Ways to work
Choose the shape of the work after we understand the problem.
Start with a professional diagnostic, a readiness review, a focused build, a year-long institutional build, a cohort, or bounded ongoing support. The standard program rates are published here so you can decide whether a conversation is realistic before you contact us.
Engagement shapes and rates
Start with the smallest useful intervention.
Scroll horizontally to compare every column.
| Offering | Shape | Program rate |
|---|---|---|
| The Capacity Diagnostic | Four to six weeks. Interviews, systems inventory, document review, a prioritized baseline, a sequenced roadmap, and a written recommendation — including a recommendation not to hire us. | $15,000 – $35,000 |
| Readiness Review | Two to four weeks against one standard: accreditation, licensing, a monitoring visit, an insurance renewal, or an audit. | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Focused Sprint | Eight to fourteen weeks in a single domain — governance, finance, workforce, technology, quality, or risk. | $25,000 – $85,000 |
| The Institutional Build | Twelve months, phased, delivered and accepted monthly across multiple domains, ending in a sustainability scorecard. | $250,000 – $750,000 |
| CARES Cohort | Six to ten organizations, four to six months, building the same system together. | $5,000 – $15,000 per organization |
| Sustained Support | Bounded annual support: platform administration, an annual systems review, a policy-library refresh, a defined advisory allowance. | $12,000 – $60,000 per year |
| Open Shelf | Tools, templates, and guides. | Free |
The Capacity Diagnostic
- Program rate
- $15,000 – $35,000
- Shape
- Four to six weeks. Interviews, systems inventory, document review, a prioritized baseline, a sequenced roadmap, and a written recommendation — including a recommendation not to hire us.
Readiness Review
- Program rate
- $8,000 – $20,000
- Shape
- Two to four weeks against one standard: accreditation, licensing, a monitoring visit, an insurance renewal, or an audit.
Focused Sprint
- Program rate
- $25,000 – $85,000
- Shape
- Eight to fourteen weeks in a single domain — governance, finance, workforce, technology, quality, or risk.
The Institutional Build
- Program rate
- $250,000 – $750,000
- Shape
- Twelve months, phased, delivered and accepted monthly across multiple domains, ending in a sustainability scorecard.
CARES Cohort
- Program rate
- $5,000 – $15,000 per organization
- Shape
- Six to ten organizations, four to six months, building the same system together.
Sustained Support
- Program rate
- $12,000 – $60,000 per year
- Shape
- Bounded annual support: platform administration, an annual systems review, a policy-library refresh, a defined advisory allowance.
Open Shelf
- Program rate
- Free
- Shape
- Tools, templates, and guides.
These are standard program rates. Four pathways below them are described on the Pricing & access page, and organizations that qualify pay between nothing and eighty percent of the figures above.
You do not have to choose the engagement before you write.
Tell us what is happening. We will recommend the smallest useful starting point, including a free one when that is the honest answer.
Program architecture
How the programs fit together.
The service lines describe the subject. These programs describe how the work reaches organizations and how CARES divides its effort across paid and public-benefit work.
Scroll horizontally to compare every column.
| Program or capability | What it is | Share of our effort |
|---|---|---|
| The Academy | Structured courses, cohorts, workshops, and certificate programs for boards, executives, managers, and staff — governance, leadership, fiscal stewardship, compliance, program design, outcomes, and workforce systems. Written learning objectives, real curricula, participant evaluation. Includes the Board & Executive Leadership Institute. | 30% |
| The Assessment | A structured review of governance, leadership, finance, compliance, program quality, workforce systems, data, risk, and sustainability — followed by an educational debrief and a written capacity-improvement plan. The usual front door. | 30% with Implementation Coaching |
| Implementation Coaching | Time-limited, structured support that helps you apply what the assessment found: policy development, systems design, build, documentation, training, and transfer. This is where the fourteen service lines do their work. | Included above |
| The Accelerator | Free or deeply subsidized intensive assistance for small, emerging, and financially constrained organizations, and for organizations serving disadvantaged communities. Awarded on published criteria. | 15% |
| The Open Shelf | Research and public educational resources — toolkits, model policies, templates, practice briefs, benchmarks, webinars, and implementation guides — available without charge or at nominal cost. | 15% |
| Convenings | Conferences, learning communities, and peer exchanges bringing together nonprofit leaders, boards, public agencies, and funders. | 10% |
| Platform capability | Development and enablement of software capability the sector cannot otherwise obtain, delivered inside assessment and coaching engagements. | Within the above |
The Academy
- Share of our effort
- 30%
- What it is
- Structured courses, cohorts, workshops, and certificate programs for boards, executives, managers, and staff — governance, leadership, fiscal stewardship, compliance, program design, outcomes, and workforce systems. Written learning objectives, real curricula, participant evaluation. Includes the Board & Executive Leadership Institute.
The Assessment
- Share of our effort
- 30% with Implementation Coaching
- What it is
- A structured review of governance, leadership, finance, compliance, program quality, workforce systems, data, risk, and sustainability — followed by an educational debrief and a written capacity-improvement plan. The usual front door.
Implementation Coaching
- Share of our effort
- Included above
- What it is
- Time-limited, structured support that helps you apply what the assessment found: policy development, systems design, build, documentation, training, and transfer. This is where the fourteen service lines do their work.
The Accelerator
- Share of our effort
- 15%
- What it is
- Free or deeply subsidized intensive assistance for small, emerging, and financially constrained organizations, and for organizations serving disadvantaged communities. Awarded on published criteria.
The Open Shelf
- Share of our effort
- 15%
- What it is
- Research and public educational resources — toolkits, model policies, templates, practice briefs, benchmarks, webinars, and implementation guides — available without charge or at nominal cost.
Convenings
- Share of our effort
- 10%
- What it is
- Conferences, learning communities, and peer exchanges bringing together nonprofit leaders, boards, public agencies, and funders.
Platform capability
- Share of our effort
- Within the above
- What it is
- Development and enablement of software capability the sector cannot otherwise obtain, delivered inside assessment and coaching engagements.
Publishing how our effort is allocated is deliberate. It is how you can tell what kind of organization this is.