Happy to see you here if you are new, and warmly welcome you back if you are an esteemed alum. We want to build our network outreach this year and hope that you can join us on the journey. Please think about referring other nonprofit consultants you know to participate on our site or form a discussion group.

Books we list that are purchased here by our site visitors help support CU costs. If you are a member that has published or have additional book suggestions to share that will help us become sustainable, send them to us!

You need to be an independent consultant to nonprofit organizations and share in our philosophy of an "all for one, one for all" business networking style in order to become a member of Consultants United. Reference statements from other members OR prior attendance to Camp Goodwork are the preferred methods for admittance for membership.

Currently our Annual Dues are minimal and "suggested" at $20.00 per year. Payment will allow you to participate in the discussion forums and give you a linked member presence with us that can be used for social networking on the web, driving traffic to your own website, and informally networking with other nonprofit consultants on-line. Once we have 15 consistently "paying" members per year within this new format, we will be able to afford to remove the ads from the website. More $ will let us do more to grow the org to a more formal status, but we're keeping our goals simple for now. To join, simply click on the "Sign Up" link at the top right of this page and send us a check when you can. Let us know if you want us to regularly invoice you for dues by mail or by Paypal by sending a note to info@consultantsunited.org. If you are interested in sponsoring some of our costs, please also let us know.

If we continue to grow the membership, we can start saving for another CU meeting or a Camp Goodwork retreat. We welcome your suggestions for making CU sustainable, fun and supportive to its nonprofit consultant members without too much overhead expense. Our main goal is to help one another grow our consulting businesses, share "best practice" techniques and collaborate in ways that most help our nonprofit clients.

Consultants United began with the first CU meeting in Kansas City in 1998. The first full Camp Goodwork retreat was held on November 16-18, 2003 at the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona (near Phoenix). The second Camp Goodwork was held October 10-12, 2004 in the more urban environment of small eclectic businesses in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2006 and 2007 we shared expenses for tradeshow space at two nonprofit tradeshows in Los Angeles and Atlanta respectively.

All total, we have had a combined 32 participants from twelve states. Each experience has been different, thought provoking and energizing for the consultants involved. Historically, the Camp Goodwork meetings have been developed on site but have helped independent nonprofit consultants learn how to market their consulting practices, look at the nuts and bolts of their business, and discuss self-care as an independent consultant in an advocacy realm.

There are several benefits to becoming a member of Consultants United. Our members most benefit from the peer camaraderie and opportunities for professional growth with like-minded nonprofit pioneers. And yes, we have a great time when we get together! As many CU members are solo practitioners, we enjoy having colleagues we can rely on for expertise in professional areas where we are less knowledgeable or opportunities for sub-consulting or collaborative projects.

As Consultants United continues to grow in membership, it is our hope and goal for the organization to seek external funding in order to provide more support professionally to consultants starting out or expanding their nonprofit consulting practices. We invite any practitioner interested in the issues and topics of nonprofit consulting. Members must be able to dedicate enough time to participate and make a difference in the organization or on the forums.