The New School of Fundraising

What The New School of Fundraising does

The company's product mix spans low-cost workshops ($50-90), mid-tier courses in foundations and other specialties ($350), a higher-priced Leadership Development Program ($850), and multi-week accelerators branded LIFT and UPLIFT (priced at $750), alongside custom private training. In 2023 it launched an AI Foundations workshop teaching fundraisers to apply generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) to fundraising workflows, adding a new curriculum vertical. The business model is transactional: revenue is generated through per-participant course fees and private training contracts, with no subscription tier, no enterprise anchor contracts, and no public disclosure of ARR or external funding. The combination of small cohorts, low-to-mid pricing, and a content-led newsletter acquisition channel is consistent with a lifestyle-scale operator rather than a venture-scaled business.

Name

The New School of Fundraising

Legal name

The New School of Fundraising

Website

https://nsof.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The New School of Fundraising is a Canadian-based training provider founded in 2021 that delivers workshops, courses, and accelerator programs teaching fundraising skills to nonprofit professionals, primarily via Zoom in cohorts of 8-12.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop Registration Fees: Individual workshop registrations ranging from $50-90 per participant for 90-120 minute skill-building sessions on topics such as sponsorship, grant-seeking, storytelling, digital marketing, and more.
2. Foundations of Fundraising Course: Three-day intensive course (2.5 hours each day) plus 3-month community of practice membership for $350 per participant.
3. Leadership Development Program: Five-week leadership development program delivered weekly via Zoom for $850 per participant, capped at 12 participants per cohort.
4. UPLIFT Fundraising Accelerator Program: Self-paced accelerator program with 1-hour planning session, four workshops, and 1-hour debrief for $750 per organization.
5. LIFT Fundraising Accelerator Program: Cohort-based accelerator with 10-12 organizations, 10 hours course content plus individual coaching. Available as private booking only; pricing contact-only.
6. Private Training: Customized one-to-one or group training sessions for individuals or organizations requiring flexible scheduling or specific topic focus. Pricing and structure customized per engagement.
7. Community of Practice (Alumni): 12-month ongoing professional development series for alumni of accelerator programs at $250 investment, with monthly 2-hour focused sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The New School of Fundraising delivers small-group and individual fundraising training programs to professional fundraisers, nonprofit board members, volunteers, and community leaders. Offerings include skill-building workshops, multi-day signature courses, cohort-based and self-paced accelerator programs, a leadership development program, and customized private training, all delivered primarily online via Zoom. The school focuses on the nonprofit sector and emphasizes intentional, peer-learning-based education led by active senior fundraising practitioners.

Product overview

The New School of Fundraising is an educational platform offering a portfolio of training programs for professional fundraisers, board members, volunteers, and nonprofit leaders. The core offerings include Foundations of Fundraising (a three-day course with ongoing alumni Community of Practice), 15 specialized Workshops spanning topics from sponsorship and grant-seeking to storytelling and AI, two Fundraising Accelerator Programs (LIFT for cohort-based learning and UPLIFT for flexible self-paced learning), a five-week Leadership Development Program, and Private Training for customized individual or group sessions. All programming is delivered online via Zoom with small-group formats. The AI Foundations workshop represents the organization's entry into AI education for nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foundations of Fundraising A three-day signature course combining fundraising theory with practical application for professional fundraisers with less than 3 years of experience. Includes networking opportunities and ongoing Community of Practice sessions for alumni. Priced at $350 per participant with maximum 8 participants per cohort.
• Workshops A collection of 15 skill-building workshops ranging from 90-120 minutes, covering topics including sponsorship, grant-seeking, storytelling, digital marketing, donor stewardship, and legacy giving. Delivered via Zoom with maximum 12 participants per session, priced at $50-$90 per participant.
• LIFT Fundraising Accelerator Program A cohort-based learning experience for organizations with limited fundraising staff. Includes Foundations of Fundraising (3 hrs), Diversifying Revenue (3 hrs), Developing Effective Communications (2 hrs), and Setting Priorities (2 hrs). Accommodates 10-12 organizations with one 30-min coaching session per organization. Available as private booking only with contact-based pricing.
• UPLIFT Fundraising Accelerator Program A flexible, self-paced accelerator with personalized learning. Includes a 1-hour planning session, four selected workshops (one participant each), and a 1-hour debrief session. Multiple staff can participate across workshops. Priced at $750 per organization with a 6-month completion window.
• Leadership Development Program A five-week program supporting nonprofit leaders in developing their potential. Covers leading with purpose, situational leadership, and leading through change. Limited to 12 participants with personalized instruction. Priced at $850 per participant with weekly 2-hour sessions via Zoom.
• Private Training Customized one-to-one or group training sessions tailored to specific needs. Includes flexible scheduling, skills building (grant writing, donor cycles, donor conversations), career progression, and team planning. Begins with a SurveyMonkey intake questionnaire followed by a 30-minute consultation. Pricing and structure customized per engagement.
• AI Foundations: Enhancing Professional Effectiveness with Generative AI Workshop teaching practical use of generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for nonprofit operations. Covers prompt crafting, content generation, research, and administrative task automation. Maximum 12 participants, priced at $75 per session.
• Community of Practice (Alumni) 12-month ongoing professional development series for alumni of accelerator programs at a $250 investment, with monthly 2-hour focused sessions led by expert instructors and guest speakers. Invitations are sent each October.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of organizations and individuals empowered since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Network for Good: Fundraising software and learning provider for small nonprofits. Overlaps with NSOF in serving small/mid-sized nonprofits needing fundraising capacity, with the addition of integrated donor software.
• Candid (Foundation Center): Major nonprofit research and training provider with courses on grantseeking, fundraising, and nonprofit management. Overlaps with NSOF's grant-seeking and fundraising workshops content.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): The largest professional society for fundraisers globally, offering credentialed training, certification (CFRE), and conferences. Directly competes for the same professional fundraiser audience as NSOF, but with an established institutional, accredited model.
• The Fund Raising School (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy): University-based fundraising training program offering certificates and executive education. Comparable to NSOF in delivering structured fundraising curriculum, but anchored in academic accreditation and a much larger institutional footprint.

Regional players

• CharityVillage: Canadian nonprofit sector job board and resource hub offering training, webinars, and articles for Canadian nonprofit professionals. Directly comparable to NSOF in geographic focus and audience.

Emerging players

• AI for Nonprofits (Coalition / community): Emerging community of practice training nonprofits on AI adoption. Directly comparable to NSOF's AI Foundations workshop as the closest emerging competitor in nonprofit AI literacy training.
• Bloomerang: Donor management software vendor that also publishes fundraising educational content and webinars. Comparable to NSOF as an education provider for small/medium nonprofit fundraisers, with a software monetization layer.
• NonprofitReady (by Salesforce.org): Free online training platform for nonprofits covering fundraising, marketing, and leadership. Competes with NSOF in the nonprofit professional development category, but at a different price point and delivery model (self-paced vs. live cohort).

Direct peers

• Agents of Good: Strategic storytelling and fundraising firm whose Partner Jen Love delivers NSOF's storytelling and legacy giving workshops. Comparable boutique fundraising education/training provider serving the nonprofit sector.
• Fawkes + Holly: Vancouver-based nonprofit fundraising consultancy whose two principals (Janet Edmison, Leigh Schumann) teach NSOF workshops. Comparable as a fundraising training/consulting firm with overlapping curriculum and shared instructor talent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-school-of-fundraising
• Instagraminstagram.com/newschooloffundraising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 The New School of Fundraising