What Dini Spheris does

Dini Spheris is a Houston-based, employee-owned nonprofit fundraising and capital campaign consulting firm founded in 1969 by Richard F. "Dick" Dini. The firm provides team-based advisory services including campaign counsel, strategic planning, campaign planning studies (feasibility studies), major gift and annual fund program counsel, and leadership and board coaching. It serves nonprofit organizations across seven primary verticals: healthcare and health education, higher education, independent schools, human and youth services, arts and culture, faith-based organizations, and nature/wildlife. Disclosed client engagements range from $3.3M community campaigns to a $250M vision campaign (Texas Biomedical Research Institute) and a preparation engagement for a $1 billion comprehensive campaign across 32 hospitals (Mercy Health System).

The firm's service model is human-driven and relationship-based, with no proprietary software platform, public API, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Delivery is performed by 21 principals, consultants, and consulting project managers, supported by administrative and IT staff, for a total headcount in the 11-50 range. The firm operates from offices in Houston (headquarters), Dallas, and Denver, and serves clients nationally across the United States. Marketing channels include content marketing via the company website and blog, educational workshops and partnerships with industry associations (AFP, CASE-NAIS, Giving USA), social media presence on LinkedIn and Facebook, and earned media through press coverage of client successes.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees on consulting engagements. The firm employs a sales-led go-to-market motion built on referrals, direct business development, and industry network relationships. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific with no public fee schedule. Dini Spheris became an employee-owned enterprise in 2011, rebranded from Dini Partners in 2014 to reflect its national full-service positioning, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Name

Dini Spheris

Legal name

Dini Spheris

Website

https://dinispheris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dini Spheris is an employee-owned nonprofit fundraising consultancy, founded in 1969 and headquartered in Houston, providing campaign counsel, strategic planning, and major gift program advisory to healthcare, higher education, faith-based, arts, and human services nonprofits across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising consulting
• Campaign counsel services
• Capital campaign planning
• Major gift strategy
• Strategic fundraising planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for campaign counsel, strategic planning, campaign planning studies, and fundraising program counsel services for nonprofit organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dini Spheris provides team-based fundraising consulting services to nonprofit organizations, centered on Campaign Counsel, Strategic Planning, Campaign Planning Studies, Major Gift and Annual Fund Program Counsel, and Leadership Coaching. The firm advises hospitals, universities, schools, faith-based organizations, museums, and human services agencies in planning and executing capital campaigns, endowment drives, and strategic fundraising initiatives, with engagements delivered by dedicated teams of principals, consultants, and project managers.

Product overview

Dini Spheris is a nonprofit fundraising consulting firm offering a suite of advisory services centered around campaign counsel, strategic planning, and fundraising program development. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform, providing human-driven consulting through team-based models. Core services include Campaign Counsel (the hallmark service with team-based approach covering strategy, major gifts, and campaign management), Strategic Planning, Campaign Planning Studies, Major Gift & Annual Fund Program Counsel, and Leadership Coaching. The company has served clients for over 50 years across healthcare, higher education, arts, faith-based organizations, and human services sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campaign Counsel Team-based campaign counseling service providing expertise in campaign strategy, major gifts, campaign operations, and day-to-day campaign management for both sophisticated advancement teams and organizations engaged in their first capital campaign.
• Strategic Planning
• Campaign Planning Study
• Major Gift & Annual Fund Program Counsel
• Leadership Coaching

Quantifiable outcome

• Billions of dollars raised for clients across capital, endowment and special projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Way of Greater HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership to review Giving USA report, co-hosting educational events on philanthropy trends and data. Dini Spheris Principal Holly Lang and Consultant Victor Brooks provide critical insights from the Giving USA report on post-pandemic impact on philanthropy.
• Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDini Spheris Principal Holly Lang serves as instructor for Campaign Planning and Management course offered online by Rice University. Course teaches fundraising professionals about campaign process from pre-planning to execution.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative presentation at CASE-NAIS 2024 Independent Schools Conference on board engagement topics.
• The Briarwood SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative presentation at CASE-NAIS 2024 Independent Schools Conference on inclusive strategic planning.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GG+A (Grenzebach Glier and Associates): International fundraising and advancement consulting firm offering campaign counsel, philanthropic studies, and donor analytics services to educational and nonprofit institutions. Directly comparable in campaign scope and higher-education/healthcare vertical focus.
• CCS Fundraising: One of the largest fundraising consulting firms in the U.S., providing campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and development services to healthcare, education, and faith-based nonprofits. Directly comparable to Dini Spheris in services, client verticals, and team-based delivery model.
• Russ Reid: Direct response and fundraising agency providing campaign services, donor acquisition, and strategic fundraising counsel to faith-based and nonprofit clients. Comparable in fundraising strategy work though more marketing-heavy than pure consulting.
• Graham-Pelton: Fundraising and nonprofit management consulting firm providing campaign counsel, development audits, and executive search to healthcare, higher education, and social impact organizations. Directly comparable in service mix and client verticals.
• The Curtis Group: Fundraising consulting firm serving faith-based, educational, and social service nonprofits with campaign counsel and development planning. Comparable in client mix (particularly faith-based) and team-based consulting approach.
• Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA): Mid-size fundraising consulting firm providing capital campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and strategic planning to nonprofits across healthcare, education, and community sectors. Comparable in service portfolio and firm scale.
• Marts & Lundy: Long-established fundraising consulting firm (founded 1926) providing campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and strategic planning to educational, healthcare, and cultural institutions. Closest peer to Dini Spheris in longevity, scope of services, and campaign complexity served.
• Bentley Whaley Flessner (BWF): National fundraising consulting and executive search firm serving nonprofit organizations with campaign counsel, development planning, and advancement services. Directly comparable in service offering, scale (multiple offices nationally), and nonprofit client verticals.
• Alexander Haas: Mid-size fundraising consulting firm focused on capital campaigns, major gifts, and campaign planning studies for healthcare, higher education, religious, and cultural nonprofits. Comparable in firm size, team-based delivery, and core services.

Emerging players

• Accordant Philanthropy: National philanthropy and fundraising consulting firm providing campaign counsel, transition planning, and development strategy to nonprofit organizations. Comparable service model with a slightly newer brand and growing national footprint.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dinispheris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dinispheris
• Xx.com/dinispheris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Dini Spheris