John Brown Limited
John Brown Limited is a privately held, New York-based boutique consulting firm founded in 1978 that provides fundraising counsel, capital campaign strategy, and planned giving consulting to U.S. non-profit organizations through a small team of senior consultants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What John Brown Limited does
John Brown Limited, Inc. is a privately held, boutique fundraising consulting firm founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, serving non-profit organizations across the United States. The firm delivers four core service lines: capital and endowment campaign counsel, principal/major and planned gift consulting, general fundraising practice consulting, and professional seminars and staff training workshops. Engagements are delivered by a small team (1-10 employees) of senior consultants, each with a minimum of 20 years of fundraising expertise, drawing on leadership experience at major institutions including Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Michigan.
The firm operates as a pure professional services practice with no proprietary technology platform, software product, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements and multi-year retainers, with fees structured as custom quotes based on engagement scope, organizational size, and specific client needs; no standard pricing tiers are publicly available. The firm supplements consulting revenue with fees from professional seminars and workshops covering donor communication, benefits-based communication, and planned giving strategies, offered in person or virtually.
John Brown Limited's client base is concentrated in higher education, arts and cultural institutions, human service organizations, conservation and environmental causes, and healthcare/medical research institutions. Notable clients include Harvard University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Smithsonian Institution, American Civil Liberties Union, Feeding America, Peabody Essex Museum, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The firm acquires clients through senior consultant networks, professional conferences (including CASE and AFP), referrals, and educational seminars. It is not venture-backed and has no parent company or subsidiaries, with current operations led by President Susan Feagin following founder John Brown's death in 2011.
John Brown Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- John Brown Limited
- Legal name
- John Brown Limited, Inc.
- Website
- https://johnbrownlimited.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- John Brown Limited is a privately held, New York-based boutique consulting firm founded in 1978 that provides fundraising counsel, capital campaign strategy, and planned giving consulting to U.S. non-profit organizations through a small team of senior consultants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
John Brown Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where John Brown Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
John Brown Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for fundraising counsel, campaign strategy, and development program assessment. Services include capital and endowment campaign counsel, major and planned gift program development, and board/staff education. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements and retainer arrangements with non-profit clients.
- Professional Seminars and Training: Fees for professional seminars and workshops designed for development professionals. These in-person or virtual training sessions cover donor communication skills, benefits-based communication, and planned giving strategies. Customized training sessions are offered for organizations and teams.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consulting engagements tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
John Brown Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
John Brown Limited provides professional fundraising consulting services to non-profit organizations. The firm delivers capital and endowment campaign counsel, major and planned gift program development, donor relationship strategies, and board/staff training. Services are delivered by a small team of senior consultants, each with at least 20 years of fundraising expertise, through direct engagements with higher education institutions, arts and cultural organizations, human service agencies, healthcare institutions, and conservation groups.
Product overview
John Brown Limited is a fundraising consulting firm offering a portfolio of professional services for non-profit organizations. The core offerings include Capital & Endowment Campaign Consulting (custom-designed campaigns with strategic planning and donor engagement), Principal, Major & Planned Gift Consulting (specialized solicitation and relationship strategies), and Consulting Practice (general fundraising counsel from senior consultants). These are complemented by Professional Seminars and Workshops as an educational add-on service. All consulting is delivered by experienced professionals with extensive non-profit sector expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Capital & Endowment Campaign Consulting
Quantifiable outcome
- Susan Feagin oversaw Columbia University's $4 billion campaign that raised over $6 billion (150% of goal)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use John Brown Limited
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
John Brown Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
John Brown Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
John Brown Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Campbell & Company: Boutique fundraising and advancement consulting firm serving nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, and faith-based organizations. Closely comparable in service mix, boutique positioning, and target customer base.
- CCS Fundraising: One of the largest fundraising consulting firms in the U.S., serving nonprofit and higher education clients with campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and development staffing. Directly competes with JBL in the same product category with overlapping target customers.
- HBG: Fundraising and strategic communications consultancy serving nonprofits, foundations, and associations. Comparable in campaign counsel and strategic positioning services for similar client types.
- Bentz Whaley Flessner: Well-established fundraising consulting firm with deep higher education focus, offering campaign counsel, advancement services, and executive search. Direct competitor to JBL in capital campaigns and major gifts for universities.
- Heaton Smith Group: Higher education fundraising consultancy providing campaign counsel and advancement services. Closely comparable to JBL's higher education-heavy mix and campaign-focused offering.
- The Alford Group: Boutique fundraising and executive search consultancy serving nonprofits across health, arts, education, and social services. Comparable boutique positioning and consulting methodology to JBL.
- Grenzebach Glier and Associates: International fundraising and advancement consulting firm serving higher education, healthcare, arts, and humanitarian organizations. Directly comparable service offering with broader geographic reach than JBL.
Broad incumbents
- Ketchum: Global communications and consulting firm with a nonprofit and philanthropic practice. Overlaps with JBL on messaging and positioning work for nonprofit clients but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a fundraising specialist.
- Ruffalo Noel Levitz: Large-scale fundraising, enrollment, and nonprofit consulting provider offering campaign counsel alongside technology and analytic services. A broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities to JBL.
Emerging players
- Advancement Resources: Specializes in major gifts training, coaching, and fundraising consulting for higher education and healthcare. Comparable training and consulting offering but with more emphasis on staff development than campaign counsel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
John Brown Limited social profiles
Digital presenceJohn Brown Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
John Brown Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
John Brown Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
John Brown Limited 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 John Brown Limited
What does John Brown Limited do?
John Brown Limited provides professional fundraising consulting services to non-profit organizations. The firm delivers capital and endowment campaign counsel, major and planned gift program development, donor relationship strategies, and board/staff training. Services are delivered by a small team of senior consultants, each with at least 20 years of fundraising expertise, through direct engagements with higher education institutions, arts and cultural organizations, human service agencies, healthcare institutions, and conservation groups.
Is John Brown Limited a public or private company?
John Brown Limited is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was John Brown Limited founded?
John Brown Limited was founded in 1978. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is John Brown Limited based?
John Brown Limited is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does John Brown Limited make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are professional Seminars and Training.
Who are John Brown Limited's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Campbell & Company, CCS Fundraising, HBG, Bentz Whaley Flessner, Heaton Smith Group, The Alford Group and Grenzebach Glier and Associates. Broad incumbents are Ketchum and Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Advancement Resources is listed as an emerging player.
Does John Brown Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for John Brown Limited.
What industry is John Brown Limited in?
John Brown Limited's product category is Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8742.