Fair Chance
Fair Chance is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) that delivers free capacity-building programs (Pathways and Praxis Partnerships) to small community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD, supplemented by alumni services and the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity advocacy coalition of 1,000+ organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSilver Spring, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Fair Chance does
Fair Chance is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that provides free, customized capacity-building services to small community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD. The organization's core offerings are two tiered cohort programs: the 8-month Pathways Partnership for organizations with budgets of $50K-$250K and the 12-month Praxis Partnership for organizations with budgets of $300K-$1M, covering board development, fundraising, financial management, leadership, HR, program evaluation, and strategic planning. All programs are delivered free of charge to eligible nonprofit partners, with selection via invitation and application processes. Fair Chance complements these with Network Services for alumni (pro bono legal services via Hogan Lovells, management consulting via Boston Consulting Group, executive director learning communities), an Impact Investment Program that packages capacity-building for foundation and corporate funders' grantees, the annual Fair Chance Roundtable convening, and policy advocacy through the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity (CNE), a fiscally sponsored collective of 1,000+ DC community-based organizations.
The business model is donation-driven and diversified across individual giving (one-time and monthly, including the Leadership Circle at $1,000/year for 3 years and the Fair Chance Fund at $15,000-$100,000/year for 3 years), foundation and corporate grants, annual fundraising events (Butterfly Bash raised over $400,000 in 2023; Dubliner Golf Classic in its 45th year), planned giving via the Amanda Marshall Planned Giving Circle, and workplace giving/DAF/stock gifts. The go-to-market is community-led and relationship-based, with nonprofit partners sourced through referrals, alumni nominations, and funder pipelines; the Impact Investment Program represents an emerging B2B-style distribution channel. Fair Chance maintains no proprietary technology platform, relying on standard nonprofit management tools, the QuestionPro survey platform, and a WordPress-based web presence.
Fair Chance operates with approximately 13 remote staff and is governed by an independent board currently chaired by Jim Myers. In 2025 it transitioned to a Co-CEO structure (Ann Birnbaum Miles and Interim Co-CEO Jeffrey Franco) following the departure of long-tenured Co-CEO Dr. Gretchen Vanderveer. The organization holds a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, has been externally evaluated by Social Policy Research Associates, and reports that alumni partners more than double their budgets and the number of children served within five years, with 100% of recent nonprofit partners reporting stronger leadership capabilities.
Fair Chance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fair Chance
- Legal name
- Fair Chance
- Website
- https://fairchance.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fair Chance is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) that delivers free capacity-building programs (Pathways and Praxis Partnerships) to small community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD, supplemented by alumni services and the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity advocacy coalition of 1,000+ organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fair Chance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Capacity Building Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)
Keywords
Where Fair Chance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silver Spring
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Fair Chance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Fair Chance receives donations from individual donors through one-time and monthly giving programs. The Leadership Circle requires $1,000/year for 3 years, and the Fair Chance Fund requires $15,000-$100,000/year for 3 years.
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major foundation and corporate supporters provide significant funding. Examples include A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, Kimsey Foundation, and many others listed in the supporters section.
- Special Events Revenue: Annual fundraising events including the Butterfly Bash (which raised over $400,000 in 2023) and Dubliner Golf Classic generate revenue while building community engagement.
- Planned Giving: The Amanda Marshall Planned Giving Circle encourages legacy gifts as part of estate planning. The Valerie Coleman Fellowship Fund provides annual support.
- Workplace Giving and DAFs: Fair Chance accepts workplace giving, donor advised fund (DAF) distributions, and stock gifts. EIN is 74-3091832.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free capacity building programs for eligible nonprofits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Fair Chance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fair Chance provides free, intensive capacity building partnerships to small community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD. Core offerings include the Pathways Partnership (8-month engagement for $50K-$250K budget organizations) and the Praxis Partnership (12-month engagement for $300K-$1M budget organizations), covering board development, fundraising, financial management, leadership, program evaluation, and other operational areas. Companion services include Network Services for alumni (pro bono legal via Hogan Lovells, consulting via BCG), an Impact Investment Program for funder grantees, sector convening, and advocacy through the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity.
Product overview
Fair Chance operates as a nonprofit capacity building organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on strengthening community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD. The core offerings include the Pathways Partnership (8-month engagement for organizations with $50K-$250K budgets) and Praxis Partnership (12-month engagement for organizations with $300K-$1M budgets), both providing intensive capacity building support. These are complemented by Network Services offering alumni support including legal services and consulting, an Impact Investment Program for funder grantees, convening programs like the annual Roundtable, and advocacy through the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity. All programs are offered free of charge to qualifying nonprofits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coalition for Nonprofit Equity (CNE): A collective of more than 1,000 DC community-based nonprofit organizations advocating for equitable public policy and practices to support a healthy DC nonprofit sector.
Products and services
- Pathways Partnership An 8-month, cohort-based capacity building engagement offered free of charge to small community-based nonprofits in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD with annual operating budgets between $50K and $250K. The program deepens leaders' knowledge and skills across four key areas: Board Development, Fundraising, Leadership & Management, and Program Evaluation. Partners are selected through an invitation-and-application process, often nominated by alumni or peer organizations.
- Praxis Partnership A year-long, customized capacity building partnership offered free of charge to mid-size community-based nonprofits with annual operating budgets ranging from $300K to $1M. Focus areas include Board Development, Financial Management, Fundraising, Human Resources, Leadership & Management, Outreach & Communications, Planning & Strategy, and Program Evaluation. Selection is application-based.
- Network Services (Alumni Program) Ongoing support offerings for alumni nonprofit partners, including Monthly Open Forum (STAY Lunch), On-Demand Consulting, Executive Director Learning Community, E-Forum, Skilled Volunteering, pro bono Legal Services via Hogan Lovells, and Management Consulting via the Boston Consulting Group BCG Fellows Program. Designed to sustain capacity building gains long after formal partnership graduation.
- Partner with Funders (Impact Investment Program) Customized capacity building services for grantees of private and corporate foundations, including needs assessments, individualized training and TA, workshops, communities of practice, leadership coaching, and partnership programs. Enables funders to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of their grantee portfolio.
- Convene the Sector (including Annual Roundtable) Sector convening programming that brings together nonprofits, philanthropy, and partners for connection, learning, and collective action. The signature offering is the annual Fair Chance Roundtable. Supplemented by the Butterfly Bash (major annual fundraiser/community event) and the Dubliner Golf Classic.
- Advocate for Change Policy advocacy and systems change programming to elevate nonprofits to equal footing with government and create a healthier DC nonprofit sector. Operated through the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity (CNE), a collective of more than 1,000 DC community-based nonprofit organizations founded and fiscally sponsored by Fair Chance. Advocacy efforts include campaigns such as the DC Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nonprofits more than double their budget within 5 years of partnership
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Fair Chance
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Fair Chance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fair Chance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreSince 2018, Fair Chance has worked with BCG to coordinate their skills-based volunteering program with teams of associates providing ongoing support to select DC nonprofits. BCG Fellows Program offers pro bono consulting engagements, executive coaching, and management consulting support.
- Hogan LovellscoreInternational law firm provides pro bono legal services to nonprofits in Fair Chance's network. Fair Chance acts as broker connecting partners to Hogan Lovells Pro Bono Practice.
- Venture Philanthropy Partners / Youth Invest PartnersmajorVPP (later Youth Invest Partners) selected Fair Chance to design and deliver a multi-year project strengthening select Prince George's County youth-serving organizations. Also funded the Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Program.
- Learn24 / DC Deputy Mayor for Education's OfficemajorLearn24 selected Fair Chance for multiple projects including assessing small community-based nonprofit grantees, providing training and coaching for organizational effectiveness, and leading workshops for financial management capacity.
- Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown UniversitymajorLed transformative initiative to bolster DMV nonprofit sector through community convenings titled 'Moving Forward to Protect & Strengthen the DMV Region.' Fair Chance served on planning committee, facilitated convenings, and contributed to resiliency training series faculty.
- BridgespanminorWorked with Bridgespan to continue capacity building work in the region following their initial investment in seven cohorts of human service nonprofits.
- DC Department of Employment Services Office of Youth ProgramsminorFair Chance led a project to increase the effectiveness and outcomes of grantees over the course of the grant year.
- Prince George's County Department of Family ServicesmajorSelected to facilitate a community of practice and provide ongoing capacity building workshops for the ENOUGH grant's Local Management Board member organizations.
- MENTOR Maryland|DCminorCo-hosted 'Youth at the Center: Community Building Forum' in July 2022, a one-day event for executives of youth-serving and mentoring organizations in DC and Maryland.
- Social Policy Research Associates (SPR)majorNational evaluation firm contracted in 2021 (with A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation funding) to conduct a study of the Praxis Partnership Program. Evaluation found Fair Chance's capacity building model has measurable effect on CBO performance.
- Coalition for Nonprofit Equity (CNE)coreFair Chance founded and serves as fiscal sponsor for CNE, a collective of more than 1,000 DC community-based organizations advocating for nonprofit equity and policy change including the DC Nonprofit Fair Compensation Act.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fair Chance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nonprofit Finance Fund: National nonprofit providing financial consulting, loans, and capacity building to other nonprofits. Comparable in addressing financial management capacity gaps for small CBOs and serving as a funder intermediary.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Bay Area-based nonprofit that provides management consulting, leadership development, and capacity building services to other nonprofits. Closely comparable to Fair Chance in mission, program structure (cohort-based training), and target customer (small-to-mid-size CBOs).
- Building Movement Project: National nonprofit that develops research, tools, and capacity building resources for nonprofits focused on social change. Comparable given its focus on small nonprofits, racial equity, and movement-building convenings.
- TCC Group: Consulting firm for nonprofits and philanthropy focused on strategy, evaluation, and capacity building. Comparable in offering customized capacity building programs to foundations and their grantees.
- Cause Strategy Partners: Nonprofit consulting firm supporting nonprofits and foundations on strategy, fundraising, and board development. Comparable in serving small CBOs and providing customized capacity building engagements.
- La Piana Consulting: Nonprofit consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, executive transitions, and capacity building for nonprofits and foundations. Direct peer in the capacity building intermediary space.
- Management Assistance Group (MAG): National nonprofit consulting firm providing capacity building, executive coaching, and racial equity consulting to nonprofits and foundations. Direct peer given similar focus on small CBOs and racial equity frameworks.
- Venture Philanthropy Partners: DC-area philanthropic investment organization that has funded and partnered with Fair Chance on multiple capacity building initiatives. Direct peer in the DMV nonprofit capacity building ecosystem, with overlapping portfolio focus on youth-serving organizations.
Broad incumbents
- The Bridgespan Group: Global nonprofit consulting firm providing strategy, organizational development, and capacity building for nonprofits and philanthropists. Comparable given documented partnership with Fair Chance and shared focus on nonprofit infrastructure for social change.
- National Council of Nonprofits: Largest network of nonprofit organizations in the US, providing policy advocacy, capacity building resources, and public education. Broad incumbent with overlapping advocacy (similar to CNE) and capacity building missions but at national scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fair Chance social profiles
Digital presenceFair Chance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Fair Chance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fair Chance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Fair Chance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fair Chance 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 Fair Chance
What does Fair Chance do?
Fair Chance provides free, intensive capacity building partnerships to small community-based nonprofits serving children, youth, and families in Washington, DC and Prince George's County, MD. Core offerings include the Pathways Partnership (8-month engagement for $50K-$250K budget organizations) and the Praxis Partnership (12-month engagement for $300K-$1M budget organizations), covering board development, fundraising, financial management, leadership, program evaluation, and other operational areas. Companion services include Network Services for alumni (pro bono legal via Hogan Lovells, consulting via BCG), an Impact Investment Program for funder grantees, sector convening, and advocacy through the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity.
Is Fair Chance a public or private company?
Fair Chance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fair Chance founded?
Fair Chance was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fair Chance based?
Fair Chance is headquartered in Silver Spring, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fair Chance make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Corporate Grants, special Events Revenue, planned Giving and workplace Giving and DAFs.
Who are Fair Chance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nonprofit Finance Fund, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, Building Movement Project, TCC Group, Cause Strategy Partners, La Piana Consulting, Management Assistance Group (MAG) and Venture Philanthropy Partners. Broad incumbents are The Bridgespan Group and National Council of Nonprofits.
Does Fair Chance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fair Chance.
What industry is Fair Chance in?
Fair Chance's product category is Nonprofit Capacity Building Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8300.