Columns Fundraising

What Columns Fundraising does

Columns Fundraising, LLC is an Atlanta-based professional services consulting firm founded in 2016 that provides strategic business and organizational development services to nonprofit organizations across the United States, with principal concentration in the Southeast. The firm is built around a bench of 22+ named senior consultants (plus limited support staff including a graphic designer, accountant, and operations manager) who deliver consulting engagements rather than packaged software products. Service offerings fall into two main areas: fundraising and development consulting (strategic planning, feasibility studies, comprehensive capital campaigns, major and planned gift initiatives, internal development assessments) and capacity-building services (c-suite executive search, interim advancement staffing, nonprofit merger facilitation, brand positioning, marketing and communication plans, public-private partnerships, grant research and writing, and board/staff retreat facilitation). Columns Resume Bank, a proprietary talent-matching service, is operated as a complementary channel.

The firm's revenue model is classic professional services: project-based and retainer engagements scoped and priced per client, delivered by senior-level practitioners who are "intimately engaged in plan execution" rather than serving primarily as business-development resources. The go-to-market is direct, sales-led consulting — there are no disclosed partnerships, distribution intermediaries, or marketing-channel partners. The client base is organized into seven vertical segments: higher education, healthcare and hospitals, independent K-12 schools, community foundations and human services, arts and culture, faith-based organizations, and fraternal organizations. Named clients span large institutions (Georgia Institute of Technology, Shepherd Center, Northeast Georgia Health System, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, University of Georgia Terry College of Business) and smaller nonprofits (Auditory-Verbal Center, Theatrical Outfit, Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Columns is privately held and founder/partner-owned — Wesley K. Wicker, Mark R. Wilkison, Scott H. Sikes, and J. David Carico are the named principals and partners. There is no evidence of external institutional investors, parent-company ownership, or M&A activity. The firm does not operate a unified SaaS or technology platform; competitive differentiation rests almost entirely on the credentials and operating experience of its consultants (CFRE, FAHP, CFP, CAP certifications; Harvard MBA; former AFP Global Chair; tenures at Georgia Tech, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Shepherd Center, Kennesaw State, Valdosta State, and the United Way system).

Name

Columns Fundraising

Legal name

Columns Fundraising, LLC

Website

https://columnsfundraising.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columns Fundraising is an Atlanta-based consulting firm providing strategic planning, capital campaign management, grant writing, feasibility studies, executive search, and development assessments for nonprofit organizations across healthcare, higher education, independent schools, community foundations, arts, faith-based, and fraternal sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Fundraising Consulting

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising consulting
• Capital campaign management
• Grant writing services
• Executive search consulting
• Strategic planning advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Business Consulting: Revenue generated through consulting engagements including strategic planning, capital campaign management, grant writing services, executive search, feasibility studies, and development assessments for non-profit organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columns Fundraising is a professional consulting firm that delivers strategic business and organizational development services to nonprofit organizations. Its offerings include strategic planning, grant research and writing, feasibility studies, comprehensive capital campaigns, major and planned gift initiatives, executive search and interim staffing, internal development assessments, board and staff retreat facilitation, and coaching of solicitors. Services are provided by senior principals and consultants who are directly engaged in plan execution with clients across healthcare, higher education, independent schools, community foundations, arts, faith-based, and fraternal organizations.

Product overview

Columns Fundraising is a strategic business and organizational development consulting firm offering professional services to nonprofit organizations. The company does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of consulting services including strategic planning, grant research and writing, feasibility studies, capital campaigns, major and planned gift initiatives, executive search, and internal development assessments. These services are delivered by seasoned consultants through direct client engagement rather than through a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Planning Consulting service that helps nonprofit organizations define their mission, vision, goals, and strategic initiatives to move forward with intentional purpose.
• Grant Research, Writing & Submission Comprehensive grant consulting covering funder research, proposal writing, budget preparation, and grant submission services for federal, state, corporate, and private foundation grants.
• Feasibility Studies Assessment service involving confidential interviews with constituents and surveys to determine the probability of a successful fundraising campaign.
• Comprehensive Capital Campaigns Capital campaign promotion service for specific projects or comprehensive campaigns incorporating current funding needs and endowment goals.
• Major & Planned Gift Initiatives Consulting service to increase effectiveness of major donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts, including planned gifts programs.
• Executive Search & Interim Staffing Recruitment service to find fundraising professionals for client organizations through coast-to-coast connections, including interim advancement staffing.
• Internal Development Assessment Assessment service that identifies organizational strengths and opportunities, reviewing internal operations, external operations, governance, and staffing against industry best practices.
• Board & Staff Retreat Facilitation Facilitation service for board and staff retreats designed to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Volunteer & Staff Solicitor Coaching Coaching service to train volunteers and staff in effective fundraising solicitation techniques.
• Columns Resume Bank Resume database service for nonprofit fundraising professionals to submit credentials for confidential consideration when positions become available at client organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation: $796,000 USDA grant, $100,000 Dobbs Foundation grant, $84,000 Cigna grant
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hodge/Crank: Nonprofit fundraising and campaign consulting firm serving community foundations, healthcare, education, and arts organizations with feasibility studies and major gift programs — overlapping mid-market peer to Columns.
• Campbell & Company: Consulting firm supporting nonprofits with fundraising strategy, executive search, and campaign management across healthcare, higher education, social service, and arts sectors — direct peer in both offerings and verticals served.
• CCS Fundraising: Major global fundraising consultancy offering campaign management, fundraising analytics, and development staffing for nonprofits — overlapping with Columns across healthcare, higher education, and community foundation segments.
• Alexander Haas: Atlanta-based fundraising and campaign consulting firm serving nonprofits with capital campaigns, feasibility studies, and major gift programs — same geographic base and similar service portfolio as Columns, making it a particularly close regional peer.
• The Alford Group: Nonprofit consulting firm providing fundraising counsel, executive search, and campaign management to healthcare, education, and human services organizations — comparable in size, scope, and verticals served.
• Marts & Lundy: One of the largest U.S. fundraising and campaign management consulting firms, serving higher education, healthcare, and other nonprofits with capital campaigns, feasibility studies, and development planning — directly comparable to Columns' core service offering.
• Grenzebach Glier and Associates: Specialized fundraising and philanthropy advisory firm serving higher education, healthcare, and arts/cultural nonprofits with campaign counsel, gift planning, and advancement services — a direct competitor for institutional clients.
• Aspen Leadership Group: Executive search firm focused exclusively on senior-level fundraising and advancement hires for nonprofits and higher education — directly competes with Columns' executive search service line.
• Graham-Pelton Consulting: Nonprofit management and fundraising consultancy delivering campaign counsel, executive search, and advancement assessments to education, healthcare, and cultural organizations — closely overlapping with Columns' practice areas.
• Burkhead, Wenzel, Freedman (BWF): Mid-sized fundraising consulting firm offering campaign management, feasibility studies, and development assessments to healthcare, education, and arts/culture nonprofits — closely aligned service mix and client profile to Columns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColumnsFundraising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columns-fundraising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Columns Fundraising