A to Be Partners
A to Be Partners is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit fundraising consultancy that provides grant writing, grants management, and strategic fundraising services to nonprofit organizations, having raised over $27 million for 40+ clients since 2018.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A to Be Partners does
A to Be Partners is a Portland, Oregon-based woman-owned consulting firm founded in 2018 by Tobey Goldfarb that specializes in private foundation grant writing, grants management, and long-term fundraising strategy for nonprofit organizations. The firm has cumulatively served more than 40 nonprofit clients across social services, arts and culture, youth services, grief support, domestic violence, and other causes, raising over $27 million on their behalf since inception. Its service portfolio comprises a Readiness/Assessment offering that evaluates organizational capacity and crafts case statements, a flagship Full-Service Grants Management product that handles the entire grants lifecycle from prospect research through reporting, a Grants+ add-on module for broader development infrastructure, and flexible Advising engagements, all delivered by a distributed team of approximately 8-10 consultants based in Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
The business operates on a professional services revenue model with three pricing structures: fixed per-project fees for defined scopes such as assessments or individual proposals, hourly billing for ad-hoc advisory, and monthly retainers for ongoing partnership. Go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, anchored by a complimentary 30-minute discovery call and adherence to the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Code of Ethical Standards, which prohibits percentage-based compensation. Marketing is conducted primarily through content channels (company blog, email newsletter, organic SEO) on topics such as grant rejection trends and Oregon nonprofit forecasts. The firm extends its reach through a referral ecosystem of approximately 12 partner organizations spanning capital campaigns, financial planning, staffing, digital marketing, and program evaluation, and through a co-developed Certificate in Grant Writing Course with The People's Nonprofit Accelerator since 2018. There is no proprietary technology platform; the value proposition rests on practitioner expertise, accumulated funder knowledge, and systems/process optimization for client organizations.
A to Be Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A to Be Partners
- Legal name
- A to Be Partners, LLC
- Website
- https://atobepartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- A to Be Partners is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit fundraising consultancy that provides grant writing, grants management, and strategic fundraising services to nonprofit organizations, having raised over $27 million for 40+ clients since 2018.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A to Be Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting
- NAICS
- Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where A to Be Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
A to Be Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting and Professional Services: A to Be Partners generates revenue through fee-based consulting arrangements with nonprofit organizations. They offer flexible pricing structures including per-project arrangements, hourly rates, and monthly retainers. Their services focus on foundation grants strategy, writing, and management for nonprofit clients. The company follows ethical guidelines prohibiting percentage-based compensation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Per-Project Pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly Rate |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Retainer |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
A to Be Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A to Be Partners provides fee-based consulting services to nonprofit organizations, specializing in private foundation grants strategy, full-service grants management (prospect research, proposal writing, submission, and reporting), grants readiness assessments, and extended development infrastructure support (Grants+). The firm also co-delivers a Certificate in Grant Writing Course with The People's Nonprofit Accelerator and offers flexible engagement models including per-project, hourly, and monthly retainer arrangements.
Product overview
A to Be Partners offers a suite of tailored fundraising services for nonprofits, structured around three core service tiers. The foundation is Readiness/Assessment, which provides organizational evaluation and strategic positioning. The signature offering is Full-Service Grants Management, handling the complete grants lifecycle. Gr+ extends beyond grants to strengthen overall development infrastructure. Advising services offer flexible strategic consulting. Additionally, the company partners with The People's Nonprofit Accelerator to deliver a Certificate in Grant Writing Course. The company primarily serves nonprofit organizations seeking private foundation grants and long-term fundraising strategy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Readiness/Assessment
Quantifiable outcome
- $27 million+ raised for nonprofit clients since 2018
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use A to Be Partners
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
A to Be Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A to Be Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The People's Nonprofit AcceleratorcoreSince 2018, A to Be Partners has partnered with The People's Nonprofit Accelerator to support emerging and existing fundraisers and grant writers. Together they deliver a Certificate in Grant Writing Course, providing practical, hands-on grant writing skills including prospect research, case statements, need statements, budgets, and submission processes.
- Grid NotesminorGrid Notes provides development, systems evaluation, and communications strategies. Team member Jamie Melton is associated with Grid Notes.
- PregameminorStrategic planning, board retreats, and executive & team coaching services for nonprofit clients.
- ImpactHaus ConsultingminorOrganizational system assessments and process/project management consulting. Team member Ariane Thielenhaus is associated with ImpactHaus Consulting.
- Nonprofit Financial Leadership AcademyminorNonprofit financial training, planning, modeling, and risk management services.
- Nonprofit Professionals NowminorFull-service staffing agency for nonprofits, providing recruitment and placement services.
- Now This ConsultingminorNonprofit development, human resources, and fundraising consulting services.
- Ashbean PDXminorDigital marketing agency covering strategy, brand, and design services.
- Philanthropy StudiominorFundraising, nonprofit management, and leadership development services.
- Foundry FundraisingminorFundraising strategy, planning, and coaching services.
- The Varga GroupminorCapital campaigns, fundraising training, and leadership coaching.
- Evaluation into ActionminorProgram evaluation and technical assessments for nonprofit organizations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
A to Be Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Alford Group: Nonprofit consulting firm offering executive search, fundraising counsel, and strategic planning for nonprofits. Comparable in service mix (especially planning, fundraising strategy, and capacity building) and client type, though slightly larger and more nationally distributed.
- Ter Molen Watkins & Brandt: Boutique nonprofit fundraising counsel specializing in campaign planning, feasibility studies, and grants strategy for arts, education, and human services organizations. Closely comparable boutique positioning, service offerings, and client profile to A to Be Partners.
- The Andrew Reiser Group: Smaller nonprofit fundraising consultancy providing campaign planning and development counsel to community-based nonprofits. Closely comparable boutique positioning to A to Be Partners with similar client profiles.
- JCA Associates: Boutique fundraising and executive search firm serving arts, culture, education, and social service nonprofits. Closely comparable in size, service mix, and client base to A to Be Partners, particularly for arts and culture clients.
Broad incumbents
- CCS Fundraising: One of the largest nonprofit fundraising consulting firms in the US, offering campaign counsel, feasibility studies, and grants strategy. A to Be competes in the same space but at a much smaller scale and with a more bespoke, Pacific NW focus.
- Pursuant (formerly The Pursuant Group): Full-service fundraising agency offering strategy, creative, media, and analytics for nonprofits. Comparable in serving nonprofit clients with revenue diversification and donor engagement, but operates at much greater scale with proprietary technology and analytics platforms.
- Graham-Pelton Consulting: Global nonprofit fundraising and philanthropic advisory firm serving health, education, arts, and social service nonprofits. Comparable offering of campaign counsel, grants strategy, and fundraising consulting, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- BWF (formerly Benton, Williams & Feinberg): Established nonprofit fundraising consultancy offering campaign management, grants strategy, and donor engagement. Comparable as a direct competitor in grant writing and capital campaign work, but operates at significantly larger scale with national footprint.
Emerging players
- WIPLi (formerly Wyman Center / Wyman Philanthropic Leadership): Nonprofit capacity-building organization focused on supporting smaller and emerging nonprofits through consulting, training, and cohort programs. Comparable in serving small-to-mid nonprofits needing fundraising and grants support, often with regional focus.
- Fundraising Academy (formerly The Grantsmanship Center): National training and consulting organization for grant writing and fundraising, with overlapping educational and consulting offerings. Comparable through training/educational arm and grant writing consulting practice, though with national rather than regional focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A to Be Partners social profiles
Digital presenceA to Be Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A to Be Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
A to Be Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A to Be Partners 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 A to Be Partners
What does A to Be Partners do?
A to Be Partners provides fee-based consulting services to nonprofit organizations, specializing in private foundation grants strategy, full-service grants management (prospect research, proposal writing, submission, and reporting), grants readiness assessments, and extended development infrastructure support (Grants+). The firm also co-delivers a Certificate in Grant Writing Course with The People's Nonprofit Accelerator and offers flexible engagement models including per-project, hourly, and monthly retainer arrangements.
Is A to Be Partners a public or private company?
A to Be Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A to Be Partners founded?
A to Be Partners was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is A to Be Partners based?
A to Be Partners is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does A to Be Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting and Professional Services.
Who are A to Be Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Alford Group, Ter Molen Watkins & Brandt, The Andrew Reiser Group and JCA Associates. Broad incumbents are CCS Fundraising, Pursuant (formerly The Pursuant Group), Graham-Pelton Consulting and BWF (formerly Benton, Williams & Feinberg). Emerging players are WIPLi (formerly Wyman Center / Wyman Philanthropic Leadership) and Fundraising Academy (formerly The Grantsmanship Center).
Does A to Be Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for A to Be Partners.
What industry is A to Be Partners in?
A to Be Partners's product category is Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 541618 and its SIC code is 8742.