Services Industries Pricing Locations Resources About Free HR Assessment
Industry — Nonprofits

HR that respects the mission and the budget

Nonprofits carry real HR complexity — grant-funded positions, exempt-status rules, board and ED dynamics, volunteer-versus-employee questions — on the leanest budgets in the economy. We bring senior HR that's careful with both the mission and every dollar.

Book a free HR Assessment See pricing →
The nonprofits reality

Where nonprofits HR actually breaks

01
Grant-funded roles
Positions tied to specific grants come with restricted funding, time-and-effort reporting, and allowability rules. Mismanaging the HR side of grant-funded staff can put funding and audits at risk.
02
Lean budgets, real needs
Nonprofits need the same HR foundation as any employer but with far less to spend. Every dollar has to justify itself, which is exactly why fractional makes sense.
03
Board & ED dynamics
Executive directors answer to boards, and HR issues — ED comp, leadership conflict, sensitive complaints — often involve governance, not just management. That requires careful, experienced handling.
04
Classification & exemption
Volunteer-vs-employee, exempt-vs-non-exempt, and stipend questions are common in nonprofits and frequently gotten wrong, creating wage-and-hour exposure on already-tight budgets.
Our approach

What nonprofits need from HR

Nonprofit HR has to be both rigorous and frugal. You need correct classification of employees, volunteers, and stipended roles; HR practices for grant-funded positions that align with your funders' requirements; defensible, transparent compensation (including the sensitive matter of ED comp and board involvement); and the full compliance foundation — all delivered without the overhead of a full-time hire your budget can't carry. We give mission-driven organizations senior HR that treats the budget with the same seriousness as the mission.

Most relevant services

What we focus on for nonprofits

HR ComplianceCore service Employee RelationsCore service Employee OnboardingCore service Employee HandbooksCore service All servicesSee the full list
Common questions

Nonprofits HR FAQ

How do you handle grant-funded positions?

+
We make sure HR practices for grant-funded roles align with funder requirements — proper classification, support for time-and-effort tracking, and documentation that holds up in a grant audit. The HR side of restricted funding is a frequent and avoidable source of audit risk.

Is fractional HR affordable for a nonprofit?

+
That's exactly the point. Retainers start at $1,800/month, which is a fraction of a full-time HR hire's fully loaded cost. For a lean organization, fractional gives you senior HR judgment without committing budget you don't have to a full-time salary and benefits.

Can you help with classification of volunteers and stipended roles?

+
Yes — this is one of the most common nonprofit pitfalls. We help you correctly classify employees, volunteers, interns, and stipended roles to avoid wage-and-hour exposure, which matters even more when budgets are tight.

Can you handle sensitive issues involving the ED or board?

+
We bring experience handling HR matters that touch governance — executive compensation, leadership conflict, and sensitive complaints — with the discretion and care those situations require, coordinating with the board where appropriate.
Get started

Ready for HR that gets your industry?

Book a free 30-minute HR Assessment. We'll look at your business, find your biggest exposure, and tell you what to prioritize — no pitch, no obligation.

Book a free HR Assessment → Email David