Cause & Effect
Cause & Effect, Inc. is a two-principal boutique nonprofit consulting firm founded in 1996 in Providence, Rhode Island, serving New England charitable organizations with strategic planning, board development, and fundraising consulting delivered through direct engagements and workshops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cause & Effect does
Cause & Effect, Inc. is a privately-held boutique consulting firm founded in 1996 by Gayle L. Gifford and Jonathan Howard and headquartered at 178 Ninth St, Providence, Rhode Island. The firm provides professional services to nonprofit organizations — primarily in New England — across three core practice areas: strategic planning (a documented five-step process), board development and governance (marketed as 'Better Boards'), and fundraising consulting. Deliverables are produced through direct consulting engagements, board and staff workshops, and conference speaking. The firm also publishes content marketing assets including the 'Butterfly Effect' blog, a free Nonprofit Toolbox, and case studies; the principal, Gayle Gifford, is the published author of 'Make Your Board Dramatically More Effective, Starting Today' and a contributor to 'The Essential Fundraising Handbook for Small Nonprofits'. Gayle holds the ACFRE (Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential, one of few in Rhode Island.
The business is operated as a fee-for-service professional services practice. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements with individual nonprofit clients, supplemented by workshop delivery and speaking. There is no disclosed pricing, no software or product revenue, no external funding, and no parent company. Customer logos include environmental (Norman Bird Sanctuary, MassLand, Newport Tree Conservancy), human services (Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, House of Hope CDC, Children's Friend), international development (Grassroots International), community development (Aquidneck Community Table), and advocacy (Senior Agenda Coalition) organizations — a deliberately horizontal nonprofit segment.
The firm is small (headcount of 2 principals) and is currently in a stated 'rewirement' transition (2023–2025), with Gayle shifting toward strategic advising and coaching while Jonathan focuses on writing and interviewing projects. There is no technology platform, no SaaS component, no AI/ML capability, and no patents or proprietary software. Operations remain active but evolving.
Cause & Effect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cause & Effect
- Legal name
- Cause & Effect, Inc.
- Website
- https://ceffect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cause & Effect, Inc. is a two-principal boutique nonprofit consulting firm founded in 1996 in Providence, Rhode Island, serving New England charitable organizations with strategic planning, board development, and fundraising consulting delivered through direct engagements and workshops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cause & Effect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Consulting Services
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where Cause & Effect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cause & Effect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Nonprofit Consulting Services: Fee-for-service professional consulting engagements including strategic planning, board development, fundraising strategy, and organizational capacity building. Also offers workshops and facilitation services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cause & Effect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cause & Effect provides professional consulting services to nonprofit organizations, with three primary service lines: (1) Strategic Planning through a five-step process that helps nonprofits create intentional direction; (2) Better Boards, a board development and governance practice; and (3) Grow Your Fundraising, which supports nonprofit fundraising strategy and execution. Services are delivered by two principal consultants on an engagement basis, supplemented by workshops and free educational resources.
Product overview
Cause & Effect is a nonprofit consulting firm offering strategic planning, board development (Better Boards), and fundraising consulting services. The company was founded by Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE and Jonathan Howard. Services include a five-step strategic planning process, board governance workshops and consulting, and comprehensive fundraising support. The firm also provides free resources including articles, a nonprofit toolbox, and workshops to support the nonprofit sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Strategic Planning Consulting
Quantifiable outcome
- Clients report successful strategic planning outcomes with board ownership and meaningful organizational change
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cause & Effect
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cause & Effect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cause & Effect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- BWB SolutionsminorPartnership with BWB Solutions for conducting board coronavirus survey to understand pandemic effects on nonprofit board practices in New England.
- Providence Neighborhood Planting ProgramminorOrganization development project engagement with the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program.
- Worcester Youth CenterminorBoard development consulting engagement with Worcester Youth Center.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Cause & Effect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JCA Associates: JCA Associates is a nonprofit consulting firm providing fundraising campaign counsel and board development services to nonprofit organizations—comparable in client base and boutique consulting services.
- The Roberts Group: The Roberts Group is a nonprofit fundraising and executive search consulting firm serving similar clients with development planning and leadership advisory—comparable in focus on fundraising consulting for nonprofits.
- mstrategy: mstrategy is a nonprofit management consulting firm focused on fundraising, marketing, and organizational strategy for nonprofits—comparable in customer segment, service mix, and boutique delivery model.
- Heller Consulting: Heller Consulting is a nonprofit-focused consulting firm serving similar clients with fundraising, CRM/technology, and organizational strategy services—comparable in customer base and boutique delivery model.
- La Piana Consulting: La Piana Consulting is a similarly sized boutique nonprofit strategy consulting firm offering strategic planning, board development, and capacity-building services to nonprofits—directly comparable in mission, scale, and service mix to Cause & Effect.
- Tecker International: Tecker International is a nonprofit and association consulting firm offering strategic planning, governance, and organizational development—closely aligned in service categories and target customers.
- Third Sector Company: Third Sector Company is a nonprofit fundraising and management consulting firm serving similar client verticals—comparable in boutique delivery, fundraising focus, and nonprofit customer base.
Broad incumbents
- The Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a large, established nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm offering strategy, organizational effectiveness, and fundraising advisory—comparable in service categories but operating at much greater scale and broader geographic reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cause & Effect social profiles
Digital presenceCause & Effect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cause & Effect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cause & Effect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cause & Effect 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 Cause & Effect
What does Cause & Effect do?
Cause & Effect provides professional consulting services to nonprofit organizations, with three primary service lines: (1) Strategic Planning through a five-step process that helps nonprofits create intentional direction; (2) Better Boards, a board development and governance practice; and (3) Grow Your Fundraising, which supports nonprofit fundraising strategy and execution. Services are delivered by two principal consultants on an engagement basis, supplemented by workshops and free educational resources.
Is Cause & Effect a public or private company?
Cause & Effect is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cause & Effect founded?
Cause & Effect was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cause & Effect based?
Cause & Effect is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cause & Effect make money?
One revenue line is on record: nonprofit Consulting Services.
Who are Cause & Effect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JCA Associates, The Roberts Group, mstrategy, Heller Consulting, La Piana Consulting, Tecker International and Third Sector Company. The Bridgespan Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cause & Effect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cause & Effect.
What industry is Cause & Effect in?
Cause & Effect's product category is Nonprofit Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAK, Nonprofit & Cause Communications, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its SIC code is 8742.