Let’s chart a path forward

NGO and Nonprofit Management

A Crisis in the Nonprofit Sector

The American nonprofit landscape faces an existential challenge as federal funding streams that have sustained organizations for decades rapidly diminish or disappear entirely. The elimination of USAID, termination of other grants, and dramatic cuts to multiple government agencies have left thousands of NGOs scrambling to replace funding sources that once provided operational stability and programmatic predictability. This funding crisis coincides with increased global need, decreased funding for multilateral institutions, and heightened competition for remaining resources. Organizations that thrived under the previous funding paradigm face a daunting landscape where government support can no longer be assumed, requiring rapid organizational transformation to survive and maintain mission effectiveness.

Beyond Survival: Strategic Adaptation and Success

The current funding environment demands more than incremental adjustments—it requires fundamental reimagining of organizational structure, programming approaches, and sustainability models. At Byrsa, we can help NGOs rethink how to talk to the U.S. government, develop diversified revenue streams, build direct relationships with private donors, and demonstrate impact in ways that resonate with new donors. We don’t believe the current reality should force a trade off between staying afloat and compromising your core mission and values.

Strategic Advisory from Former Insiders

At Byrsa Advisors, our team brings unique expertise from years of experience as both U.S. government donors and program implementers, providing unparalleled insight into what funders seek and how successful organizations operate. We understand the strategic thinking that drives funders, the metrics that matter to donors, and the relationship-building approaches that resonate with individual philanthropists. We help clients not just survive this transition, but emerge stronger, more resilient, and better positioned for long-term impact in a fundamentally changed sector.

  • Our team has audited countless NGOs for the U.S. Government. We know what auditors look for, how they think, and what you can do to prepare. We can provide tailored audits for your organization with comprehensive recommendations on vulnerabilities and solutions. Our team has expert knowledge of Federal Regulations including the Automated Directives System (ADS), Code of Federal Regulations for Financial Assistance (2CFR), the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and OMB Circulars.

  • We’ve been on both sides of new business, collectively winning and awarding nearly a billion dollars in new funding. This experience gives us rare insight into what distinguishes winning proposals from unsuccessful ones. We understand not just what donors fund, but how they think, what concerns them, and how they evaluate risk and impact.

    We can implement proven strategies at every stage of business development, from pre-planning, capture, proposal drafting, and recruitment.  We can help you chart out a new strategic plan that can survive the closure of USAID.

  • We are available for management support during all stages of your program. We’ve managed contracts and grants - as donors and implementers - in the most difficult environments around the globe, from start up to close out. We can help you maintain program effectiveness and donor compliance in the most difficult environments.

  • Our team includes expert evaluators who have conducted small- and large-scale evaluations for the U.S. government and private firms. We can devise both qualitative and quantitative methods that will help sell your story to the right audience. Our research capabilities will help you build a plan that meets comprehensive approach to Monitoring and Evaluation to meet American Evaluation Association (AEA) standards.

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