Marketplace operating standards

Every matching request is reviewed by a human on our team before any consultant is contacted. We shortlist based on:

• Specialty fit — the consultant's declared specialties overlap with the nonprofit's stated problem.
• Service area — the consultant serves the nonprofit's state, or explicitly serves nationwide, or the engagement is virtual.
• Trust tier — Verified consultants are prioritized, followed by Claimed profiles, then Listed profiles when needed to build a full shortlist.
• Capacity signals — availability status and typical engagement length recorded on the consultant's profile.
• Track record — representative results, case studies, and testimonials relevant to the request.

We do not accept payment from consultants to appear on shortlists. Featured placement is a separate paid promotional slot, clearly labeled, and never guarantees inclusion in a specific match.

A match is "qualified" — meaning we release contact information to the consultant for the $49 introduction fee — only when all of the following are true:

• The nonprofit has provided a real organization name and reachable email.
• The stated need falls within a specialty the consultant serves.
• The nonprofit is inside the consultant's service area (or the work is remote).
• The nonprofit has confirmed they want to be contacted (explicit consent captured on the match form).

Anonymous inquiries, obvious spam, and requests outside our scope (grants for individuals, personal fundraising, product sales) are declined and no fee is charged.

Our target service levels:

• Initial review: within 1 business day of submission.
• Shortlist delivered: within 2 business days for standard requests, 4 business days for niche specialties.
• Consultant notified: immediately after purchase, with a summary of the nonprofit's need.

Business days are Monday–Friday, excluding U.S. federal holidays.

If we can't build a shortlist that meets the criteria above:

1. We tell the nonprofit within 3 business days, in plain language, why we couldn't match them.
2. We suggest adjacent specialties, an expanded geography, or a virtual-only search when appropriate.
3. No introduction fee is charged. Nothing is sent to a consultant.

The introduction fee unlocks contact information for a qualified match. Full refunds are issued when:

• The nonprofit's contact information turns out to be invalid or unreachable after two good-faith attempts by the consultant.
• The nonprofit disputes the introduction as unwanted or unsolicited.
• The match was outside the consultant's stated specialties or service area.
• A billing error, duplicate charge, or payment provider dispute is confirmed.

Refunds are not issued because a conversation didn't lead to a signed contract — the fee pays for the introduction, not the outcome. Refund requests can be sent through our contact form. Full policy: Refund & Cancellation Policy.

Consultants who purchase an introduction agree to:

• Reach out to the nonprofit within 2 business days of unlocking the contact.
• Follow the Consultant Code of Conduct in every interaction.
• Tell the nonprofit clearly if they can't take the engagement, so the nonprofit can consider other options.
• Never share, resell, or add the nonprofit's contact information to a marketing list.

Repeated failures result in loss of Verified status and, if not corrected, removal from the marketplace.

Nonprofits and consultants can raise concerns using our complaint procedure. We acknowledge every complaint within 2 business days and target a resolution within 10 business days. Complaints about a specific consultant are shared with that consultant so they can respond before we act.

We remove or update listings when:

• The firm's website has been offline for more than 30 days and email attempts go unanswered.
• The firm has closed, been acquired, or explicitly asks to be removed.
• The listing contains inaccurate location, specialty, or credential claims that the firm won't correct after two written requests.
• The firm violates the Code of Conduct in a way that would put nonprofits at risk.

Removals are logged internally so we can respond to reinstatement requests consistently.