NAS)

Products and services

• Strategic Planning & Assessment Services Long-term engagement strategy aligned to institutional goals and campaign priorities, using a three-phase planning process: Discovery, Collaboration, and Testing; serves colleges, universities, and independent schools.
• Annual Giving Transformation (GPS Framework) CMAC's proven model for transforming annual giving programs into strategic donor development engines via the proprietary GPS Framework, helping clients achieve quick wins while laying the foundation for long-term growth; designed for advancement leaders at colleges and universities.
• Engagement Constellation Report (ECR) A data-driven visualization tool that maps alumni engagement across an institution's ecosystem, benchmarked against CASE AEM standards and peer institutions, helping advancement teams identify opportunities and make data-driven decisions; developed in partnership with Tassl.
• Advancement Team Development Coaching, training, and interim leadership support for advancement teams during transitions or times of change, including fractional leadership solutions; serves colleges, universities, and independent schools.
• Campaign Engagement Strategy Engagement plans that support philanthropic goals and drive donor pipeline growth, aligning with campaign themes and institutional priorities at colleges and universities.
• Volunteer Management & Alumni Board Consulting Strategic partnerships for volunteer programs and board engagement, focusing on clear roles, governance, alignment, and leadership pipeline development at higher education institutions.
• Benchmarking & Field Assessments Peer institution comparisons, resource and staffing model analysis, and digital strategy evaluations to help institutions learn from the field; serves higher education advancement teams.
• Career Pathways A practice area helping higher education institutions build infrastructure that turns classroom learning into career readiness, connecting students, alumni, employers, and donors through systems and partnerships.
• CMAC Office Hours A 3-hour block of flexible, custom consulting time delivered over one or multiple Zoom sessions, providing targeted strategic support for advancement professionals; includes agenda-setting call, working session, and follow-up summary; priced at $699 per session.
• Alumni Engagement Strategy Lab A 2-hour structured virtual workshop delivered via Zoom designed to help teams pressure-test existing alumni engagement efforts, surface new opportunities, and align around shared priorities; priced at $499 per session for 1-5 people.
• Integrated Advancement 101 A 2.5-hour live virtual course covering foundations and trends in alumni engagement and annual giving for early-career staff, career changers, and new hires in advancement; priced at $499 per person and limited to four registrants per institution.
• Integrated Advancement 102 A practical cohort experience focused on real-world case studies and innovative engagement strategies for graduates of IA 101, early-career managers, and team leaders in alumni engagement and annual giving; priced at $299 per person (introductory rate).
• National Alumni Survey (NAS) An annual nationwide alumni engagement and philanthropy research initiative co-developed with Washburn McGoldrick and ParisLeaf; core participation at no cost to institutions, with supplemental custom questions available at $15,000 and in-depth analysis at additional cost.
• Engagement Metrics Managed Services Modular managed analytics services including engagement mapping, CRM optimization, metrics framework development, campaign performance tracking, prospect identification, and visualization tools designed for higher education advancement teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• NAS collected over 155,000 alumni responses since inception; over 82,000 in 2026 alone, representing 31 participating institutions.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Washburn McGoldrickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashburn McGoldrick is a presenting partner and co-developer of the National Alumni Survey (NAS) alongside CMAC and ParisLeaf. Bonnie Devlin, Managing Principal of Washburn McGoldrick, contributes commentary on NAS findings and the partnership enables CMAC to offer large-scale benchmarking services to client institutions.
• ParisLeafcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParisLeaf is a co-developer of the National Alumni Survey (NAS) alongside CMAC and Washburn McGoldrick. Chad Paris, founder of ParisLeaf, contributes thought leadership to NAS reports and the partnership provides CMAC with a creative and strategic design partner for the initiative.
• TasslcoreTechnology or IntegrationTassl, founded by Melissa Schipke (who also serves as CMAC's Metrics Practice Lead and Senior Consultant), developed the Engagement Constellation Report (ECR) in partnership with CMAC. Tassl provides the technology platform powering CMAC's signature analytics solution, integrating engagement data visualization into CMAC's service offerings.
• RNL (Ruffalo Noel Levitz)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNL (Ruffalo Noel Levitz) is listed as a CMAC Strategic Partner. Sarah Kleeberger of RNL is a co-founder of the National Alumni Survey. The partnership connects CMAC with RNL's survey analytics capabilities and client network in higher education advancement.
• Protopia (Alumless)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProtopia is a Presenting Sponsor of the Alumless podcast series. This sponsorship provides marketing and financial support for CMAC's flagship content series, increasing reach and production quality of the podcast.
• AlumniqminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlumniq is a Presenting Sponsor of the Alumless podcast series, providing marketing and financial sponsorship that supports CMAC's content and thought leadership initiatives.
• CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMAC is a CASE Educational Partner. Howard Heevner serves on the CASE Commission on Philanthropy, and CMAC team members including Paul Clifford serve as faculty at CASE's Summer Institute for Alumni Relations. This partnership positions CMAC within the premier professional association for advancement professionals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A): Larger fundraising and advancement consulting firm where founder Chris Marshall was formerly SVP and Managing Director. Directly comparable in alumni relations, annual giving, and campaign strategy services to higher education and non-profit clients.
• Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL): Large higher education enrollment, fundraising, and alumni engagement consulting firm. CMAC lists RNL as a Strategic Partner and co-develops the National Alumni Survey with RNL alumni, underscoring direct overlap in advancement services and benchmarking research.
• CCS Fundraising: International fundraising and campaign management consulting firm with significant higher education practice. Comparable to CMAC in alumni engagement strategy and campaign-readiness work.
• Marts & Lundy: Fundraising and advancement consulting firm specializing in campaign planning, feasibility studies, and alumni engagement. Direct competitor in the advancement consulting niche.
• Washburn & McGoldrick: Higher education advancement and alumni relations consulting firm co-developing the National Alumni Survey with CMAC. Direct overlap in alumni engagement strategy and benchmarking services for colleges and universities.

Broad incumbents

• Huron Consulting Group: Large professional services firm with a dedicated Higher Education practice spanning strategy, operations, and advancement. Competes with CMAC for institutional consulting engagements at a broader scale.
• EAB (formerly Advisory Board Company): Research and advisory firm serving higher education with advancement, enrollment, and student success services. Overlaps with CMAC on advancement strategy and benchmarking research delivered to institutional clients.

Others

• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE): Premier professional association for advancement professionals, where CMAC is an Educational Partner. CASE provides conferences, standards (AEM benchmarks), and publications against which CMAC's NAS and frameworks are benchmarked.

Emerging players

• Academic Impressions: Higher education professional development provider offering conferences, online training, and cohort-based courses. Comparable to CMAC's Integrated Advancement 101/102 and micro-consulting workshop products.
• Kindsight: Advancement and fundraising analytics platform serving higher education institutions. Adjacent to CMAC's Engagement Constellation Report analytics offering, with overlap on engagement metrics and donor pipeline identification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chris-marshall-advancement-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting