Cogeo
Cogeo is a Portland-based fundraising consultancy that helps tax-exempt organizations — primarily youth soccer clubs, schools, arts groups, and conservation nonprofits — build professional philanthropic programs for the first time.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cogeo does
Cogeo (operating as COGEO) is a privately held, founder-owned fundraising consultancy founded in 2010 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The firm serves tax-exempt organizations — primarily those at an "inflection point" building professional fundraising capacity for the first time — with a heavy concentration in youth soccer clubs, independent schools, arts organizations, and conservation nonprofits. Its core offering is professional services organized into four modules: Capital Projects (the flagship, with an average 18x Return on Contribution), Annual Campaigns, Organizational Development, and Technology & Systems (built primarily on Salesforce NPSP for CRM and donor management).
Cogeo differentiates through proprietary frameworks including the ROC® performance metric, the 7 Stages of Organizational Development (Seedling through Evergreen), and the Clubhouse of Development tactical roadmap. Delivery is in-house across strategy, design, data management, research, and writing, and the firm explicitly retains engagement until client capacity is sustainable. The firm also operates The COGEO Playbook, a multi-chapter online educational product positioned as scalable intellectual property. Cogeo has served 200+ organizations across 36 US states, with additional engagements in Canada, Mexico, and Europe, and claims $200M+ raised on behalf of clients.
The firm has never accepted outside investment and is led by co-founders Patrick Sampson (President & CEO) and Rob Kusel (Managing Director of Consulting Services), with Rob Kusel's three decades of experience — including a $103M Centennial Campaign at The Hotchkiss School — as the primary talent anchor. Revenue model is primarily project-based professional services with a nascent subscription/educational revenue stream through The COGEO Playbook.
Cogeo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cogeo
- Legal name
- Cogeo
- Website
- https://cogeo.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cogeo is a Portland-based fundraising consultancy that helps tax-exempt organizations — primarily youth soccer clubs, schools, arts groups, and conservation nonprofits — build professional philanthropic programs for the first time.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Cogeo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cogeo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fundraising Consulting Services: COGEO provides comprehensive fundraising consulting services including strategy, execution, and team building for tax-exempt organizations. They specialize in capital projects, annual campaigns, organizational development, and technology systems.
- COGEO Playbook Educational Program: Online educational course program teaching professional fundraising skills with chapters covering case statements, data management, leadership, events, annual giving, major gifts, foundations, corporate outreach, government partnerships, and capital projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cogeo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cogeo is a tax-exempt fundraising consultancy that helps organizations transition from resource-scarce to resource-rich by building complete philanthropic programs. The firm provides four core service modules — Capital Projects (flagship, with average 18x ROC®), Annual Campaigns, Organizational Development, and Technology & Systems — alongside The COGEO Playbook, an online educational course on professional fundraising fundamentals. Services are delivered by an in-house team providing strategy, design, data management, research, and writing support for nonprofit organizations, schools, arts groups, conservation organizations, and youth sports clubs building fund development capacity for the first time.
Product overview
COGEO is a tax-exempt fundraising consultancy offering strategic advisory services and educational products. The core offering is fundraising consulting services organized into four main service modules: Capital Projects (flagship), Annual Campaigns, Organizational Development, and Technology & Systems. COGEO also offers The COGEO Playbook, an online educational course with 11 chapters covering professional fundraising fundamentals. The company supports its methodology with proprietary frameworks including Return on Contribution® (ROC®) performance metric, the 7 Stages of a Soccer Organization developmental roadmap, and the Clubhouse of Development tactical framework. COGEO's services are delivered by an in-house team providing strategy, design, data management, research, and writing support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The COGEO Playbook: An educational course and framework for professional fundraising that teaches organizations how to build sustainable philanthropic programs.
- Return on Contribution (ROC)
Products and services
- Capital Projects
Quantifiable outcome
- $200M+ raised for clients
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cogeo
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cogeo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cogeo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
37 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Delaware FCcoreFormal partnership to spearhead a transformative Capital Project Initiative for Delaware's premier representative for elite youth soccer.
- Capitis ConsultingcoreStrategic partnership aimed at fostering thought leadership and enhancing the development of amateur sports organizations across Canada.
- All RaisecorePartnership to expand leadership and capital access in venture capital, supporting women and nonbinary investors.
- Soccer Forward FoundationflagshipCOGEO contributed expertise to U.S. Soccer Forward Foundation's newly launched Resource Hub with the COGEO Playbook educational program.
- Minnesota Thunder AcademycorePartnership to support long-term growth and player development for the youth soccer club.
- Oregon Youth Soccer Association / Woodburn School DistrictflagshipPartnership facilitated agreement to develop new state-of-the-art youth soccer complex in Woodburn, OR.
- South Bay Parkland ConservancycorePartnership to advance conservation efforts for restoration, preservation, and public use of coastal land resources.
- Eastshore Alliance FCcorePartnership to support growth initiatives for the leading youth soccer club in the Bay Area.
- FC DelcocorePartnership to enhance development initiatives for Pennsylvania's premier soccer club.
- SoCal Reds FCcorePartnership to advance youth development and fundraising for the nonprofit soccer organization.
- Wisconsin United FCcorePartnership to drive growth and development for the premier non-profit soccer organization in NE Wisconsin.
- Colorado United Soccer ClubcorePartnership to enhance youth development for the prominent non-profit youth sports club serving South-Metro Denver area.
- Albion SC Las VegascorePartnership to expand facilities and accelerate impact for the premier soccer club.
- New Jersey Youth SoccerflagshipPartnership to enhance leadership development for the US Youth Soccer and US Soccer Federation affiliated organization.
- Simsbury Soccer ClubcorePartnership to launch feasibility study for the youth soccer organization with almost 50-year history.
- Sellwood Community HousecorePartnership to support fundraising and development work for the Portland community organization.
- KairosPDXcorePartnership to provide grant writing and fund development services.
- LA Bulls Soccer ClubflagshipPartnership to enhance corporate sponsorship and community impact for the 501(c)(3) soccer organization committed to developing players beyond the sport.
- Hawaii Rush Soccer ClubflagshipPartnership to support capital campaign for development of a school in Hawaii under Rush Soccer.
- United States Center for Coaching ExcellencecorePartnership for organizational development and fundraising initiatives.
- Montgomery SoccercorePartnership for capital campaign vision for the soccer organization.
- McLean Youth SoccercorePartnership for organizational development and fundraising initiatives.
- Sierra Canyon SchoolflagshipPartnership to support capital campaign for Fine and Performing Arts Center.
- Fundación NemicorePartnership for organizational development in Mexico City.
- Opening DoorsflagshipPartnership to support capital campaign for new headquarters building serving immigrants and refugees.
- Lift Us FoundationcorePartnership to support fundraising and development efforts for the Oakland-based foundation.
- Rush National SoccerflagshipStrategic partnership to bolster fundraising efforts within soccer communities throughout the United States and internationally.
- Saturday AcademycorePartnership to support grant writing, foundation outreach, and organizational development.
- SE UpliftflagshipPartnership to present 7-part House of Development Webinar Series.
- Cheyenne Soccer ClubcorePartnership to operate feasibility study analyzing feasibility and timing of capital campaign.
- Midcoast Football ClubcorePartnership for capital campaign vision for the Maine soccer club.
- Iowa RushcorePartnership to direct capital campaign for the Ankeny, Iowa soccer organization.
- Willamette United FCflagshipPartnership to comprehensively guide and manage capital campaign for new facility in West Linn, OR.
- Detroit Soccer DistrictflagshipPartnership as leading fundraising and development company for Detroit soccer.
- JT Dorsey FoundationcorePartnership for fundraising and development for the Harrisburg, PA foundation.
- Palm Beach RushflagshipPartnership including build out of Palm Beach Rush Foundation.
- Inter Atlanta FCflagshipPartnership to launch capital campaign for one of the premier youth soccer organizations in the United States.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cogeo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Campbell & Company: One of the largest U.S. fundraising and campaign consultancies, serving nonprofits with capital campaigns, feasibility studies, and development coaching — directly competing with Cogeo for nonprofit clients across sectors.
- Marts & Lundy: Long-standing fundraising consulting firm focused on higher education, healthcare, and arts nonprofits, offering feasibility, campaign counsel, and talent services that overlap with Cogeo's capital-campaign and organizational-development work.
- Sanky Communications: Fundraising-focused marketing and communications firm for nonprofits, providing campaign creative and direct-response work that complements and overlaps with Cogeo's campaign execution services.
- Graham-Pelton Consulting: Specialized fundraising and campaign consulting firm serving nonprofits and educational institutions with capital campaigns and talent searches — same core service model as Cogeo with overlapping nonprofit buyer base.
- Changing Our World: National fundraising and philanthropic consulting firm providing campaign and development services to nonprofits — directly comparable to Cogeo in service mix and client type.
- CCS Fundraising: Global fundraising consultancy providing campaign management, feasibility studies, and consulting for nonprofits — a direct, scaled competitor to Cogeo's core capital-campaign service.
- The Curtis Group: Boutique fundraising consultancy that builds donor programs and runs campaigns for community-based nonprofits — a same-niche competitor to Cogeo's inflection-point, first-time clients.
Broad incumbents
- Russ Reid: Established direct-response and fundraising agency serving nonprofits with donor acquisition and campaign execution — broader incumbent spanning both fundraising consulting and outsourced campaign delivery that Cogeo competes against.
- Ketchum (with Omnicom Public Relations): Large global communications and public-relations firm whose nonprofit/social-impact practice offers fundraising campaign support — a broader incumbent that competes for the same donor-marketing budgets as Cogeo.
Others
- Salesforce (Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP): Cogeo's stated CRM backbone (Salesforce NPSP) and a key enabling platform for nonprofit fundraising tech; relevant as ecosystem infrastructure rather than a direct competitor to Cogeo's services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cogeo social profiles
Digital presenceCogeo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cogeo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cogeo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cogeo 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 Cogeo
What does Cogeo do?
Cogeo is a tax-exempt fundraising consultancy that helps organizations transition from resource-scarce to resource-rich by building complete philanthropic programs. The firm provides four core service modules — Capital Projects (flagship, with average 18x ROC®), Annual Campaigns, Organizational Development, and Technology & Systems — alongside The COGEO Playbook, an online educational course on professional fundraising fundamentals. Services are delivered by an in-house team providing strategy, design, data management, research, and writing support for nonprofit organizations, schools, arts groups, conservation organizations, and youth sports clubs building fund development capacity for the first time.
Is Cogeo a public or private company?
Cogeo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cogeo founded?
Cogeo was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cogeo based?
Cogeo is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cogeo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fundraising Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are COGEO Playbook Educational Program.
Who are Cogeo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Campbell & Company, Marts & Lundy, Sanky Communications, Graham-Pelton Consulting, Changing Our World, CCS Fundraising and The Curtis Group. Broad incumbents are Russ Reid and Ketchum (with Omnicom Public Relations). Salesforce (Nonprofit Cloud / NPSP) is listed as an others.
Does Cogeo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cogeo.