From Planning to Doing: Why We Built Relay Community Benefit Solutions
For as long as I have worked in nonprofit consulting, I have carried a strong desire to expand how we serve mission-driven organizations. Strategic planning and fundraising are essential, but they are only part of the equation. Nonprofits also need hands-on, integrated support that helps them turn plans into action.
At Beam Consulting, we have always been known for thoughtful strategy, strong fundraising guidance, and practical planning. Our clients value clarity, structure, and realistic roadmaps for growth. Over time, however, I began to see a recurring challenge across organizations of all sizes.
Even the best plans struggle to move forward without enough capacity to implement them.
What the Pandemic Helped Us See More Clearly
During the pandemic, we began testing a broader service model by integrating marketing and communications into our fundraising and strategic planning work. Nonprofits needed messaging, donor communication, and outreach support more than ever, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
That experiment confirmed something important: A more holistic approach worked, but it also revealed a limit.
As Beam became busier, it became increasingly difficult to stay deeply involved in implementation. At the same time, what my colleagues and I could personally provide was not as comprehensive or specialized as our clients truly needed.
For example, we frequently encountered human resources challenges as organizations attempted to staff up to support new initiatives. None of us are HR professionals! Similarly, content creation and video production are critical tools for modern nonprofits, but they are not our core strengths. For example, I can say with confidence that operating the camera on my phone is about the extent of my technical video skills.
The needs were real, varied, and growing.
The Growing Capacity Gap in the Nonprofit Sector
These challenges are not happening in isolation. Nonprofits are facing increasing difficulty hiring and retaining staff. Budgets are tight, burnout is widespread, and leadership teams are being asked to do more with less.
What we kept seeing was not a lack of vision or commitment. It was a lack of capacity.
Shared services, fractional consulting, and freelance expertise can help distribute costs and allow organizations to move work forward in a timely and affordable way. These models give nonprofits access to experienced professionals without the long-term financial burden of full-time hires.
This kind of support helps organizations stay nimble while still building momentum.
From Observation to Action
This work was deeply satisfying and personally meaningful. However, a consistent pattern emerged across many clients. They appreciated strong strategies and well-designed plans, but they lacked the staff resources, time, or funding to put those plans into motion.
That realization planted a seed.
Over time, that seed grew into Relay Community Benefit Solutions (Relay), a collaborative network of experienced professionals focused on helping nonprofits move from planning to implementation.
What Relay Community Benefit Solutions Offers
Relay is the result of years of thinking about how to better support small and mid-sized nonprofits that are working tirelessly to meet the unmet needs of their communities.
Relay operates as a collective support model. Our professionals integrate into your organization at the level and scale that is actually required. This approach avoids the financial strain of hiring full-time staff before an organization is ready.
Relay provides support in several ways, including:
Fractional or temporary staffing during high-intensity periods such as campaign planning, growth phases, or leadership transitions
Back-office and operational support in areas like human resources coordination, legal support, database management, and content creation
Specialized expertise that complements existing staff and leadership rather than replacing them
While we are glad to support organizations for as long as needed, Relay is not designed to create dependency. We are committed to helping nonprofits build systems, processes, and internal capacity so they can confidently take ownership of the work when the time is right.
A More Integrated Way to Serve Nonprofits
Relay does not replace Beam Consulting. It extends our ability to serve.
Together, Beam Consulting and Relay Community Benefit Solutions offer a more complete continuum of nonprofit support. This includes strategy, fundraising, implementation, and operational reinforcement.
For nonprofit leaders navigating complex challenges with limited capacity, this integrated approach provides a practical and sustainable way forward.
Relay is my answer to a question I have been asking for years: how do we help strong plans become real outcomes?
Now, we have a structure, a network, and a shared commitment to make that happen, and we can’t wait to share it with you!
For the past 25 years, Dani Beam has helped nonprofits at local, regional, and global levels find sustainable solutions to tricky growth and funding issues. She works with leaders and teams to optimize their approach to fundraising, strategic planning, marketing, and more! Dani is passionate about helping motivated people build vibrant and effective nonprofit organizations—so they can make a meaningful impact in the world!