Sweet Grass Consulting
Sweet Grass Consulting is a Loveland, Colorado-based, Certified B Corporation that provides community-centered research, evaluation, strategic planning, impact measurement, database management, and design services to tribal governments, Native CDFIs, and mission-driven nonprofits in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLoveland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sweet Grass Consulting does
Sweet Grass Consulting, LLC is a Loveland, Colorado-based professional services firm founded in 2014 that provides community-centered research, evaluation, strategic planning, impact measurement, database management, capacity building, and communication/design services to tribal governments, Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations. The firm operates exclusively in the United States and is a Certified B Corporation, Certified Woman-Owned Small Business, and certified Salesforce Partner. Co-founder and principal Andrea Mader leads the strategy practice, supported by Principal Director Michael Brydge, Implementation Director Mary Sienko (Salesforce Certified Administrator), and Creative Director Julianna Smith, alongside associate directors holding PhDs in anthropology and an MPH in global health.
The firm's core technology stack is built on Salesforce CRM and Formstack, with team members certified as Salesforce Administrators and Nonprofit Cloud Consultants. Sweet Grass has also co-developed OTIS (Opportunity Through Impacts System) with Oweesta Corporation, a purpose-built data collection, management, and reporting system piloted with Native CDFIs including Four Bands Community Fund and Akiptan. Across its history, the firm has completed 65+ database management projects and collected 800+ survey responses across major food sovereignty studies, with 70%+ of its food sovereignty recommendations tied to direct partner actions and over $1.2M in local food purchasing power identified in one Northern Plains community.
The business model is professional services engagement-based: each project is scoped and quoted individually, with no public pricing. Revenue is generated across four streams — research and evaluation, strategic planning and capacity building, database management and implementation (including Salesforce/Formstack managed services), and communication/design. Customer acquisition is community-led and event-driven, leveraging testimonials, case studies, presentations at industry events such as the National Tribal Housing Ecosystem Summit and OFN conferences, and direct enterprise sales to tribal governments and large Native CDFIs. Long-tenured client relationships (NACDC Financial Services since 2015, Four Bands Community Fund for over a decade) and a referral network anchored by Oweesta Corporation drive repeat and partner-sourced business.
Sweet Grass Consulting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sweet Grass Consulting
- Legal name
- Sweet Grass Consulting, LLC
- Website
- https://sweetgrassconsulting.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sweet Grass Consulting is a Loveland, Colorado-based, Certified B Corporation that provides community-centered research, evaluation, strategic planning, impact measurement, database management, and design services to tribal governments, Native CDFIs, and mission-driven nonprofits in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sweet Grass Consulting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Consulting
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)
Keywords
Where Sweet Grass Consulting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Loveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sweet Grass Consulting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Research & Evaluation Services: Sweet Grass provides community-centered research, evaluation, and impact assessment services to tribal organizations, nonprofits, and mission-driven groups. Engagements are project-based consulting engagements tailored to each client's needs.
- Strategic Planning & Capacity Building: The firm offers strategic planning, organizational development, and capacity building services that help clients develop internal systems, processes, and skills for long-term resiliency and self-determination.
- Database Management & Implementation: Sweet Grass designs and implements user-friendly data management systems, including Salesforce implementations, for nonprofits and Native CDFIs. These engagements include system design, configuration, data migration, training, and ongoing managed services.
- Communication, Design & Branding: Creative and strategic design services including branding, data visualization, report design, and communication strategy to help mission-driven organizations tell their story effectively.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sweet Grass Consulting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sweet Grass Consulting provides community-centered research, evaluation, strategic planning, impact measurement, database management, capacity building, and communication/design services to tribal governments, Native CDFIs, and mission-driven nonprofit organizations. The firm also co-developed OTIS (Opportunity Through Impacts System), a proprietary data collection and reporting platform tailored for Native CDFIs, and implements Salesforce CRM and Formstack solutions for the nonprofit and tribal finance sector.
Product overview
Sweet Grass Consulting is a consulting firm offering professional services including Research & Reporting, Strategic Planning, Impact Measurement, Database Management, Capacity Building, and Communication & Design. They specialize in serving tribal, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations, with particular expertise in Native CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions). Their database management offerings include implementation of Salesforce CRM and Formstack for integrated form solutions. They also co-developed OTIS (Opportunity Through Impacts System), a data collection and reporting platform for Native CDFIs. The firm operates as a Certified B Corp and Certified Woman-Owned Small Business.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research & Reporting Community-centered research service that uncovers meaningful narratives from data through respectful and thoughtful engagement, helping organizations assess community needs, bridge gaps, and promote local strengths.
- Strategic Planning Community-centered strategic planning that prepares organizations for resiliency, growth, and sustainability by establishing processes for operational efficiency and long-term viability.
- Impact Measurement Service that guides organizations in developing clear frameworks for goal setting and achievement, showcasing what they have done, revealing what is meaningful, and charting next steps.
- Database Management Design and implementation of user-friendly data management systems, with extensive experience for nonprofits and Native CDFIs, including Salesforce CRM, Formstack form/data tools, configuration, data migration, training, and ongoing managed services.
- Capacity Building Service that helps develop the systems and skills organizations need to reach their highest potential by streamlining operations and strengthening organizations from the inside.
- Communication & Design Strategic visuals and data visualizations that demonstrate organizational personality and values through creative storytelling, including branding, report design, and communication strategy.
- Opportunity Through Impacts System (OTIS) Proprietary data collection, management, and reporting system co-designed and co-developed with Oweesta Corporation specifically for Native CDFIs, piloted with select Native CDFI partners as a comprehensive impact measurement and data management solution.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65+ database management projects completed with nonprofits and Native CDFIs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sweet Grass Consulting
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sweet Grass Consulting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Sweet Grass Consulting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Good Relatives CollaborativecoreThe Good Relatives Collaborative (composed of Four Bands Community Fund, NACDI, and Sacred Pipe Resource Center) engaged Sweet Grass in 2023 to evaluate their first years of grantmaking and to migrate their grant portal to a Salesforce database. Sweet Grass also facilitated sessions at the Collaborative's annual grantee convening and provided recommendations for their culturally responsive grantmaking approach.
- NACDC Financial ServicescoreSweet Grass and NACDC Financial Services have partnered since 2015 on impact measurement, workforce development studies, and trauma-informed financial literacy. NACDC is a certified Native CDFI on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation with a $12.7M loan portfolio. Their collaboration began with an impact measurement project funded by Oweesta Corporation and has grown to include Blackfeet local food studies, financial literacy programs, and data system support.
- Oweesta CorporationcoreSweet Grass and Oweesta Corporation co-designed and co-developed OTIS (Opportunity Through Impacts System), a data collection, management, and reporting system built specifically for Native CDFIs. Oweesta is a Native CDFI supporting organization focused on financial resources for tribal communities. Their collaboration on OTIS began with pilot testing with select Native CDFI partners and continues as a key initiative in the Indigenous finance ecosystem.
- SalesforcecoreSweet Grass Consulting is a certified Salesforce Partner. The firm implements Salesforce CRM, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, and related tools for nonprofits and Native CDFIs, providing system design, configuration, data migration, training, and ongoing managed services. Salesforce is a core technology platform in Sweet Grass's service offerings.
- Four Bands Community FundcoreFour Bands Community Fund (a Native CDFI on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation) has collaborated with Sweet Grass on research, evaluation, and impact tracking for over a decade, beginning with mentor relationships between Andrea Mader and executive director Lakota Vogel. Four Bands was a pilot partner for OTIS, the Native CDFI data management system co-developed by Sweet Grass and Oweesta. Sweet Grass has also helped Four Bands document and highlight their achievements, strengthening their ability to attract capital.
- Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending (Lummi CDFI)minorSweet Grass is conducting a fishing-focused market study for Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending (Lummi CDFI) to understand the needs, aspirations, and challenges for Indigenous fishers in the Northwest. This project is in its early stages and involves building an understanding of the cultural contexts shaping the Indigenous fishing industry.
- Sicangu Food Sovereignty InitiativeminorSweet Grass partnered with the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative on food sovereignty studies that contributed to building food hubs, grocery stores, and mobile buffalo harvesting units for the Rosebud Sioux Reservation community.
- Makoce Agriculture DevelopmentminorSweet Grass partnered with Makoce Agriculture Development on food systems studies for the Oglala Lakota Oyate, producing research used to explore the local food economy and support food hub development.
- National Forest Foundation / US Forest ServiceminorThe National Forest Foundation contracted Sweet Grass to engage with tribal historic preservation officers from six Indigenous Nations in a 10-month participatory consultation process to develop interpretive signage content for the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway in Colorado. The process included outreach, workshops, and interviews with Indigenous knowledge holders.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights12 records
Sweet Grass Consulting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sweet Grass Consulting social profiles
Digital presenceSweet Grass Consulting compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Sweet Grass Consulting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sweet Grass Consulting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sweet Grass Consulting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sweet Grass Consulting 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 Sweet Grass Consulting
What does Sweet Grass Consulting do?
Sweet Grass Consulting provides community-centered research, evaluation, strategic planning, impact measurement, database management, capacity building, and communication/design services to tribal governments, Native CDFIs, and mission-driven nonprofit organizations. The firm also co-developed OTIS (Opportunity Through Impacts System), a proprietary data collection and reporting platform tailored for Native CDFIs, and implements Salesforce CRM and Formstack solutions for the nonprofit and tribal finance sector.
Is Sweet Grass Consulting a public or private company?
Sweet Grass Consulting is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sweet Grass Consulting founded?
Sweet Grass Consulting was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sweet Grass Consulting based?
Sweet Grass Consulting is headquartered in Loveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sweet Grass Consulting make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Research & Evaluation Services are the primary driver. The others are strategic Planning & Capacity Building, database Management & Implementation and communication, Design & Branding.
Does Sweet Grass Consulting have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sweet Grass Consulting.
What industry is Sweet Grass Consulting in?
Sweet Grass Consulting's product category is Community Development Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAOAL, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs. Its SIC code is 8742.