Purposefully

What Purposefully does

Purposefully is a Vancouver-based professional services consultancy founded in 2021 by Sheila Kern, serving social purpose organizations in Canada. The firm offers three integrated service lines—Strategic Fundraising, Case Development, and Grant Writing—delivered through one-on-one consulting engagements typically initiated via a free 30-minute discovery call. Its target clients are non-profit organizations, charities, and social enterprises that require support with donor cultivation, case for support development, and grant proposal writing. The company is privately held, founder-owned, and has 1-10 employees with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds.

The company has no proprietary technology platform; its deliverables are advisory outputs and written materials (fundraising plans, case documents, grant proposals) produced by the founder and a small team. There is no API, no software product, no AI components, and no patent or trademark portfolio. Marketing and client acquisition are consultative and relationship-driven, centered on the company website, founder-led discovery calls, testimonials, and case studies. All services are delivered directly with no resellers, partners, or digital channels.

Purposefully's revenue model is professional services fee-based, with project pricing that is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Notable client outcomes documented on the company's website include a $20 million capital campaign case developed for the DASCH Foundation, a revenue-growth engagement with Employ to Empower ($160,000 to $500,000 in annual revenue), and a sold-out World Diabetes Day film screening event organized for the BC Diabetes Research Network with multiple national diabetes organizations as partners.

Name

Purposefully

Legal name

Purposefully

Website

https://purposefully.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Purposefully is a Vancouver-based boutique consulting firm founded in 2021 by Sheila Kern. The firm provides strategic fundraising, case development, and grant writing services to non-profit organizations, charities, and social enterprises in Vancouver and across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit fundraising and grant writing consulting

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising consulting
• Grant writing services
• Case for support development
• Charity strategic advisory
• Leadership coaching for nonprofits

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Strategic Fundraising Services: Consulting and advisory services to help non-profit clients develop and execute strategic fundraising plans, including revenue generation strategies, major gifts cultivation, and fundraising campaigns.
2. Grant Writing Services: Grant writing and proposal development services for foundations and government funders, including research into funder priorities and alignment of project goals with funding requirements.
3. Case Development Services: Development of compelling cases for support that align organizational mission, impact, and donor priorities with clear messaging.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Purposefully provides strategic fundraising, case development, and grant writing services to social purpose organizations such as non-profits, charities, and social enterprises. Engagements also embed leadership coaching and team support so that mission-driven clients can design, implement, and sustain fundraising plans, capital campaigns, and grant programs. The company sells consulting expertise directly to organization leaders, primarily in Vancouver and across Canada.

Product overview

Purposefully is a consulting services company offering three integrated service offerings: Strategic Fundraising, Case Development, and Grant Writing. These services work together to support social purpose clients in achieving their goals—Strategic Fundraising provides the overall donor-focused strategy, Case Development creates compelling messaging and cases for support, and Grant Writing translates those strategies into fundable proposals. The company positions these as a unified methodology for organizations pursuing fundraising and partnership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Fundraising Tailored, donor-focused fundraising plans that provide the foundation needed for mission-driven organizations to achieve their goals while fostering meaningful engagement with their purpose and the work that drives it.
• Case Development
• Grant Writing

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue growth from $160,000 to $500,000 for Employ to Empower client
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• JDRFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for World Diabetes Day film screening event hosted by BC Diabetes Research Network. JDRF joined as a community partner to help engage people living with diabetes and translate research to the community.
• Diabetes CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for World Diabetes Day film screening event. Diabetes Canada participated as a partner to bring together diabetes stakeholders for the Vancouver premiere of The Human Trial documentary.
• Diabetes Action CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for World Diabetes Day film screening event. Participated alongside other major diabetes patient organizations to engage the community around diabetes research.
• Young and Type 1minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for World Diabetes Day film screening event celebrating the 10th anniversary of their peer support group. Participated in the sold-out event hosted by BC Diabetes Research Network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Orr Group: US nonprofit consulting firm providing fundraising, strategy, and capacity-building services to social impact organizations. Comparable across strategy, fundraising, and case for support offerings.
• M. Gale & Associates: US nonprofit consultancy providing fundraising counsel, campaign management, and leadership development services. Directly comparable in core fundraising advisory and case development.
• DickersonBakker: US fundraising consultancy focused on campaign management, development coaching, and strategic planning for nonprofits. Comparable in fundraising strategy, case development, and capital campaign services.
• The Good Partnership: Canadian social enterprise providing bookkeeping, financial management, and capacity-building services to nonprofits and small organizations. Directly comparable as a Canadian for-profit consultancy serving the social purpose sector with a similar boutique service model.
• Gail Perry Group: US fundraising consultancy offering fundraising strategy, campaign planning, and board development for nonprofits. Comparable in fundraising advisory and donor engagement services.
• Alexander Haas: US fundraising and campaign consulting firm specializing in capital campaigns, feasibility studies, and strategic fundraising planning for nonprofits. Directly comparable across core fundraising advisory and case for support development.

Others

• Candid: US nonprofit data and research organization supporting grantmakers and nonprofits with funding research tools. Comparable as enabler of nonprofit fundraising and grant writing, though as an information provider rather than consultant.
• Charity Village: Canadian online hub for the nonprofit sector providing job postings, resources, and training. Comparable as a Canadian nonprofit ecosystem participant, but operates as a media/resource platform rather than an advisory firm.

Emerging players

• Nonprofit Hub: US organization providing nonprofit education, resources, and consulting services. Comparable as capacity-building and fundraising support provider, though more focused on education and content delivery than bespoke consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Imagine Canada: Canadian national sector organization supporting charities and nonprofits with research, resources, and capacity-building. Comparable as Canadian social purpose ecosystem enabler, though it operates as a sector body rather than a fee-for-service consultancy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/purposefully

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Purposefully