How we help you
Mastering operations isn’t just about improving efficiency or preparing for the future. It’s critical for fostering innovation in your nonprofit. However, operating at a higher level can be challenging when navigating limited resources, workforce challenges and a lack of staff continuity.
Manage disruption and change.
Execute opportunities to increase efficiency.
Optimize and automate processes.
Select the right technology.
Implement a more efficient way to serve
Wipfli’s nonprofit operations consulting team applies our history of serving nonprofits to help organizations improve processes and manage change.
Explore our services
Allocate resources effectively and increase efficiency with Wipfli’s process improvement services. Our team works closely with yours to identify opportunities, create an improvement plan and help your people navigate change.
Our services include:
- Administrative process improvement: Using root cause analysis tools, we can help you map process steps, identify waste, define your ideal future state and develop the action plan you need to get there.
- Automation: By identifying opportunities for automation, we help your team do more with limited resources and staff. We also help you navigate the entire automation process, including establishing requirements, development and testing.
- Documentation: Our team works closely with your staff to gather in-depth details about how your organization works to help review, document and optimize your processes.
Wipfli can help your organization choose software that can increase engagement and your impact. We support your team through all stages of the software selection process, helping you carefully evaluate potential solutions so that you get the value and capability your organization needs.
We can support your organization with the following:
- Requirements-gathering workshops.
- Demonstrations, including provider demo scripts and demo scorecards, so that you can stay focused on high-priority functionality and clearly understand how software can meet your needs during vendor presentations.
- Provider due diligence.
- Statement of work review and execution.
Wipfli helps guide your staff and minimize disruption during change, including support for:
- New technology implementations: See a smoother transition and higher adoption rate with your new technology. Wipfli works with your team to build a strategy that supports staff, provides the necessary training, addresses resistance and clearly communicates about changes.
- Mergers and acquisitions: Wipfli can help your organization minimize disruptions, support alignment and navigate complexities with your integration.
- Procedural and organizational culture shifts: We help you engage stakeholders and communicate proactively so that new processes, procedures and culture shifts can be implemented effectively.
Wipfli’s project management team is ready to help you achieve better outcomes with your investments. We can support all areas of implementation, including:
- Communication.
- Critical tasks and task prioritization.
- Budgeting.
- Alignment.
Wipfli works at the intersection of your organization and software vendors, helping you identify the processes, decision points and data crucial to success. We can also support your organization with education-focused guidance on best practices and system design.
Insights and resourcres
CASE STUDY
Cultivating leadership unlocks breakthrough growth
See how Thompson used intentional leadership development to grow from $8M to $60M in revenue and expand its capacity for mission impact.
ARTICLE
As nonprofit funding tightens again, can clearer insights help you make more of what you do have?
News recently broke that the federal government is proposing significant changes to the Uniform Guidance, including a new rule that would make it easier for the government to cancel nonprofit grant funding, essentially at will. This move is just the latest in a stream of funding-related actions that have put growing pressure on nonprofit organizations’ budgets. How should your organization continue to make an impact even in this tricky environment? One idea is to take a page from the for-profit world by putting greater emphasis on tracking and measuring program efficiency. This strategy can help you deploy your limited resources more effectively and impress funders. Keep reading to learn more. Nonprofits continue to face notable funding challenges 2025 was a difficult year for nonprofit funding , and so far, 2026 continues to prove challenging as well. Most organizations have never exactly been flush with cash, but this year, leaders are navigating not just federal policy shifts but also increased competition for state and private dollars. Beyond simply finding enough funding to maintain steady operations, more organizations are finding that money often comes with strings attached. Federal grant funding has always come with strict rules and requirements, but those have gotten stricter. More private donors are also demanding a higher level of accountability around exactly where and how their donations are being used. When the money does arrive, it may be less than it was before, and many nonprofits lack the tools to make the most of it. Decision makers may not have access to clear analysis around program results — think cost per child or individual served data, for example — to compare with peer organizations and identify areas where operational or programmatic improvement is needed. But could a greater emphasis on performing that sort of program analysis help change this whole dynamic? Program financial analysis can help impress funders and boost impact Doing more detailed financial and performance analysis on your programs and general operations — standard operating procedure for many businesses — can help your nonprofit operate more effectively and stretch precious dollars further. You’ll also be better positioned to demonstrate your efficacy to both federal grant regulators and private donors. Consider that conducting thorough, ongoing financial performance analysis can help your organization to: Strengthen impact: Whether you’re funded by federal grants, private donors or both, you’ll have a better understanding of how your programs are performing and be able to make operational improvements to strengthen impact. Impress funders: Both federal and private funders want to see impact. If you can demonstrate efficient, effective use of funds, you’ll have an easier time getting more. Uphold grant guidelines: Grants typically require you to spend funds within a certain period of time, something that is easier to do if you’re tracking your financial performance. Avoid shortfalls: Keeping a closer eye on your use of funds also helps you better understand your burn rate, which can help you avoid an unexpected cash crunch. Know your KPIs: Regularly tracking core KPIs like cost per individual served is essential to giving your executives and board the information they need to lead, as well as helping regulators and donors feel confident funding you. Make smarter strategic decisions: A for-profit business owner wouldn’t make a major decision without fully understanding the financial circumstances and implications of the move. That sort of perspective is just as useful for your nonprofit, and can lead to smarter, more effective strategic decisions. So, how do you get started doing more in-depth analysis to bolster your programs and impact? How should nonprofits strengthen their program financial analysis? Program and operational financial analysis are about understanding where your revenue is coming from, how it’s being used and where you should make improvements or changes. To do this effectively, you’ll need to gather data, organize it, create projections and models and then use what you learn to drive smarter decisions. 1. Gather data Your first step should be to understand your full funding picture. Gather as much data as you can on your revenue and expenses. If your organization is still running on legacy systems , this may be time-consuming to do, but the insights you’ll gain are worth it. 2. Establish a baseline and start asking questions Once you have a mountain of data, start looking at your KPIs, program results, cash flow and burn rate. Put together an overall baseline to establish where your organization is now and identify your top pain points. Do you have cash flow concerns? Are your services still fit for today’s environment? Ask questions like these. 3. Use what you learn to drive decisions Once you know where you stand today, you’re ready to look forward. Have conversations with executive leadership, stakeholders and your board members to assess what you’ve learned, discuss pain points and determine how your new insights should affect your overall strategy and funding efforts. At this point, you’ll typically benefit from doing scenario planning and creating projections to consider how different strategic choices might play out. From the board perspective, consider that your board has a fiduciary duty to ensure that your funds are being used appropriately. Providing them with a detailed financial analysis will help them better fulfill their governance and oversight responsibilities . 4. Lean on advisory or outsourcing support for help If your team lacks the skill set to do in-depth financial analysis, you can lean on advisory or outsourcing for help. Look for an advisory firm that understands nonprofits and can provide fractional CFO or controller support to take this work off your plate and deliver the insights you need to strengthen performance and impact. Read more Nonprofit accounting software: When do you need a new ERP? Nonprofits with strong boards outperform peers. Here’s how to improve yours. New systems help nonprofits boost impact and satisfy funders
ARTICLE
Compensation strategies for nonprofits competing in tight labor markets
The competition for talent is fierce, so developing a mission-driven compensation strategy is critical to recruiting and retaining top talent. Nonprofit organizations are seeing increased wage pressures with competition from previously unlikely sources, including restaurants, hospitality, retail, fast food restaurants and distribution centers. To attract and retain employees, nonprofits are having to offer more compensation, flexibility and better work-life balance. This requires agencies to create a mission-driven environment that retains existing employees and shines a spotlight on their mission to attract new talent. Understanding what your employees want is critical to reducing the nonprofit turnover rate and improving employee retention. Creating a nonprofit compensation plan Compensation planning has often been a significant challenge for agencies, and it has become even more difficult when considering the numerous questions your organization must consider as you craft a competitive compensation plan, including: What is our compensation philosophy? How will we compete with retailers, manufacturers and other industries whose base wage is steadily increasing and easily discernible? What is going to be our internal minimum wage level? Should we incorporate paying living wages to our employees? How are we going to release the inevitable wage compression that is going to occur? What are the other top-of-mind questions in our agency regarding the compensation package currently in place or needed in the future? What is our position on pay transparency? Because of these and other questions, developing a base compensation plan involves several proactive steps to align your agency’s goals, along with your mission, vision and values. Consider these fundamentals in your structured approach: Form a compensation committee and develop your compensation philosophy. This establishes the stakeholder group and sets the foundational principles to guide your compensation plan and help ensure pay equity . Develop or update your job descriptions so that positions, roles and responsibilities are accurately defined. Having updated job descriptions is becoming even more crucial in the new era of pay transparency regulations. Perform an external market analysis utilizing published wage and salary survey data to understand current nonprofit salaries in your area or region. Consider leveraging data related to like-sized, comparable industries due to the highly competitive market. Engaging in a formal analysis enables your agency to tailor and customize its program to meet its own unique needs, while still operating in the competitive market. Utilizing a nonprofit compensation report can provide valuable benchmarking data. Develop a salary structure and calculate the financial impact of implementing that structure. Salary benchmarking and job evaluation are key components. Ensure the structure aligns with 501c3 salary rules and nonprofit pay practices. Document the compensation plan . Proper documentation helps ensure all aspects of the plan are recorded and justified while providing a log to reference in the future. A nonprofit compensation policy sample can provide a helpful starting point. Implement and adjust the salary structure annually to assist in monitoring the current landscape and market trends. Provide training to managers to equip them with the necessary information to articulate the plan and answer questions to support their employees and team. Communicate the plan to employees in a way that’s tailored to meet your agency’s pay transparency and overall communication level. Clear communication helps build trust and confidence in pay administration decisions, especially once employees understand the compensation strategy and see how it aligns with the agency’s goals. Be clear whether you will disclose salaries, as some states now require. How can nonprofits compete on salaries? It’s essential to recognize that compensation strategy extends beyond salary into benefits, creating a comprehensive total rewards strategy. Current and prospective employees may no longer be satisfied with the traditional employee benefits and perks. With four generations in the workplace, agencies should confirm they have the right attraction and retention levers in place, including understanding what makes their workforce tick. Unsurprisingly, all generations in the workforce want benefits and perks that will directly impact their lives and their families’ lives. However, they also desire non-monetary benefits, such as: Flexible work arrangements such as hybrid or remote work Generous paid time off and family leave Personal and professional development opportunities Career advancement paths Opportunities for a phased transition into retirement Incentive programs and other forms of indirect compensation can also play a role. Compensation must remain a priority Nonprofit compensation and total rewards reflect the dynamic interplay between employer strategy and ability and employee expectations. They also must strike a delicate balance between mission-driven purpose and practical sustainability. As your agency navigates this complex terrain, you should remain proactive, intentional and agile in implementing approaches that resonate with your diverse workforce. Developing a comprehensive talent strategy that encompasses employee engagement, recognition, performance management, professional development and career development is crucial. Focusing on work culture, employee satisfaction and mission alignment can help boost retention rates and reduce voluntary turnover. By crafting strategies to reflect the unique spirit of the sector while also driving equitable and competitive standards, your nonprofit can be positioned to attract dedicated professionals who are not only skilled but also deeply aligned with your organizational mission. Nonprofit leadership and HR play important roles in developing and executing an effective talent strategy and employee retention policy. Read more: Integrated systems boost your nonprofit’s organizational effectiveness — and keep funders happy Nonprofits with strong boards outperform peers. Here’s how to improve yours Nonprofits: Is your technology working for you or against you?
Reach out to our team
Ask a Wipfli nonprofit strategy advisor how your organization can become more effective and impactful.
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As one of the country’s most experienced nonprofit consulting firms, our specialists bring experience, knowledge and best practices to empower your organization and allow you to focus on what matters most.
