DLZ Consulting

What DLZ Consulting does

DLZ Consulting is an independent, solo-practitioner consulting firm founded and operated by Dena L. Zaldúa, headquartered in Oregon, USA, with stated global availability. The firm serves mission-driven non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and individual donors/families, delivering five core service modules: Coaching & Facilitation, Fundraising strategy and donor stewardship, Communications & Writing, multigenerational Philanthropic Advising (under a 21/64 Certified Advisor credential), and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) training and facilitation. The founder brings 25 years of non-profit sector experience, including development department leadership at Seeding Justice, Parenting Now, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and offers bilingual (English/Spanish) delivery with trauma-informed practice training.

The business model is professional services billing structured as tiered pricing scaled to each client's most recently completed annual operating budget, with multi-year contract cadences and custom quotes provided on inquiry. Go-to-market is direct, sales-led, and relationship-driven: prospective clients book a free initial consultation through the firm's Squarespace website, then convert into ongoing engagements. Distribution is direct consulting delivery by the founder, with no intermediaries, channel partners, or paid marketing channels identified. No technology platform, software product, or app underpins the service.

DLZ is privately held and bootstrapped, with no external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership. Disclosed clients span social justice grantmaking (Seeding Justice, Mama Cash), family and senior services (Parenting Now, Empowered Aging, Hope & Safety Alliance), LGBTQ+ rights (NCLR), higher education (University of Oregon, UO Law), international women's rights, environmental education, and publishing (Lion's Roar Foundation), indicating a horizontally diversified book of small-to-mid non-profit accounts. Named certifications include 21/64 philanthropic advising, leadership development, and trauma-informed practice.

Name

DLZ Consulting

Legal name

DLZ Consulting

Website

https://dlzconsulting.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DLZ Consulting is a solo Oregon-based independent consulting practice that delivers coaching, fundraising, communications, multigenerational philanthropic advising, and DEI services to non-profits, educational institutions, and individual donors/families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Nonprofit consulting services
• Fundraising strategy consulting
• Philanthropic advising services
• DEI training consulting
• Leadership coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oregon

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Services: Professional consulting services billed on a tiered pricing structure based on client organization's annual operating budget. Services include coaching, fundraising, communications, DEI facilitation, and philanthropic advising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

DLZ Consulting is an independent consulting practice that provides coaching and facilitation, fundraising strategy and donor stewardship, communications and writing support, multigenerational philanthropic advising, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training and workshops. Services are sold as discrete consulting engagements on a tiered pricing model based on each client organization's annual operating budget, with a free initial consultation to scope engagements.

Product overview

DLZ Consulting is an independent consulting firm offering a portfolio of five distinct service modules focused on the non-profit and philanthropy sector. The core offerings include Coaching & Facilitation (leadership coaching and team-building), Fundraising (financial strategy and donor stewardship), Communications & Writing (messaging and engagement), Philanthropic Advising (21/64 certified multigenerational giving counsel), and DEI training/workshops. These services are offered as individual consulting engagements with tiered pricing based on organizational budget size, rather than as a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coaching & Facilitation Empowering, empathic, and holistic leadership coaching and mentorship for individuals and teams, with facilitation sessions that hold space to enhance connection and team-building. Aimed at non-profit leaders, teams, and mission-driven organizations.
• Fundraising Developing strategies and systems to help organizations achieve their financial goals while stewarding donors with care, including grassroots fundraising expertise. Targeted at non-profit organizations seeking to grow and sustain fundraising capacity.
• Communications & Writing Crafting compelling and beautiful messages to engage and inspire audiences through strategic communications and writing support for mission-driven organizations.
• Philanthropic Advising As a 21/64 Certified Advisor, offering multigenerational counsel on where, when, how, and why to donate, for individuals and families engaged in philanthropic decision-making.
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Designing and facilitating trainings and workshops around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion across all sectors, intended to foster belonging and understanding of these values and their importance in every setting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped grow Seeding Justice from inception to regionally recognized social justice grantmaking powerhouse

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Forbes Funds: Non-profit management support and consulting organization providing capacity-building, fundraising, and leadership development services to regional non-profits. Comparable in scope of services and non-profit target market, though regionally focused.
• La Piana Consulting: Non-profit strategy and capacity-building consulting firm supporting mission-driven organizations with planning, leadership development, and organizational change. Directly comparable to DLZ's coaching, facilitation, and organizational development offerings.
• The Winters Group: DEI and racial equity consulting firm designing trainings and workshops for organizations across sectors. Directly comparable to DLZ's DEI service offering, with similar workshop facilitation and training delivery model.
• Bridgespan Group: Leading non-profit and philanthropy consulting firm advising mission-driven organizations on strategy, fundraising, and organizational development. Directly comparable to DLZ in serving non-profits with strategic and development support, though at significantly larger scale.
• Building Movement Project: Non-profit research and consulting organization supporting social justice non-profits with organizational development, DEI, and leadership resources. Directly comparable to DLZ's social justice and non-profit capacity-building focus.
• CCS Fundraising: Specialized fundraising consulting and campaign management firm serving non-profit organizations. Directly comparable to DLZ's fundraising service line, though operating at multi-state scale with institutional clients.
• Cook Ross: DEI consulting firm providing training, facilitation, and inclusion strategy to organizations. Directly comparable to DLZ's DEI training and workshop services and the broader non-profit and mission-driven client base.

Emerging players

• 21/64: Philanthropic advising training and credentialing body that issues the 21/64 Certified Advisor credential held by DLZ's founder. Comparable as the certifying and thought-leadership body in the multigenerational philanthropic advising niche DLZ serves.
• BoardSource: Non-profit governance and leadership consulting organization providing training and resources to non-profit boards and executives. Comparable in serving non-profit leadership and organizational capacity-building, though focused on governance rather than fundraising or DEI.

Others

• Tides: Non-profit fiscal sponsor and philanthropy infrastructure organization supporting mission-driven groups, including social justice organizations. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct consulting competitor, but operates in the same social justice philanthropy space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

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 DLZ Consulting