Small on Purpose...

At The Collaborative Collective, we love taking on creative one-off projects with nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. But when it comes to long-term engagements, we keep things intentionally small.

This year (2025), we decided to cap our long term (retainer) clients to just three organizations. That’s not because we can’t do more. It’s because we choose not to.

In 2026, we’ll grow—just a little. Our team is expanding, and we’ll begin supporting a few more long term clients. Still boutique. Still deeply invested. Still small on purpose.

Why Small?

Because we value working alongside you, not just for you.

Because being small helps us stay close. Close to the work. Close to the mission. Close to you.

When you’re a retainer client, you don’t just get a consultant. You get access to two of the most relational and forward-thinking nonprofit leaders out there: Kevin Bussema and Johanna Ralsten-Cox. We don’t just advise from the sidelines—we walk with you through growth, change, and reinvention.

What Purpose?

Wish you had one more senior executive on your team? Need executive insight and leadership in board development, strategic alignment, fund development, staff empowerment, volunteer enablement, or program strategy?

Hiring a nonprofit C-suite leader typically costs an organization at least $150,000 a year—and that’s for someone early in their executive leadership journey.

Our retainer clients access our combined C-suite experience for less than half that cost. You get depth, strategy, and real partnership—without the traditional price tag.

The Bottom Line

Our “small on purpose” model isn’t a limitation—it’s our secret sauce. It means we can be all-in with the organizations we serve. It means you get real partnership, not just advice. And it means we get to do this work in a way that feels aligned, sustainable, and joyful.

We've already started locking in our slate of clients of 2026. Reach out and book a discovery call if you want to explore the potential.