A to Be Partners

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.

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

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

• Nonprofit fundraising consulting
• Grant writing services
• Foundation grants strategy
• Nonprofit development support
• Capital campaign consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The People's Nonprofit AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 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 NotesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrid Notes provides development, systems evaluation, and communications strategies. Team member Jamie Melton is associated with Grid Notes.
• PregameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic planning, board retreats, and executive & team coaching services for nonprofit clients.
• ImpactHaus ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational system assessments and process/project management consulting. Team member Ariane Thielenhaus is associated with ImpactHaus Consulting.
• Nonprofit Financial Leadership AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit financial training, planning, modeling, and risk management services.
• Nonprofit Professionals NowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull-service staffing agency for nonprofits, providing recruitment and placement services.
• Now This ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit development, human resources, and fundraising consulting services.
• Ashbean PDXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital marketing agency covering strategy, brand, and design services.
• Philanthropy StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundraising, nonprofit management, and leadership development services.
• Foundry FundraisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundraising strategy, planning, and coaching services.
• The Varga GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital campaigns, fundraising training, and leadership coaching.
• Evaluation into ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram evaluation and technical assessments for nonprofit organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atobepartnersllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 A to Be Partners