STRATEGIC FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT FOR NONPROFITS & CHARTER SCHOOLS
Work with Us
fundraising consultants
You have the vision. We’ll help unlock the resources to achieve it.
At CDS Education Consulting, we offer fundraising and strategic support to help charter schools and youth-serving nonprofits increase your fiscal sustainability and programmatic impact.
Even on your busiest days, your vision keeps you going.
You’ve never lost sight of your mission to give young people the opportunities they deserve, but your packed schedule, complex compliance regulations, and limited resources don’t make it easy.
And honestly, it shouldn’t be this way.
Students of color, young people from low-income families, and multilingual learners should have access to every resource they need to learn, thrive, and succeed.
Different educational models should be well-resourced, so that youth can grow in environments that work for their particular needs, interests, and learning styles.
You should be able to do what you do best—pouring yourself into their education and leading your organization—without being so strapped for time and capacity.
All the resources out there, just waiting to be unlocked, should be clearly and easily accessible.
But you’re aand we are too - so let’s team up and transform this playing field together.
Access Resources
We’re here to put more resources in your capable hands—and more precious time in your schedule.
Working efficiently and effectively, we shoulder the task of fundraising and capacity-building so that frontline educators and leaders like you are better able to focus on your direct impact and big goals.
As experts in youth-serving nonprofits and charter schools, we offer specific expertise in fundraising, regulation, and governance. This means that we can work far beyond just “packaging up” what you do into proposals, instead helping you to craft truly effective initiatives that get recognized and funded.
When we collaborate, we sit side by side—we’re the navigator and you’re in the driver’s seat. After creating goals together, we serve up different options to pursue and guide you down the path you choose. We’re never shy about offering recommendations, but we also prioritize your own insight, experience, and community knowledge to shape our approach.
If educational equity is at the heart of your mission, you can trust us to be your partner and guide.
We’ve raised $26,000,000+ for schools and nonprofits including…
OUR CLIENTS
A few good words.
“Attention non-profit leaders: Chiara should be your go-to person for all things innovative and complicated.
A top-notch strategist and a strong writer, Chiara is able to distill complex processes or situations into clear and persuasive language that produces results.
She came on board to support the Providence Public School District (PPSD) at a time when we were juggling many things at once and frankly only able to devote limited efforts to each priority area. Still, thanks to her support and experience, I could focus on the urgent things I was comfortable with while I knew she had the long-term planning and development covered.
Her knowledge of the education and non-profit fields, her track record in proposal writing, and her winning interpersonal skills make her a pleasure to partner with.”
Partner with CDS Education Consulting
Grants & Fund Development
Opportunity is out there, and we’ll help you unlock it. With more resources in your hands, so much more becomes possible, from program growth to increased investment in each young person who comes through your doors.
With extensive expertise in youth-focused organizations, as well as the regional and local context that surrounds us, we’re equipped to identify and pursue specific, well-aligned opportunities. We use all the professional tools at our disposal to develop strategic fundraising targets, prospect for good-fit grants, and submit successful proposals.
We’re able to support you with one-off services or take on the responsibilities of your in-house fundraiser.
Grants and fund development engagements can include:
Development of strategic fundraising targets by program
Grant prospect lists and application schedule
Boilerplate grant applications
Foundation grant submissions
Corporate sponsorship program development
Grant readiness support and training
Charter School Applications & Governance Support
There’s a lot riding on your shoulders as a leader, from your day-to-day responsibilities to big-picture questions of growth. With so many competing demands, and limited guidance provided for the enforcement of state policies, you’re often in a position to make “good” decisions when more support would help you make great ones.
Successful charter applications and expansions require rigorous knowledge of their unique set of regulations. We’re your expert navigator through it all, accounting for every detail, helping you avoid common pitfalls, and positioning you for success so you can help even more young people thrive.
We support you as a sounding board and confidant, not as another partner you need to impress, and help you pause to think clearly about your strategies. Working together, we can shape disparate sets of projects and goals into unified plans of action so that you can lead an exemplary, well-resourced school.
Our partnerships with charter schools can include:
Research and explanations of requirements to start or expand a charter school in your region
Feasibility studies and budget development
Outreach and connection to local partners and resources, including facilitation of community engagement and letters of support
Exploration of available grant funding opportunities
Development of full application
Application reviews and mock scoring
Strategy & Facilitation
We firmly believe that fundraising and organizational planning are skills that can be unlocked and nurtured in any leader. However, often understaffing and underfunding can leave you with little time to focus on big-picture strategy or financing plans.
We can partner with you to plan, facilitate, and implement strategic initiatives, helping you effectively allocate your resources and achieve measurable results that drive positive change. We’re also able to support you with strategy coaching on fundraising, governance, and program implementation to build your (or your team’s!) capacity and confidence.
Strategy and facilitation engagements can include:
Strategic planning processes for charter schools and youth-serving nonprofits
Annual meeting and retreat facilitation
Strategy coaching for leaders and teams
CTE program planning
Community engagement strategy development
Grant writing training for educators
we believe
We believe in tangible impact, with every single project adding value to your organization.
Instead of offering theoretical strategy, we also guide its implementation so that you’ll see and feel the dollars raised, partnerships built, and projects accomplished.
For that reason, we lead every project with a customized and flexible approach, shaping our proposal and strategy only after getting to know your specific needs.
Curious about exploring a partnership with CDS Education Consulting? Submit an inquiry with some information about your needs, and we can book a no-obligation call!
case studies
Nurturing students now and fueling education’s future
Learn about how I worked with a few of my clients and the results we achieved together.
Consultant for nonprofits and schools
We’re your partner, strategist, fundraiser, and champion.
At CDS Education Consulting, educational equity is at the heart of our mission, and the promise and potential of young people fuels our work.
By blending pragmatism with idealism, we aim to fund and strategically support educators’ and leaders’ big ideas so that all youth have equitable opportunities to become leaders in their own lives and communities.
We see opportunity everywhere, and we work shoulder-to-shoulder with you in our shared mission to not only level but transform the educational playing field in our communities. We’re honored to become a trusted extension of your organization, your expert strategist and navigator, and a relentless champion for your vision.
Think we’d be a good fit to support your charter school or nonprofit? We’d love to meet you!