Where small nonprofits get stronger, together
Coaching, training, and a community of local peers for leaders of small nonprofits.
Let’s talkWho it’s for
The Nonprofit Gym is for leaders of small, secular nonprofits in Rhode Island’s East Bay and surrounding communities.
Most are executive directors with small teams who may feel:
- Stretched thin: doing three jobs at once (often with everything running through them), feeling isolated, and worried about burning out.
- Short on capacity, not ideas: with more to do than time, systems, or resources allow, and no one at their level to think it through with.
- Done with quick fixes: knowing a webinar, a workshop, or even a strategic plan won’t be enough on its own.
- Ready for a stronger organization: one that’s more effective, adaptable, and resilient, and can make an even bigger difference in the community.
- Ready for more balance: wanting a sustainable pace—and a life outside of work, without guilt or giving up impact.
It works like a gym membership (but for capacity building)
One-on-one coaching
Hands-on support for each member’s biggest priorities.
Small-group training
Functional training to develop core capabilities.
A local peer community
Share resources and build capacity together.
Along the way, leaders regain their balance and organizations hit their stride.
Why a gym?
The Nonprofit Gym is designed around the metaphor of a health club, drawing on best practices in functional fitness, small-group training, mobility work, and wellness coaching—except it’s for the nonprofit as an organization, not you as a person.
Just like our bodies move in a few fundamental patterns (push and pull, up and down, etc.), nonprofits “move” in a few fundamental capacity patterns (programming, fundraising, etc.).
As a reminder, or in case it’s not clear by now, this is all just a metaphor for how I help build your organization’s capacity—it’s not actually a gym!
What to expect
Getting started
Just like with a good personal trainer, your nonprofit’s fitness journey starts with a conversation about its goals, “past injuries,” and what’s worked before (…and what hasn’t). Then comes a check for imbalances, movement quality, habits, pain, and overall wellbeing.
1-on-1 and small-group training
From there, one-on-one coaching focuses on what your nonprofit needs now, soon, and later.
Whenever practical, semi-private and small-group training formats help you show up more consistently, make the work feel easier, and often produce better results.
They’re also more fun, more affordable, and connect you with local peers going through (and aspiring to) very similar things. For many smaller nonprofits, they’re the only financially sustainable way to access ongoing, senior-level support designed for your nonprofit.
Always at the right level
A rubric-based leveling system ensures each member is working at their organization’s most appropriate level, with on-the-fly modifications, substitutions, and the occasional hands-on “spot” as needed.
This isn’t a webinar series, a workshop, or a monthly roundtable. It’s individualized, ongoing capacity-building training with measurable targets, built around where your nonprofit wants to go. There’s nothing else like it.
It only works if you use it
Like a real gym, results take showing up, consistently, with the long-term vision in mind. That’s why every membership includes an established training schedule (choose your own frequency), coaching check-ins, and a growing, online “equipment rack” to use 24/7.
Coming later: an online “locker room,” where members can connect and share what’s working.
100% money-back guarantee
If after 30 days you don’t feel your organization getting noticeably stronger, you get 100% of your money back. That’s The Nonprofit Gym guarantee, and what sets it apart from most real gyms and most capacity-building or strategic planning efforts.
I’ve spent 20 years helping organizations run better, most recently as a strategic planning consultant for a dozen New England nonprofits at pivotal moments of growth and change.
I’m a proud “expert-generalist” across organizational development, finance, operations, teaching, and even functional training (earlier in my career I managed medically based fitness centers— thus the metaphor). I’m also an experienced facilitator who brings clarity to chaos while keeping things light and fun.
I live in the East Bay with my family and started The Nonprofit Gym to help the nonprofits in our region get stronger, together.
I want to live where people feel inspired by meaningful work, connected with their communities, motivated to be better, and excited for what’s ahead.
Think how far we’d get!
Let’s talk
Getting stronger starts with a conversation. How can I help?