Your relationships have outgrown the system holding them.
Scaling nonprofits carry more donors, partners, and participants than any team can track from memory or with a spreadsheet. We build the systems that maintain those relationships as the work grows. Fit to the way your team already works, documented, and owned by you when we're done.
Right now, your most important relationships live in someone's head.
One person knows which funder is mid-conversation. Another remembers why a partner went quiet. The coordinator is manually keeping track of outcome surveys to send each week.
It works, until that person is out, or carrying more relationships than anyone can hold. Then a grant renewal slips. A partner reaches back out but no one remembers the history. The impact report just has activity counts instead of true outcomes.
We scale nonprofit relationship development with systems that don't rely on staff memory so momentum survives turnover, growth, and a full plate.
Is your relationship data ready to scale?
A short readiness check across the three relationship types most scaling nonprofits manage at once.
Just answer a handful of honest questions and we'll send back a readiness summary you can bring into a leadership conversation. No pitch, just a clear read on where your systems are solid and where they'll strain as you grow.
The systems we build hold three kinds of relationships at once.
Donors and funders
Donors and funders
Every active conversation and application, where it stands, and what was promised, visible without asking the one person who knows. Asks and renewals move on schedule instead of slipping through a gap in someone's recall.
Partners and co-grantees
Partners and co-grantees
Shared history and commitments held in one place. When a co-grantee reaches back out or you need to report on service delivery, someone can pick up the thread without hours of manual work even if the original contact has moved on.
Program participants and clients
Program participants and clients
The people your programs serve tracked as relationships, not just records. Intake history, follow-up commitments, and the outcome data your funders require stay with the program even when staff turn over or caseloads spike.
The systems we build hold three kinds of relationships at once.
Donors and funders
Every active conversation and application, where it stands, and what was promised, visible without asking the one person who knows. Asks and renewals move on schedule instead of slipping through a gap in someone's recall.
Partners and co-grantees
Shared history and commitments held in one place. When a co-grantee reaches back out or you need to report on service delivery, someone can pick up the thread without hours of manual work even if the original contact has moved on.
Program participants and clients
The people your programs serve tracked as relationships, not just records. Intake history, follow-up commitments, and the outcome data your funders require stay with the program even when staff turn over or caseloads spike.
This is the work, not a side service.
We focus on one thing: relationship systems for organizations that have outgrown tracking by memory.
A development team working high-capacity prospects, where no one could say who had already reached out to whom. Dept.1 moved them onto a shared pipeline that helped them close their first major gift through it.
An organization fielding thousands of requests a year across multiple programs, its funding tied to what it could report to government and foundation funders. Dept.1 replaced hand-keyed intake and manual reporting that took roughly a day per program with a system where requests flow straight in and the monthly report is a dashboard refresh.
Different platforms, same patterns. The relationships are always real, what was missing was a system built to hold them as the work grew.
Not sure where your systems stand?
The readiness check takes a few minutes and gives you something concrete to bring to your team.
Not sure where your systems stand?
The readiness check takes a few minutes and gives you something concrete to bring to your team.
What it looks like when the system holds.
How we helped transformed orgs like yours
How we helped transformed orgs like yours
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
We had some work done several years ago but we weren't getting all of the information we needed. We'd been dealing with this for about seven years. Now everything is aligned and synced together - it's been nothing but a pleasure.
Sarah Lewis
Program Specialist, LegalCORPS
Our entire staff and board members have to report on the work they're doing. The problem was I was the one who had to enter all this data. Having a tool to do this is a great integration into our daily work.
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
Our database was confusing. The data that was there wasn't really helpful - it was a waste of time and resources. Now I have an accurate and helpful list that makes sense and can be much more strategic.
Ellen Walthour
Executive Director, Social Venture Partners Minnesota
We needed to think about what systems we needed in place in order to be successful. We came out the other side really having clarity on what the next steps we’re going to be.
Jennie Lynch
President, Kaleidoscope Learning
Having someone ask questions we wouldn't have considered - with expertise our team may not have… Dept.1 not only delivered on their promises but made us much more productive and reflective.
Julia Kallmes
Founder, Kaleidoscope Learning
I was in pure chaos mode. I wasn't sure what our priorities were to focus on. We went through all of my major concerns and walked through a timeline of priorities. It was very clear and very detailed.
Chrystal Fischer
Executive Director, Parenting with Grace
WHAT WE DO
WHAT WE DO
About the Founder
Most consultants will help you pick a platform. Few will stay until your team can run it without them, or without the one person who knows how it works.
I started Dept.1 because scaling nonprofits were making expensive platform decisions without the right systems thinking behind them and paying for implementations that didn't survive the first staff transition. The work we do is narrow on purpose: relationship systems for organizations whose donors, funders, partners, and program participants have outgrown what a spreadsheet or an underused CRM can hold.
Every system we build is documented, fitted to how your team already works, and owned by you when we're done. Not dependent on us. Not dependent on whoever set it up.
— Dylan Bassett, Founder
WHAT WE DO
About the Founder
Most consultants will help you pick a platform. Few will stay until your team can run it without them, or without the one person who knows how it works.
I started Dept.1 because scaling nonprofits were making expensive platform decisions without the right systems thinking behind them and paying for implementations that didn't survive the first staff transition. The work we do is narrow on purpose: relationship systems for organizations whose donors, funders, partners, and program participants have outgrown what a spreadsheet or an underused CRM can hold.
Every system we build is documented, fitted to how your team already works, and owned by you when we're done. Not dependent on us. Not dependent on whoever set it up.
— Dylan Bassett, Founder
"Dept.1 understands data, they understand project management. This is my vision and I could trust they would deliver within the way we work and that it would be good for Small Sums. Knowing they had all the expertise made it seamless. I was very impressed with how quickly we were able to turn it around. I just feel like I didn’t have to do much to get an amazing product. Having someone that’s not in it all the time come in and say: “Have you ever thought about this?” - I value that a lot."
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
"Dept.1 understands data, they understand project management. This is my vision and I could trust they would deliver within the way we work and that it would be good for Small Sums. Knowing they had all the expertise made it seamless. I was very impressed with how quickly we were able to turn it around. I just feel like I didn’t have to do much to get an amazing product. Having someone that’s not in it all the time come in and say: “Have you ever thought about this?” - I value that a lot."
Leika Pierre-Louis
Executive Director, Small Sums
What we're up to
